South Africa, Aug. 28 -- A core pillar of Design Thinking Week is its departure from theoretical learning. Instead of working on hypothetical case studies, students will be paired with a real-world project partner - an active organization facing a complex, "messy" challenge. Participants will engage directly with real stakeholders, learning to interview, observe, and empathise to ensure their ideas respond to genuine human needs. This authentic engagement deliberately bridges the gap between classroom learning and the world beyond university.

Throughout the high-energy, coach-supported programme, students from entirely different academic disciplines will be grouped together. This encourages participants to collaborate with people who thi...