Srinagar, June 23: As the higher education evolves and goes through major changes at global level the National Education Policy (NEP) Cell in collaboration with Centre for Design Your Degree, University of Kashmir (KU) Monday organised a workshop under its flagship Design Your Degree (DYD) programme.
The workshop brought together academic leaders, faculty mentors and NEP core committee experts from across Jammu and Kashmir to co-create a roadmap for the DYD programme. Inaugurating the workshop Vice Chancellor KU Prof Nilofer Khan emphasized the significance of DYD as a transformative academic model. “DYD is not just about breaking rigid structures; it is about building academic freedom. Our students must be given the space to dream, design and define their learning paths. This initiative, DYD, is close to my heart since it aligns deeply with the NEP’s call for innovative, student-led education”, she said. Speaking on the occasion Dean Academic Affairs KU Prof Shariefuddin Pirzada noted, “DYD represents not just a pedagogical shift, but a philosophical one. It encourages students to learn not only from syllabi, but from society, nature and real-world problems. This is education in its most dynamic form.”
The workshop aimed to strengthen the academic, practical and curricular dimensions of DYD while retaining its humanistic and flexible core. The workshop brought together mentors and faculty members from all DYD Centres across J&K, facilitating thematic brainstorming sessions on curriculum design, project integration, skill-based learning and interdisciplinary frameworks.
Groups worked collaboratively on creating hands-on models for Semester IV (Bridge Semester) and proposed ideas for Majoring streams from Semester V onward. During the inaugural session, Registrar KU Prof. Naseer Iqbal reiterated the University’s support for the structural boldness and scalability of DYD, stating, “This is a model worth replicating. It allows for integration of faculty vision, student choice and community engagement. DYD is both academically rigorous and socially rooted.”
Prof. Mushtaq Ahmad Siddiqi, Chief Coordinator, NEP Cell, KU while underscoring the practical necessity of the DYD model said “We cannot afford to teach yesterday’s tools to tomorrow’s minds. DYD helps institutions evolve as spaces of imagination, purpose and plural learning.”
A highlight of the workshop was the participation of Prof. Shobha Bhagai, Director CIC, Delhi University, who brought a deep interdisciplinary lens to the discussion. She reiterated, “DYD offers a rare platform for building not only knowledge but insight. It promotes emotional intelligence, critical reflection and mental well-being — all of which are crucial for the youth of this century.”
Coordinator Centre for DYD KU Prof. Syeda Afshana, while presenting the vote of thanks said, “This workshop is not about tweaking formats. It’s about rewriting the script of education. DYD is a living curriculum, shaped by questions, not just answers. It aims to build thinkers, not just graduates.” Technical sessions included hands-on curriculum design studios where mentors co-created course titles, project ideas, skill maps, and learning outcomes. The “Curriculum Idea Wall” invited creative inputs on gaps, future-focused skills, and interdisciplinary bridges. Participants also deliberated on alternative assessments, digital integration, and community-based capstones. Dr. Tasleem Ara faculty member at KU conducted the proceedings of the workshop. The workshop concluded with a collective vision to build a model wherein education must be co-designed, co-owned and co-evolved by students, teachers and society alike.
