Anant National University, Ahmadabad inaugurated the newly set up Tinkering Lab, a workspace for students to learn, experiment and develop their ideas into prototypes on Feb 15. The Tinkering Lab is a part of Aarambh, incubation centre of the university.
The lab was inaugurated by M. Nagarajan, IAS, Commissioner Higher Education, Government of Gujarat. The event was also attended by special guest Mr Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO, i-Hub.
Along with the Makerspace – a multidisciplinary workshop and specialised studios, the Tinkering Lab aims to nurture innovation and build a problem-solving mindset among the students. The Lab comprises equipment like Laser cutting machines, 3D Printers, Zigsaw, Arduino kits, soldering station and much more. Tinkering Lab is intended to be a fully functional student-run Lab set-up in the Student Housing facility, thus allowing access to work around the clock at their convenience.
Along with the inauguration, 27 student teams were felicitated who have received Proof of Concept or Prototype support for their innovative projects from Aarambh. These ideas were the selected entries from ‘The IDEA CONTEST’, launched by Aarambh in collaboration with Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP), Government of Gujarat. These ideas are offering innovative and sustainable solutions in diverse sectors such as health, education, waste management, sustainable fabric, urban farming, educational toys and games, among others.
Speaking on the launch of the Lab, Dr Anunaya Chaubhey, Provost, Anant National University said, “Experiential learning is an integral part of the governing pedagogy at Anant National University. Tinkering Lab will be a space for students, fellows and incubatees to give shape to their ideas. Along with entrepreneurial thinking, this lab will also help students learn collaboration, thereby they adopt a holistic approach to build sustainable solutions”.
