Aloysius Arokiaraj

I believe Design Thinking and Experiential Learning are some of the most powerful tools to create impactful learning ecosystems. I have experimented and continue to experiment with these pedagogical tools in various academic disciplines in my courses as well as in courses which are traditionally considered too far away for design thinking to play an impactful role as a learning tool. I have used design thinking and experiential learning to understand the Rwandan genocide, to explore the crossover between Science and Music, to understand Governmental Policies and to empathise with communities both local and internationally with various student groups and build sustainable businesses to alleviate those challenges. I always encourage students to focus on the process in all my courses, as personally that’s what helped me understand concepts, develop insight, be creative, make friends and most importantly, solve problems.

I am a Senior Project Officer and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Education and Training:

I received my Bachelor’s degree from Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University with a major in Industrial Biotechnology in 2011. During my undergraduate study, I received two international fellowships, one from German Academic Exchange Service, or DAAD and the other from European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL) to conduct summer and undergraduate thesis projects at Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin and EMBL Hamburg respectively.

I worked in International Business Machines (IBM) as an associate system engineer on the configuration and customisation of Maximo, an Enterprise Asset Management tool for a year before I moved to Hong Kong to pursue research again. I received my PhD in Endocrinology from the University of Hong Kong in 2018 and have been working in Lingnan University since 2018. During my graduate study at the University of Hong Kong, I have been a part of various bodies including the University Council, the Court, search committee of Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and led multiple student organisations and initiatives.

I have been constantly learning and unlearning in my time at Lingnan. Some of the programs and certificates include Inclusive Innovation: Designing for a Better World by D-Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Teaching and Learning Studio Faculty Workshop by Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. I have been excessively addicted to Coursera exploring courses on Design by Google, Creativity and AI by Parsons School of Design, Learning how to learn, etc.