How to use Limkokwing University as a Creative

Resource for your Organisation

How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
Introduction why are we here?
Designs !ower runs far dee!er than aesthetics"""" If you are ma!!ing out a sa#es strategy$ or stream#ining a
manufacturing o!eration$ or crafting a new system for innovating you are engaged in the !ractice of design"%
Roger Martin, The Design of Business
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology does not follow the traditional university structure in terms of the courses it
offers, its organisation and in terms of its approach to industry and the wider community. We try to put forward a very
distinctive vision of the type of education which best suits the modern business environment, one whose innovation engine is
clearly design-based.
ur aim as Limkokwing academics is to craft this vision to suit our student populations wherever they situate ! in both
developed and developing economies. "n order to do this properly we must work in close concert with ma#or stakeholders !
our staff, our students, government ministries, and the private sector.
We must share and align our e$periences and visions so as to ma$imise the impact of our educational mission here, all with
the sole aim to empower the economy via our programs and, ultimately, our graduates. %econciling differences among
stakeholder visions will help us strike out towards preferred futures, and in doing so, we will encourage the best conditions to
identify and correct any systematic mistakes of the past which may have hindered or impeded development.
Crucially, we appeal to you to help us and our students manufacture and sustain positive change. We do not ask this from
you as a social good - i.e. it&s a 'charitable thing( to help the university and its students - but rather ask that you, as we do,
view our graduates as the future bastions of the economic development of Lesotho, whether as future employees or future
business practitioners, leaders and employers themselves.
&#o'a# into #oca#$ #oca# into g#o'a#
)ollowing a distinctive educational vision and philosophy, we academic staff aim to bring forth the global into the local in
relevant and meaningful ways so that ideas about improving business and communities can flourish and grow. That means
identifying and applying 'best practice( or the 'latest technologies and techni*ues( 'most fashionable and stylish( solutions to
local problems. Conversely, we wish to learn of and take from the local so that students not only develop further
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
appreciations of diversity, but how local solutions to everyday problems can translate to global solutions and even global
industries. We aim to do this through promoting creative, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking in our students, letting them
e$plore and research local needs and problems, letting them come up with *uality outcomes.
+ll of this can be shared with the business community and the public sector over the course of their studies with us and
beyond, particularly as they enter the world of work. The economy of Lesotho re*uires new graduates who understand the
part they play in building their organisations and nation. They will help diversify the economy, and they will possess the
practical and soft skills to work effectively in their roles, they will possess the entrepreneurial ,spark&.
This document outlines of how through stakeholders working together this can be accomplished. Let us not separate them
too much from the problems they will have to solve in the real world #ust because they are undergoing studies. We must as
academic mentors intelligently situate these problems in the centre of the studies, in whatever discipline -i.e. how would
business students solve this. /ow would design students. /ow about 0ublic relations students. etc. etc.1.
Deve#o!ment through design
The psychologist and business theorist /erbert 2imon suggested that3 'The proper study of mankind is the science of
design.( /e also stated that3 '4veryone designs who devise courses of action aimed at changing e$isting situations into
preferred ones. The intellectual activity that produces material artifacts is no different fundamentally from the one that
prescribes remedies for a sick patient or the one that devises a new sales plan for a company or a social welfare policy for a
state.( ver the past century or more, humanity has borne witness to unprecedented technological, scientific, medical, social
and population growth. +ll forms of human agency over time have incorporated design thinking and practice3 from cave
paintings that first rendered the three-dimensional world to two-dimensions for the purpose of recording and communicating
to artefacts which communicated over time and distance5 coins, storage vessels, #ewellery, writing, stories and myth-making,
holy books, houses, printing presses, vinyl records, tape recording, photography and film and video and digital networked
media. 2uch progress has spawned ideas of progress and development5 it has given rise to benchmarks.
"n the world of business other kinds of things are sub#ect to design3 strategic plans, organisations structures, #ob and task
design, how goods are distributed, delegating warehousing space and other logistics and so on. 0lanning and anticipating
how people will react to regulations, laws, standard operating procedures, operating manuals all re*uire similar thinking about
when a designer considers a user&s reaction to a designed ob#ect, a building, or a service. +ll are aimed at ' changing e$isting
situations into preferred ones.( /owever, what is considered a preferred outcome over others is a matter of debate today.
Concern of green issues such as global warming and other often related concerns about the dangers of over-consumption of
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
raw materials and so forth, suggest that new metrics may arise in the future which will determine the icons of progress and
development.
Design of everything
Today&s world is one where human beings themselves face the prospect of being designed and redesigned - either via
genetic manipulation and6or 'nano technology(. "n fact the very nature of 'reality( and our perception of it are being
challenged by a matter of what can be programmed into a machine. This is not new5 television was once a radical departure
to how people learnt of the world beyond their doorsteps, beyond hearsay in the marketplace and imaginations. "f you had
never seen television you would at first sight surely consider it a miracle. /owever, at no other time in history has so much
power lain at the hands of humans to change themselves and their environments, all of it through first understanding the
basic building blocks of all things, and then through design, intentionally reconfiguring the blocks in to new permutations and
shapes, new solutions to age old problems.
/umans moved from being animals surviving at the mercy of nature, to harnessing fire and fashioning tools so as to gain
control of nature. They began shaping the world to their own ends. ver a long period of self improvement, they developed
methods of feeding themselves by replacing hunting and gathering by growing crops. They had to learn and regulate by the
seasons and plan ahead. ver time they weeded out the poorly growing plants, or those which did not taste so good and
began intervening deeper and deeper into nature&s processes of change and evolution. Their selections made for the grains
we eat today. + similar process shaped the animals we know today5 via the careful selection of livestock for breeding they
became optimised for living in hot or cold climates, or being very rich in meat.
)arming promoted settlement and the growth of the towns and cities. These acted as engines of innovation, houses,
warehouses and roads developed5 communications between towns and cities improved and later railroads delivered goods
and raw materials to places where they were most needed, or else could be better sold or processed.
Today the designer can take those dried grains from far away and package them in an attractive bo$ fit to sit on the
supermarket shelf where it can command 7-8 times what was paid for the loose goods at source. 9esign of packaging and
distribution chains make all the difference to the perceived value of things.
"n searching out a restaurant we are searching out e$periences, not only in taste, but somewhere where we will feel
comfortable. Where all restaurants are selling large generous portions of good fresh food, the customer shifts attention to
other attributes in order to make their choice. 0rice, the design and layout, the style, the decor and the cleanliness may be
the criterion that wins out here or it can be the simple but effective addition of play facilities for the kids. f course, what
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
people have seen on T:, or read in the papers, or viewed on a billboard, may also influence when they are already hungry
and searching for a place to eat.
That beautifully shot photo of a mouth-watering #uicy steak may not be e$actly what comes on the plate but the idea was sold.
The idea could be a fabulous picture of beautiful Lesotho countryside as a idyllic vacation destination. +ll this is design. +fter
the meal you get the bill from a system that links the various branches of the restaurant together so that /; can deliver more
stock tomorrow and the finance office has an idea of what was taken on the 2aturday night. The networked procurement
system ensures that the food is fresh, and that the optimum amount is delivered so that you don&t run out too *uickly and yet
you don&t have too much so that there is e$cess waste. "t&s based on past history, and the system knows it needs to order
<=.=7> more Chicken each day when it comes round to Christmas time. 2uch systems are designed to optimise the
business and improve its margins and efficiency. "t improves customer satisfaction and cuts down waste.
+fter your meal, you repair to the cinema and it never ceases to ama?e you how many creative people were involved in the
making of a < @ hour movie. The credits seem to go on forever to make that e$perience. )ilm crews may comprise fewer
personnel for T: advertisements but still many people are involved. 4ach graphic element, retouching, special effects,
music, animations all are designed. We can go on, the snacks at the cinema, the signs showing you the e$it, all the goods in
shops, all the te$t in the books and maga?ines in the bookshops, the layout of the cinema, the placing of the speaker system,
your car, the car park, the road layout, the street sign, the billboard, your home, your bed, the covers, your py#amas ! all are
designed, all can be designed, drafted, written, shot or programmed by our students.
(cross a## 'usiness conte)ts
Our sons and daughters will not hew, forge, mine, plough or weld. They will serve, design, advise, create, compose,
analyse, judge and write.
Charles Leadbeater
9esign and creative thinking are coming very much to the front in business rather than being an afterthought, an
embellishment, an aside included only if the budget allows. /ow things look, how they feel, how they function, how they
deliver, all these things are driving the success of new products, new public services for both rich and poor, old and the
young, new devices which level the gap between the able-bodied and disabled, the fit and infirm, the literate and illiterate.
)irms are all relying heavily on design to compete and compensate, and improve lifestyles and *uality of life.
4mployers, universities and governments agree that Lesotho needs to diversify its economy and develop professionals who
are highly skilled and ready to face the challenges of increased competition. Aore than ever we need professionals who are
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
responsive to economic, social, cultural, technical and environmental change and can work fle$ibly and intelligently across
business conte$ts.
The aim of this document therefore is simple.
*irst3
We would like you to take the opportunity to consider how good design makes for good business. + well designed
advertising campaign, where a strong consistent message is put across can shift product and6or propagate a mythological
world which has travellers and customers teaming to get there. "ntegrated marketing approaches where systems of brand
identity are reinforced, again, by consistency across film, video, print and digital delivery also leads to deep pervasive
recognition by customers inundated with choices. )ashion, publishing, business process reengineering, organisational
design, animations, music, ordering systems, eco-friendly tourist accommodations, new configurations of potential
e$periences for tourists all these can be absorbed into an economy hungry to develop, and where investors and
entrepreneurs can see rich pickings and rewards. We are running programmes in all of these areas.
We want you ultimately to view Limkokwing University of Creative Technology as a creative resource where you can come
and e$periment with ideas and new technologies in collaboration with our students and staff, across our faculties3 Aedia and
communications, "T, Business and Clobalisation, "nnovation in Tourism and /ospitality, 9esign and "nnovation, +rchitecture,
)ashion. We wish to stimulate thinking of how your organisation could benefit from our talents. 4$perimentation, trying things
out, play, learning-by-doing all can create good ideas that can be commercialised as well as satisfying learning ob#ectives
and outcomes. Dou have much to gain and very little to lose. The first step is to fill out the form at the rear of this document.
+econd3
This document aims to help frame your thinking regarding how you can help our efforts to secure our students critical
industry exposure. This is more than telling students what you do, but sharing with them challenges you face, problems you
need to solve, things that prevent you moving on, things that are preventing development. This can range from something
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
simple such as brainstorming new concepts and ideas with our students in structured sessions5 a design or business
competition5 setting them design, "T, communications or business problems to solve over a few weeks5 or even have them
work inside your firm for a semester as you accommodate them as interns. By doing %E9 with us you could try things that
perhaps you would normally not commit to5 such e$periments can be prohibitively e$pensive with professional agencies.
,wo wor#ds or three wor#ds? -u'#ic sector$ industry and the university
The domains of government, education and business - they have traditional boundaries and different cultures. This reality
cannot be set aside but must be considered head-on.
"n the traditional model of academia people spend time studying for its own sake, finding the root interconnectedness of all
things. This differs to the world of business as the focus is typically upon the creation of specific products and services,
almost to the point of e$clusion that any other product or service e$ists, or in the sense of direct competitors, should e$ist.
The world of elected government means carrying out roles and tasks, enacting laws and regulations in the public interest for
the public good. The end is to create, as best as possible an e*uitable environment which encourages economic growth and
sustainability, with the largest amount of satisfied benefactors6customers6citi?ens. "n democratically run societies this often
means ensuring fair competition between companies, and providing funds to cater for health, security and education. )or the
past decade most of the debate about public service reform has focussed on delivery, making the public sector value chain
work more efficiently, to resemble reliable private service delivery. But you cannot deliver comple$ public goods the way that
)ed 4$ delivers a parcel. They need to be co-created.
The world of studying and the world of work also have some considerable e$periential differences engaged in as everyday
activities.
+t university you will typically be sat in a class, as you were at school with a bunch of people more or less the same age. +t
work ages of colleagues can vary considerably, and since the demise of the typing pool you are unlikely to be sat in a grid
with FG of your colleagues with a supervisor at the head of the room. "n university students spend a considerable part of their
time listening to lectures and some of the time breaking into tutorial groups. They may also spend time doing independent
study in the library or online and they may spend time in the computer labs developing skills. +t work they may have a
workstation, or may spend most of their time working on team based activities. 2tudents may also work in a ,fle$itime& manner
that is they do not have to attend H to = regularly when they do not have class. They get long holiday vacations much more
than the average worker. The academic year is broken into two semesters with pretty regular milestones regarding how the
work is set out. The opportunist nature of the competitive and dynamic workplace or even a Covernment ministry responding
to some political upheaval or crisis might demand long hours as the need arises, and hard work so as to not miss a window of
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
opportunity. +lso the rewards systems can be very different, as can imperatives ! at work its prestige, the ,bottom-line&,
solving problems and promotion and pay rise ! in university its high e$am and assignment marks, and a degree certificate.
By no means e$haustive we can see significant contrast in the temporal operating parameters between the typical working
day of say, a graphic designer, and a graphic student. +lso imperatives and motivations are different. This can compound the
difference between the two worlds and has direct bearing on the style and commitment to cross industry and university
pro#ects. This can stand in the way of successful #oint university6industry6public sector pro#ects.
.usiness is a'out s!ecifics$ universities teach universa#s
ther parameters obviously include the nature of the task at hand. Businesses are configured as functioning organisational
entities to produce specific products or typically specific groups of products. They are organised into firms, corporations, sub-
sectors, sectors, and industries. Covernment ministries and departments are also pre-figured to deal with certain areas of
national, regional and municipal governance. University organisation can be identified at a faculty, discipline, *ualification and
sub#ect level. +s mentioned, the treatment of the sub#ect in universities is typically at a 'universal( level. That is the generic
elements of 'business( are shown and taught, and e$amples given can range across industries, sectors, scope and scale of
businesses from the very small to the largest corporations with many divisions and product and service offerings.
Iotions such as ,best practices& are often discussed, as are theories of business and the organisation - the products of
academic research pro#ects and published papers and te$tbooks.
Iow, as many a self-made business practitioner can attest you do not need a pocket full of management theories to build a
profitable business, as they know nothing is more specific than the ,bottom-line&. This somewhat different in the public sector
where outcomes are less definable, less *uantitative and often more fu??y - the outcome of pro#ects in communities are often
classified in terms of improvements to the '*uality of life( or in their ability to invoke 'social upliftment(. 0rofit is not an issue,
and competition rarely features, but this does not mean it necessary produces a free for all or liaise faire attitude in its
governance ! many government departments and ministries strive to create the most value for their allotted budget and seek
out ways to improve performances and metrics where they e$ist. Where there is strong opposition this is especially true.
/owever to develop effectiveness and efficiency, to be able to respond to the ever more dynamic market forces, you will
need staff who can think outside the bo$ in whatever it is you sell or provide. To be able to place your technology, say, a
photocopier, in a firm so that it is the right model for its prospective use and function there, can often re*uire that you have
knowledge of the organisational make-up. 2imilarly, to plan effectively for the coming J-= years can benefit immensely from
basic strategic management principles. This is the place for our students ! their creative and innovative thinking, their
entrepreneurial thinking should work as much for public pro#ects as they do for private firms.
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
+nd so it is with situating pro#ects in the university, or having student interns for a semesters& placement. To link the two for
successful pro#ect work needs to be managed and this of course re*uires dialogue, planning and resources leading up to the
event. Wouldn&t it be good to have staff, students and public and private sector discuss and plan out pro#ect and learning
outcomes, assessments and general e$pectations in order to develop more valuable insights that can help with decision-
making. Dou can begin this process by filling in and submitting the form at the rear of this document.
,he need for dia#ogue and !#anning
+ny industry linkage program is resource intensive for business and academic staff5 they take time, energy and money. They
have to be managed, slotted-in, configured. 4ven a simple talk by an industry representative re*uires that the guest devote
time to travelling and to developing some thought as to the preparation of the material. ;uestion and answer sessions can
sometimes fall flat when students have little to *uestion ,the e$pert& opinion of the practitioner. But with a little management
intervention and planning, structuring the visit so that a debate could be staged at the tail end of the discussion, with one
group of students playing 9evil&s advocate and the guest being either released or placed in the opposing group could create
superb conditions for learning.
4ngaging classes with real-time community or business issues and working with groups and institutions outside the
educational system is one way of e$tending the student e$perience from the theoretical to the real, and provide for industry a
different platform to discuss and problem solve. The failure to ade*uately and openly negotiate the rules for participation and
communication, division of labour, sharing of information, and reaping rewards of a pro#ect, can compromise outcomes.
Aoreover, these practices and standards need to be negotiated with each specific partner in mind and at the table. 2tudents,
staff, industry and government partners are not unitary entities to be given a blanket treatment. "ntimately tied to the issue of
accountability for practical, professional, and academic pro#ect results are the issues of the timing and duration of common
pro#ects. Clearly, comple$ local urban or business sustainability problems or many new product or service developments will
not be solved over a semester. The temporal aspects and arrangements must also be accounted for, sympathi?ed with and
contingencies built.
The stronger the link between the university, government and business, the greater the opportunities will be to integrate and
develop employability skills in undergraduates. We wish to run focus groups with employers, surveying employers to measure
satisfaction with graduates, or involving employers and industry leaders on coordinating committees or course advisory
committees. The benefits of a strong stakeholder relationship are manifold3
*or students3
2oft skills as well as hard skills are enhanced due to real work e$perience
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
"ncreased appreciation of connection between academic material and workplace
+ means of earning e$tra income Kwe do not insist on payment this is at the discretion of the organisationL
"ncreased employment opportunities
*or institutions of higher #earning3
9evelopment of a more relevant curricula to meet market demand
Capabilities of lecturers enhanced to meet re*uirements of working world
9evelop other forms of partnerships with industries, such as e$change of e$perts and consultants
*or em!#oyers3
"dentify potential future recruits
Cenerate ideas for new pro#ects6contracts
)acilitate /%9 planning for future e$pansion program
9evelopment of other partnerships for mutual benefits
2o how will you use Limkokwing as a creative
resource.
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
To begin please complete following page contains a
slip denoting your interest in this programme which
you can fill in and pass to our reception. We will
contact you with our ne$t workshop session dates.
/ote of interest in !articia!tion
Company6+ssoication6Ainistry titleMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Ney Contact name3MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Ney Contact Telephone Io.3MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Ney Contact e-mail address3MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Ney areas in which you think you could use Limkokwing Lesotho as a resoruceMMMMMMMMMMM
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How to use Limkokwing University as a creative resource for your organisation
+reas you think you could particiapte within Kplease tick those which interest youL3
0rovide indsutry lectures
0rovide site visits6tours of place of work
4ngage us on ad hoc pro#ects
ffer student placement
0rovide supervision to semester long pro#ects designated by you and housed in the university
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