The event takes place every first Thursday of the month during the semester from September through December and from February through June and is open to PhD students at the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art (HSLU), the National Institute of Design (NID), and other interested guests and PhD students from other universities.
Upcoming Event
Kiran Bir Sethi – Empowering Children. Not by Chance, by Design.
Thursday, 1st of May 2025
12:00 - 13:15 (CEST / Central Europe)
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm (IST / India)
In this talk, Kiran Bir Sethi will share how a design-led approach has shaped the Riverside School and the I CAN Model, empowering children to become changemakers. By integrating empathy, experimentation, and user-centric thinking, Kiran and her team have created an education model that fosters agency and impact. Kiran Bir Sethi will share key insights, real-world applications, and lessons learned in designing systems that inspire children to lead with purpose and possibility.
Kiran Bir Sethi is an Indian designer, educationist, and social entrepreneur who pioneered a design-led approach to education. A graduate of NID Ahmedabad, she founded the award-winning Riverside School, fostering the I CAN mindset in children. She later launched aProCh and Design for Change, the world’s largest movement for child-driven change. Her latest initiative, Riverside Learning Center, helps schools worldwide adopt the I CAN model. Kiran is a Yidan & Ashoka Fellow, her work has earned global accolades, and her book Every Child CAN chronicles this transformative journey.
If you have any questions regarding the lecture series or the PhD programme please share them by mail to
esi@hslu.ch.
