Jaipur : JK Lakshmipat University’s Institute of Design will organise Design Guru Day on 9 November in memory of Prof MP Ranjan to celebrate his birth anniversary. This year, the leading education institute will felicitate Prof Ashoke Chatterjee, Distinguished Fellow, and Senior Faculty, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, with the Design Guru Award for his outstanding contribution in evangelising Design and design education.
On the occasion, Prof Chatterjee will deliver the MP Ranjan Memorial Lecture 2022 – “The Hope & the Reason: Design Education in India”. Extending an open invitation to India’s design community, the students and faculty have invited all to join in the celebrations. Students showcased their talents through various activities including sale of student merchandise, projects, exhibitions and documentary screening.
“This year, we are delighted to have Prof Ashoke Chatterjee among us who is an institution in himself, and I am sure, he will motivate our students from the Institute of Design to push the boundaries of creativity and contribute to this field. This is an annual event that we eagerly wait for every year and such activities are part of our curriculum to inspire our students by bringing to them living examples of excellence in their respective fields,” said Prof Dheeraj Sanghi, Vice-Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University.
An alumnus of Woodstock School (Mussoorie), St Stephen’s College (Delhi), and Miami University (Ohio), Prof Chatterjee comes from an engineering background. He is the former Executive Director of Communication and Management at the National Institute of Design, where he served for about 25 years. In addition, he was associated with the International Civil Service Commission and India Tourism Development Corporation.
A multifaceted personality, he has worked with a variety of development organizations in India and abroad, particularly in the fields of drinking water, sanitation, disability, livelihoods, and education. He has also worked with local artisans in different regions of the nation.
He has served as the Crafts Council of India’s Honorary President for more than 20 years and is still involved with CCI. His works as a writer and author include “Dances of the Golden Hall” based on reputed dancer Shanta Rao’s art, and “Rising” encompassing the empowerment efforts among deprived communities in rural Gujarat. Prof. Chatterjee is still active in assisting design education in India and Pakistan. He currently resides in Ahmedabad with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
One of the leading higher education institutes in the country, JKLU has been organizing Design Guru Day for the past 4 years and this was the 7th edition of the event. The event is dedicated to inspire the next generation of designers and recognize those who have contributed to design education in India. This year’s Design Guru Day was organized in collaboration with Association of Designers of India (ADI) and NID Alumni Association.
