Karla Hernandez/THE RIDER
During International Education Week, some students attended an international VIP Idea Lab session that focused on experiential learning, problem-solving skills through creativity, empathy, resilience, intercultural competence and adaptability, according to the event V Link’s post.
The event, hosted by the department of International Student Services, took place Wednesday in the Main Building Salón Cassia on the Brownsville campus.
Sylvia Robles, assistant professor of practice for the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, said the idea for creating the lab started with a purpose to fill the gap she noticed in students’ problem-solving skills.
“The original concept to create a VIP Idea Lab, which is a design thinking workshop, [is] to fill the gap between students who do not have the framework on STEM-based and the struggle to identify problems,” Robles said.
She said her main goal was for students to build design thinking strategies and abilities so they could solve challenges more effectively.
Robles added the workshop has reached more than 800 students through 18 sessions.
The assistant professor said global experimental learning develops skills such as teamwork, empathy, resilience and adaptability as well as gaining exposure to different cultures and perspectives.
Robles told The Rider students learn communication by continually asking questions, encouraging them to understand how others think and feel.
“If the human being is not OK, how are we expecting for people to be resilient, to be empathic, to be really open to different cultures if they have mental issues?” she said.
Junior Yicel Ramirez and senior Anyi Diaz, from Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios in Colombia, were invited by Robles to UTRGV and attended the lab.
Ramirez said the lab helped her step out of her comfort zone, analyzing and identifying issues.
Diaz said the workshop helped her create new ideas and strategies to use later in problem-solving.
She said in Spanish
“It helps you step-by-step to solve a problem and how to help others,” she said, adding it changed her approach to challenges.
Robles said her workshops are inclusive for everybody and encourages students to not miss them.
“And if they miss this one, it’s a lot of fun and a lot of goodies, too, that you can take,” she said.
–Dayra Gonzalez and Karla Hernandez contributed to this story.
