February at Anant focused on experiential learning through immersive study tours, complemented by interactive sessions with academic and industry leaders. The month also highlighted placement successes, along with student and faculty achievements and exhibitions showcasing the creativity, innovation and dedication of the Anant community.
At Anant, learning goes beyond the classroom, aligned with our experiential, practice-led pedagogical approach. This was reflected in the recently organised study tours for BDes and BArch students, who travelled to Pinguli and the Dangs and Puducherry, Singapore, West Bengal and the Kangra Valley, respectively.
These immersive experiences enabled students to engage directly with real-world contexts, communities and professional environments, helping them integrate academic learning with hands- on practice and develop a deeper, more contextually grounded understanding of their disciplines.
Anant hosted an engaging interaction session of Prof Sunil J Shah, Vice President, Facilities Planning and Design, Kaiser Permanente, with Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost, Anant National University and Ar Rajeev Kathpalia, Chair Professor, School of Architecture and Designated Partner, Vastushilpa Sangath LLP. In this talk titled ‘It’s all about money’, Prof Shah discussed how AI is not about replacing designers but rethinking how design is made, especially within complex systems like healthcare.
Anant also welcomed Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra, for an interactive session with students titled ‘Leading with Purpose: Climate Action Journey and Vision’. During the interaction, Sandeep emphasised how young professionals can meaningfully contribute to climate action through technology, innovation and cross-sector collaboration.
4th-semester BDes students recently designed 5 pop-up stores on Anant campus as part of the Fashion Communication minor, led by Prof Devesh Waghela, Assistant Professor, School of Design and Prof Mara Rodriguez, Visiting Faculty. Through this hands-on project, students explored how spatial design, graphics, product display and storytelling come together to shape engaging and immersive retail experiences.
After recently winning the Champion Trophy at Concours 2025, Anant Women’s Table Tennis Team went on to win the Runners Up trophy at the National Level Indus Cup 2K26, another big win at the National Level. The team included Charmi Patel, an 8th-semester BArch student of the Class of 2026, Utra Thakkar, 4th-semester BDes student of the Class of 2026 with Space Design as major and Graphic Design as minor and the Foundation Year students Deepti Marella and Riti Khanduja.
Prof Foram Bhatt, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, presented her research paper titled ‘Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on the Cultural Landscapes of the Western Himalaya’ in the 6th Conference on Heritage Management Education and Practice: Climate Change, Ecology and Heritage Sustainability.
Prof Sanket Panchal, Assistant Professor and Academic Associate, Academic Affairs, presented his paper titled ‘Bridging Communication Gaps in Interior and Architecture Design’ under Track 4, ‘The Digital Revolution: AI, Deep Tech and Infrastructure Development’ at the International Conference on Innovations in Data Science (ICIDS) 2025.
Dr Diti Vyas, Associate Professor at the School of Creative Practices and Entrepreneurship (SCoPE), delivered an invited guest session on ‘Many Languages, One Civilisation: Literary Heritage of India’ as a part of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar’s flagship programme India-Ki-Khoj for the students from Caltech, US and IIT Gandhinagar.
Mahika Khurana, a BDes graduate of the Class of 2025, with major in Interaction Design and minor in Graphic Design and Jhanavi Sharma, a BDes graduate of the Class of 2025, with major in Interaction Design and minor in Graphic Design, successfully secured the position of UX Engineering Analyst at Accenture. Mahika and Jhanavi earned these opportunities through the Campus Placement Drive 2025–26, organised by the Career Services Office.
