Social Innovation Foundations
PROGRAM DATES
July 26 - 31, 2026
TUITION
18,500 RMB /
2,950 USD
WHO CAN APPLY
High School Students
LANGUAGE
English
Overview
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
The Social Innovation Foundations Summer Program is not only a valuable immersive learning opportunity in a diverse environment, but also an experience with a unique perspective of combining social sciences and innovative thinking to shape the future's transformative forces. During the one-week summer program, students will deeply delve into the crises and challenges faced in key areas such as the environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. The program will offer participants comprehensive and multi-faceted learning plus practice training through a variety of enriching program designs, including lectures and interactive workshops. More importantly, the program will utilize design thinking to stimulate students' analytical and innovative capabilities, empowering students to understand users’ needs and challenges, and then generate effective solutions for emerging needs. In this program, students will learn how to conduct observations, accurately understand the problem, think innovatively, and ultimately propose insightful solutions.
Program Highlights
Understanding of Global Challenges
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the current global challenges in the fields of environment, health, technology, human behavior, and media. Develop an awareness of the interconnectivity between various social, economic, and political factors that contribute to these challenges.
Design Thinking Proficiency
Acquire a foundational understanding of design thinking methodology and its application in problem-solving. Apply design thinking stages – empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test – to develop creative solutions to identified problems.
Collaboration Skills
Strengthen collaborative and team-working skills by working with peers from diverse backgrounds on a common project.
Innovative Solution Development
Develop the capacity to innovate and prototype potential solutions to chosen issues within the constraints of time and resources.
Communication Skills
Enhance abilities to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively in both written and oral forms.
Personal Growth and Self-Reflection
Reflect on personal values, ethics, and the role of an individual in contributing to societal change.
Program Instructors
Liqi Ren Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer of Innovation and Design
Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Division of Social Sciences
Duke Kunshan University
Claudia Nisa
Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science
Division of Social Sciences
Duke Kunshan University
Daniel Weissglass
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Division of Arts and Humanities
Duke Kunshan University
Jan Hua-Henning
Assistant Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
Division of Arts and Humanities
Duke Kunshan University