Woxsen University strengthens Industry-Academia ties with salesforce leadership

Woxsen University’s School of Arts & Design (SOAD) recently hosted senior leadership from Salesforce USA and India. The distinguished visitors included Jennifer Bove, Executive Design Leader at Salesforce; Adam Doti, Design Architect and Design Advocate at Salesforce; Hrishikesh Deshmukh, Director UX Design at Salesforce; and Parag Trivedi, Sr. Director User Experience at Salesforce. Their visit was a part of the ongoing collaboration between Woxsen and Salesforce, further bridging the gap between academia and industry.

The primary focus of this engagement was to strengthen global partnerships, encourage innovation, and provide Woxsen students with a unique platform to present their projects. Over the past three months, Woxsen students have been working on an industry problem statement given by Salesforce. Under the mentorship of the Salesforce team, this initiative has played a pivotal role in nurturing creative problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary learning.

During the visit, the Salesforce leadership team had the opportunity to witness firsthand the projects developed by Woxsen students, including:

• Serpentine Synthesis (Fashion Design): An innovative approach that blends biomimicry with textile innovation for sustainable fashion.
• Teraguard (Industrial Design): A smart protective system enhancing safety through advanced industrial design principles.
• XR in Interior Design (Interior Design): An integration of extended reality to create immersive spatial experiences.
• UI & UX Gamer Collaboration (Communication Design): A cutting-edge interface aimed at enhancing gaming collaboration and progress tracking.

A key highlight of this collaboration has been the three-month-long design challenge, where students applied their skills to solve a real-world problem under the guidance of industry experts. This visit provided an opportunity for the Salesforce team to assess the students’ progress, offer insights, and provide valuable feedback.

The Dean of the School of Arts & Design highlighted that exposure to such events provides Woxsen students with valuable learning opportunities, creative problem-solving skills and reinforces the university's commitment to multidisciplinary innovation.

The discussions held during the event open doors for potential future collaborations, including joint research initiatives, co-designed curricula, internship opportunities, and industry-driven design challenges. The growing partnership between Woxsen University and Salesforce is poised to redefine the landscape of design education and technological innovation.