"Age or gender is never a barrier in fulfilling your dreams. You can achieve whatever you want if you set your mind to it."
Adv. Chandni Kapadia started her journey as a sixteen-year old girl on a foreign land and this phase of her career has been exhilarating with consistent ups & downs. And her belief is to focus on the journey and not the difficulties that come along. She says,
“When I look back today, there is nothing that I probably wouldn’t do again. However, there are things that I would do in a different way.”
During Ms. Kapadia’s tenure as the Asia Pacific Head, she faced a lot of challenges in understanding the legalities of the business and various international laws. But, taking this challenge as a driving force she eventually ended up with a Degree in Law wherein she excelled with 11 gold medals. Thus, proving that nothing can stop her from what she strives to do. Ms. Chandni Kapadia’s foray into Education has been more than a decade now where she was first associated as a consultant for international and professional education and is now the Executive Director at Gujarat Law Society and GLS University wherein she looks upon International Collaborations with different Universities across the globe, marketing and promotions of GLS University and plays a major role in Top Management Level Decisions.
She dared to venture out on her own in an unknown country going against the norms and pursued her dream to study Design which was a novelty during that time. It was her dream come true when she directly got to learn from Mr. Calvin Klein himself, who she hoped to work with in the future, while she was pursuing her Fashion Merchandising from FIT, New York. She went on to pursue Master’s in Business Administration from London School of Economics and her strong determination and passion for the brand eventually made her Calvin Klein’s Country Head. Ms. Kapadia has excelled in her role; by running profitable businesses, building Brands whilst providing impetus to strategic planning. She has established networks and she believes in the ‘Power of Team’. As a leader she ensures that her team feels motivated and empowered by pushing their limits and collective brainstorming and making her team a better version of themselves. She always says .
Achievements
Design education in India is an asset, which must be nurtured so it can go from strength to greater strength. We need enough designers to drive the industry and to devise solutions to face challenges such as sustainability, smart cities, clean India, and effectively delivering public services. We also need the methods of design education to inform the pedagogies of other faculties of learning. To secure intellectual leadership of the future and to enhance the innovation capacity of the nation, we need to invest more in design education. We already know the value of design as a vital component of economic development and social well-being. India’s competitiveness as a global economy hinges on our ability to harness that power of design. Since its inception, design education, design training, design research, and design advancement have been the key focus areas for the institute.
GLSID has an augmented global perspective on design education and practice which it applies in the local contexts largely due to its distinctive institutional structure where all activities flourish in a very creative work environment. I feel the time has now come to consolidate the rich experiences and unique institutional practices which GLSID has nurtured over these years.
In the coming years, GLSID aspires to be a global leader in design research rooted in the unique ‘glocal’ milieu. GLSID aims to be at the forefront of pedagogical inquiries in design education and this will enable it to disseminate knowledge in varied forms. With renewed vigour, the institute seeks to engage in academic practice that is informed by significant research into social, cultural, economic, and environmental spheres, emerging as a key driver of wealth creation.
The institute shall endeavour to meet contemporary needs and future challenges and push the boundaries of design practice in hitherto unexplored fields of the subject.
Many graduates from GLSID have made their mark across the socio-economic and industrial canvas of India across a wide spectrum of activities; many have even made an impact internationally. These graduates are active in all sectors of the economy and have distinguished themselves in various fields; several others have become inspirational entrepreneurs who are proficiently engaged in a meaningful practice that expands the scope of design from tangible interventions to strategic roles.