A Trip to Habib University

The Hive’s global reach recently extended to Karachi, Pakistan, where Hive Director of Global Social Impact Shannon Randolph delivered a keynote talk at the naming ceremony for the Institute for Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership at Habib University. Habib, the first liberal arts university in Pakistan, is building an ambitious model that integrates design thinking, entrepreneurship, and leadership into every student’s education. The Institute features flexible, collaborative spaces and programs that connect students with real-world partners, blending global best practices with the unique cultural and social realities of Pakistan. The University has prior ties to the Claremont Colleges, having previously partnered with Pitzer College, to build a community engagement model, and Harvey Mudd College, on environmental programs and corporate partnership-based classes.

During her four days, Shannon facilitated faculty-engaged workshops, advising institutional direction, and spoke to ____ in a keynote speech. In her speech, Shannon spoke about the importance of centering empathy and authentic connection in one’s approach to leadership and entrepreneurship, to cultivate respect with folks you’re working with while mitigating harm. When working with partners, maintaining long-term engagement with them and the direct community they serve is crucial for making an impact. “Meaningful impact requires sustained engagement and a willingness to understand the people and contexts you are working with,” she said.

She cited her work with students in the Hive’s Vietnam Equitable Health Design project, in which they traveled to the country and worked with Animals Asia over the course of three years. Together, they developed a book and an outreach program for women’s health that the partner organization in Vietnam is still using today across the country. This project exemplifies another key point of her talk: the value of community-engaged education for students, and bridging academic learning with real-world applications. 

The future of higher education will require a balance of rigorous academic inquiry with real-world engagement to prepare students for life beyond college. Community engaged classes and leadership programs are growing to meet this demand at places like Habib and The Claremont Colleges. Through exchanges with institutions like Habib, we can learn different ways to address these challenges as the Hive continues to evolve as a center where creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning intersect.