5 rounds of Idea Lab in University of Tartu are done. How are we inspiring students? What are results and lessons learned?

1. How to kill bad ideas?
Lessons learned
in Idea Lab
- University of Tartu -
Kalev Kaarna
Riga 2014

2. Idea Lab...
...a place for students
from all faculties
to form interdisciplinary teams
and implement brilliant ideas
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3. Interesting questions
• Why did University of Tartu start Idea Lab?
• What are we actually doing?
• Is it successful: popularity, start-ups?
• Why is the title of my presentation “Killing
ideas?”
• What can we do together?
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4. WHY?
• To have students with sparkle in their eye
• To have self-motivated students, who are
experienced in interdisciplinary
teamwork (not just bad group work) and
can discover & develop opportunities
• To have a pool of experienced students,
who can solve companies’ problems
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5. WHAT?
• Tramm 11: ideas, tasks, seminars, rooms
& labs, small grants, advice
• Vega fund: 50 000€ grant fund, advice
• Student company: seminars
• International programs: YESS, NGAL,
Student Startup Camp
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6. RESULTS
• 5 rounds of Idea Lab process
• 700+ following FB & weekly newsletter
• 600+ participants on events annually
• ideas come from students, companies,
from faculty & citizens & Idea Lab
• 20 teams formed annually
• about 10 additional already existing teams
coached
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7. RESULTS: ideas
• using model helicopters for checking defects
in power lines
• mobile app to help farmers detect plant
deceases
• molecular gastronomy cocktails & icecream
• touch screen game for brain rehabilitation
• using neural algorithm to help making buying
cloths easier for people
• developing services for making people
happy in elderly care homes
• better running tracks for Tartu etc.
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8. LESSONS LEARNED:
false assumptions
• Many students want to develop cool ideas
• Students have time to commit to Idea Lab
projects
• Students who come know how to ask for help
• It is easy to inform students about cool Idea
Lab projects
• Most lecturers support interdisciplinary projects
• It is possible to form teams over Internet
(without meeting people)
© Kalev Kaarna 8

9. COOPERATION
• MENTORING: do you want to learn to give
inspirational criticism? NB! 11 weeks
commitment 1 hour per week
• JOINT PROGRAMS: international team-up,
joint courses, joint events
Contact: kalev.kaarna@ut.ee
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