Malini is a PhD student researching plant genomics. She has taken longer than usual to complete her PhD due to her guide's insecurities and issues with her university. While passionate about entrepreneurship, she plans to first work as a scientist to gain experience, connections, and financial stability. She uses social media and conferences to build her network but feels publications are most important for credibility. Malini wants a more open system to help students explore opportunities and connect with guides, companies, and funding sources to better plan their career paths.

1. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 1
Malini Sengupta , Age 30 , Stakeholder - student
She is a PhD student and her area of research is about plant (to be
specific chickpeas) genome and their DNA sequencing. She had
joined NGPR ( a research institute ) as a part of her PhD
program, as a junior researcher 6 years ago and now she is a senior
researcher and hopeful to finish her PhD this year or next year.
Currently though she feels she has taken a bit more time than
usual but her tenacity and passion, do keep her on track and help
her persevere. She is really bugged with her thesis guide’s
professional insecurities and insensitive Indian university
educational standards but she knows she has to somehow get her
way through. She is quite aware of the competitive world outside.
She is quite hopeful after PhD she will find a good Job. She has
become a part of various social networking groups and connecting
individual people. Though her real passion lies in being an
entrepreneur but to have financial stability and making
connections with the right people in her field, She will start her
career in job as a scientist.

2. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 2
Say
PhD degree is necessary to get a good Job and gain recognition. It matters in the long term. Companies
need degrees to give me a Job.
You have to know the right people who have similar interests to become an entrepreneur.
I want to become an entrepreneur in the long run but need to start with a job to provide financial
stability to my family and make right connections.
Being an entrepreneur gives me freedom to pursue my own ideas as opposed to working in companies.
I build connections through networking sites which are sort of 2nd or 3rd degree connections, seniors who are
working, but I feel my real credibility comes through papers I publish.
Because of the competition most of the researchers are secretive about their work till they publish, So I need to
regularly go through papers , forums and interpret what they are upto next. If they publish their work before you
all your hard work is gone.
When you start your PhD, Most of the time is taken to find problems which you are passionate about and also
see that its novel and less people are working on that. I took a project as per availability and then became
passionate about it.
To Find a research guide is a difficult task, as most of the time they are self centered about the area they are
good at and force you to work on that topic, because they will benefit in the long run.
I think PhD should be time bound , which will put a check on me , my guide and the university.

3. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 3
Do
Malini goes to LinkedIn site regularly to build connections after the site was suggested lately by her
friend though she had her profile earlier. She also connects and messages her seniors /friends to look
for job opportunities. Her only means of connecting to the outer world is through papers and journals.

4. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 4
Think
I think there should be an open system to indicate the opportunities beforehand a students enrolls
for a course. It can earmark a group from beforehand who are passionate about that subject ,
including course guides , companies, prospective funding, Jobs etc. This will also provides an
opportunity for entrepreneurship by building relations overtime. This will help a student decide
which way to go and help her plan.
Companies can update what they are building and what they might be looking for ( as I guess they
have better research facilities).In this case they might also have an option to work with educated
industry oriented people as their guides ( provided the university allows that ). This will also help
building a relations.
Education should be a group activity with building startups and businesses as a way to grade them.
This will teach them other

5. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 5
Feel
I feel making connections at the right time and openness of it is something which will
benefit students and in the long run they can really plan it out. As they grow they will be
able to track the possibilities. This gives students a much more freedom to choose.
To take a leap of faith requires you to nurture a relationship with different stakeholders
over time, it just cannot happen in an interview or a day.
We need to have a open system which are devoid of competition and insecurities. The goal
should be to solve a problem collectively and make collective decisions.
Instead of giving a rulebook with rules its better that Malini becomes more aware of the
surroundings not just about projects but also about other stakeholders.

6. Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 6
Problem Statement
Malini needs to way to build appropriate connections with stakeholders because it gives
her better visibility about her ecosystem and make correct choices in the way forward.