Learning by Doing: iRISE Workshop Gives Early Career Researchers a Taste of Entrepreneurship, Communication and Teaching

At Sri Padmavati Mahila Vishwavidyalaya (SPMVV), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, early career researchers stepped beyond conventional academic training during a three-day iRISE Capacity Building Workshop held from 9–11 February 2026. Organised by the iRISE Early Career Researcher Development Strand in collaboration with SPMVV, the programme brought together 55 participants, including 48 female and 7 male researchers, from diverse disciplines.

The workshop was designed around three practical capabilities that can shape a researcher’s professional journey: effective communication, experiential entrepreneurship, and effective teaching practices in STEM classrooms. The programme combined expert-led sessions with activities that required participants to communicate, collaborate, negotiate, make decisions and reflect on their learning.

The opening session featured Prof. John Sushama, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, SPMVV, and Prof. T. Shobha Rani, Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism and local coordinator, along with iRISE Teaching Associate Vaishnavee Kulkarni and resource person Ms. Anita Nagarajan.

Communication training began with a Lego-based activity and progressed to visual prompts, presentation design and the P.R.E.S.E.N.T. framework. The “Walk the Talk” competition allowed participants to put their communication strategies into practice while receiving feedback from peers.

The entrepreneurship component offered perhaps the most immersive experience of the programme. In “Build Your Company in 3 Hours: A Hands-on Startup Simulation,” participants assumed roles as founders and team members and navigated recruitment, customer interactions, prototyping, procurement, investor negotiations, production and order management. Unexpected challenges such as raw-material shortages and cancelled orders required teams to make rapid strategic decisions.

The workshop also strengthened teaching capabilities through Inquiry-Based Learning, constructive alignment and concept-map lesson planning, followed by peer assessment and discussion.

The programme concluded in the presence of Prof. V. Uma, Vice Chancellor, and Prof. R. Usha, Registrar, SPMVV. Prof. Uma emphasised the importance of communication, entrepreneurial thinking and teaching skills in improving research quality and career readiness.