From the time of Socrates to Baul music in rural Bengal, communal space has been the catalyst for collaboration and learning. A space where diverse minds, irrespective of their background and identity, convene; where excellence evolves from asking questions, creating newer dimensions; where knowledge is not imparted rather facilitated; where we are separated from our egos and prejudices.
Toru Institute of Inclusive Innovation has created a platform of knowledge sharing through a forum that they named 'Boithok'. Speakers and participants are encouraged to go beyond the mundane systems in the sessions held in its office in Banani area of Dhaka city. Artists meet scientists, business executives meet musicians and much more. A group of individuals from interdisciplinary backgrounds attend these discussion sessions, led by thought leaders from the public, private and civic sector.
These curated sessions are designed around sharing life experiences of the thought leader, aligning to the challenges of the greater society. Such interactions bring new ideas and perspectives in an individual's mind.
The Boithok sessions are curated by Toru's in-house team who invite thought leaders from various sectors. The sessions are hosted monthly at their co-learning space-- Toru Chhaya. Prior to each session, Toru launches a registration campaign through social media platforms and invites interested individuals to register for the event. Two days before the event, the registration is closed and the individuals who have registered are sent an email invitation with the details of the event. Previously, they have hosted Boithok sessions with some esteemed thought leaders of the country.
On the evening of April 18 this year, Toru launched their Boithok sessions with Lutfey Siddiqi, an investment banker and a professor. He shared his experiences on 'Constructive conflict'. Bangladeshi journalist, singer, performer, anchor and voice artist Elita Karim was a speaker at the second Boithok. She shared her experience and learning on 'Music and mentorship'. She talked about how people can nurture both music and mentorship to shape their lives.
The Boithok session also hosted Rubana Huq, a scholar and an industrialist from Dhaka and Palki Ahmad, a development professional. They collaborated to talk about 'Resilience'. They discussed how qualities like resilience can build an individual's mind and character while preparing them for the future.
Toru hosted another 'Boithok' session on September 22 with Zaved Akhtar, director of Marketing Transformation at Unilever. He talked about personal and organisational values in the session called 'Value of values'. He said organisations of tomorrow cannot operate in isolation. They should work to serve the society and community they operate in. This can only be done by upholding strong organisational and personal values. This helps professionals do the right thing for everyone, which in turn pays back by creating values for the shareholder. He also shared that a person should make sure that their personal values and organisational values overlap, only then can one truly be successful. He advised the participants to stand up for their personal values and build on it so that in long term they can build their own personal brand around those values.
According to Saif Kamal, the founder of Toru Institute of Inclusive Innovation, ''For us, 'Boithok' is humanising Ted Talk. We go deep into understanding the pillars that build the ideators and innovators of tomorrow. Such a knowledge sharing platform will initiate constructive discussions which will start a culture of collaboration and encourage interdisciplinary learning.''
Future plan of Boithok
Thinkers, ideators and creators are the minds that build a society, and the society must accommodate these minds to thrive. With the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the traditional educational system will have to evolve to a heterogeneous discipline - enabling our minds to learn from diverse sources. Today, interdisciplinary learning is the road ahead for us to prepare for this paradigm shift. Emerging technology will render many of the traditional jobs obsolete, compelling us to relearn and redefine not only skills but also, what it means to be human. Toru believes that Boithok sessions will be a platform where sharing stories and experiences will emerge innovative ideas of tomorrow.
Toru is an institution dedicated to the future of learning and innovation in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It works towards an ecosystem which will encompass all sectors towards innovation, transformative leadership and inclusion. It is an institution of learning and innovation for inclusive growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Toru envisions to transform innovators to be entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs across public, private and civic sectors. To connect with them, please follow- https://www.facebook.com/Torufic/ or visit their website toruinstitute.com.
