Head of Nissan Design inspires and motivates students in India

Brings “design” to the lives of Indian students and their parents.

On July 31, 2018, Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President for Global Design of Nissan Motor Corporation, brought his “Roots of Design” program to Chennai Public School in Chennai, India, a first in the country, following the event in Beijing in April.

About 120 students, their parents, and school staff members participated in the program, where Alfonso talked about his upbringing and his career, as well as a few examples of exciting career opportunities in the world of automotive design. He also discussed the history of car design, Nissan’s design philosophy, and the future trends in the automobile industry, such as artificial intelligence and autonomy.

Alfonso’s speech was followed by a very active Q&A session. Students had many questions ranging from design to social and business-oriented topics that suggested highly intellectual viewpoints far beyond ordinary high school students. For example: “How does the company recover from a loss resulting from a mistake by an employee?” and, “Considering the ongoing environmental problems, it is easy to imagine that an age of electric vehicles will come. Can you think of what alternative fuels will be used in the future?”

Parents asked Alfonso for his advice about how to address the gap between their children’s own aspirations for the future versus what parents envision. Alfonso’s response, “Today’s children deeply contemplate and study their future, and carefully consider an ideal career and outlook. I assure you they are looking to the future from a very wide perspective.”

A large welcome banner and a hand-made program greeted Alfonso at the school’s front entrance on the day of his visit. Alfonso was impressed by both the attentiveness and innate skills demonstrated by the young minds. He said he left the school feeling invigorated, “I also learned a lot of things from this visit.”

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