Teaching innovation at Rennes School of Business: from the classroom to LE LAB’

In the heart of the Rennes campus, a new centre for innovation and collaboration allows the Rennes SB community to come together and work on exciting new projects. Today we take a look at Nissreen Barakat, a Rennes SB professor who has transformed traditional classroom learning into real-world innovation, demonstrating the power of experiential learning in her “Design for Innovation” course.

Nissreen is a professor of the Strategy & Innovation department and is passionate about pushing boundaries and exploring uncharted creative territory. By taking part in the ‘Design for Innovation’ course, Nissreen’s students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a dynamic learning environment: LE LAB’.

Nissreen emphasises the importance of bridging theory with practice. “The Design for Innovation course, particularly its workshop component, is strategically implemented in LE LAB’ to empower students with an experiential learning environment. This chosen setting enables students to apply a structured methodology, guiding them in transforming abstract ideas into tangible, innovative products, or solutions“.

LE LAB’ is a room equipped with digital screens and collaborative spaces, a perfect environment to encourage creativity and new ideas. “LE LAB’ provides an excellent learning environment for students to immerse in the iterative design thinking process,” says Nissreen.

Rozenn QUEREVEN, 3rd year Bachelor student, speaks about her experience, highlighting the liberating environment of LE LAB’. “This place allows us to be creative, letting our ideas go in all directions without restricting them. We could draw, write, create, and share all our ideas, allowing us to really imagine and visualise these ideas.”

Ana and Sejal, fellow students at Rennes SB, echo Rozenn’s feelings, expressing their enthusiasm for LE LAB’.

For Ana: “I personally really loved working in LE LAB’!  It was a unique experience and it allowed us to work in a creative environment.”

For Sejal: “When I came to France from Nepal, I had an impression and expectation that most of the classes in France would be like LE LAB’ rather than traditional lecture classes. When I saw this new space, I felt that I was more actively participating in class in that kind of environment. I am very happy to experience my expectations at Rennes School of Business. I felt that I was more engaged with the topic that I was working on. LE LAB’ is perfect as an example of a Modern solution!’”

Nissreen has also led an innovative new collaboration with the IBM Garage team “This unique blend of experiential learning and real-world innovation transformed our classroom. Our students got immersed in the IBM Garage methodology, understanding how a robust organisational culture fuels creativity and innovation – key skills for today’s job market.”

Thanks to many hours spent in LE LAB’, fuelled by collaboration and creativity, the students applied these methods, replicating IBM’s approach to provide effective solutions.

Nissreen highlights the key role played by LE LAB’ in the success of the Design for Innovation course: “Through this stimulating experience, students were equipped with the tools and mindset necessary to navigate the complexities of creating novel solutions that address real-world challenges.”

As Nissreen’s story illustrates, the fusion of theory and practice within LE LAB’ is not just a classroom exercise; it is a catalyst for innovation, propelling students toward a future defined by creativity, ingenuity and change.

Find out more about Instructional Learning Innovation at Rennes SB