Dr. Ashwin Mahalingam on

Bringing Interdisciplinary Thinking to Project Management

Interdisciplinary Thinking, Management

July 1, 2021

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Dr. Ashwin Mahalingam is a Researcher and Advisor.

He is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras. Ashwin is also a co-founder of Okapi Advisory Services and serves as a Director on the Board.

He is the Editor of the Engineering Project Organization Journal (EPOJ) and has served on many National Committees.

His research interests are in the areas of Infrastructure and Construction Management, Cross Cultural Issues in Large Engineering Projects, and Public Private Partnerships (PPP).

Ashwin earned his Bachelor’s Degree from IIT Madras and holds a Master’s Degree and PhD from Stanford University, all in the field of Civil Engineering.

This Episode is also available on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Anchor.FM

Show Notes

On Ashwin’s Childhood and Early Days [02:25]

Approach to Teaching, current Teaching Assignments, and Research Interests [07:11]

What is a Megaproject? [09:21]

How Megaprojects impact India? [12:22]

Project Management complexities in Megaprojects [16:16]

How Megaproject Management differs from a typical Software Project [18:43]

A First Lesson in Megaproject Planning [19:10]

On Defining Value in a Megaproject [22:46]

On the use of Social Media in influencing Megaprojects [27:15]

On Using Design Thinking in a Slum Development Project [34:38]

Design Thinking for Software Development [39:56]

Leadership in Megaprojects [41:55]

Integrated Sustainability Thinking in Megaprojects [46:25]

On the Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) at IIT Madras [50:36]

On STEM-based Learning and Education[54:15]

On Technology Trends in Construction Management [57:03]

Recommended Books [59:06]

On Continuous Learning for Engineers [1:01:40]

What would be the three pieces of advice Ashwin would give himself if he was 10 years old, today [1:03:53]

Bringing Interdisciplinary Thinking to Project Management

Pooja Jauhari is the former Group CEO of VMLY&R India, and former CEO of The Glitch. Over her two-decade-long career, Pooja has worked with some of the biggest brands in the country and the world, and introduced powerful campaigns to society.

Pooja has worked with some brilliant people and has held important responsibilities over the past 20 years. She is the Founder of Seat At The Table, an unbiased investment and advisory initiative to invest in companies and people that are built on a purpose.

Prior to her appointment in the VMLY&R network, Pooja was the CEO of The Glitch, a high-performance creative company that has worked hard to create a workspace that is gender blind, inclusive and progressive. The Glitch was acquired by WPP, the world’s largest marketing communications company in 2017, and integrated into the VMLY&R network within WPP in 2020.

Bringing Interdisciplinary Thinking to Project Management

Bringing Interdisciplinary Thinking to Project Management

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