Central University of Punjab X Nonlinear

Turning Innovation Awareness into Entrepreneurial Action

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Workshop

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Background & Challenge

As a NAAC A+ accredited and NIRF Top 100-ranked institution, the Central University of Punjab has consistently championed academic excellence. But its Institution Innovation Council (IIC) faced a critical challenge: moving beyond awareness-driven innovation sessions to a model that prioritized application, confidence-building, and entrepreneurial capability.

The university was looking for a partner who could go beyond theoretical discussions and deliver a workshop that made innovation real and tangible for students. They wanted an experience that offered hands-on, interdisciplinary learning while positioning entrepreneurship as a viable and inclusive career path  -  accessible to students from all backgrounds, regardless of their prior exposure to business or innovation.

That’s where Nonlinear stepped in.

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Solution

How Nonlinear Added Value

Nonlinear designed and led a three-day, fully immersive program that transitioned students from passive listeners to active innovators. The sessions were highly interactive, blending frameworks with action, and guiding students through every step of the entrepreneurial mindset.

Students were introduced to entrepreneurship as a mindset  -  not just the act of building a business  -  and explored how innovation can be applied in startups, social enterprises, government, and corporates. They were encouraged to identify local and personal problems they truly cared about. With the help of structured ideation tools, these problems were reframed into solvable challenges, boosting creative confidence and contextual relevance.

Using The Design Thinking Game  -  Nonlinear’s proprietary card-based toolkit  -  students explored empathy, ideation, and prototyping through play. In less than an hour, even first-time innovators were confidently building, iterating, and presenting their ideas. Rapid-fire challenges helped students embrace ambiguity, collaborate across teams, and present under time pressure  -  building real-world resilience and agility. In the final session, students applied what they learned to define their user, test problem-solution fit, and clarify their value proposition  -  forming a solid foundation for future entrepreneurial pursuits.

Central University of Punjab

Impact Delivered

  • 80+ students actively engaged across all three days

  • Students gained hands-on tools in ideation, validation, and problem-solving

  • Faculty reported heightened student energy, post-session idea submissions, and cross-departmental collaboration

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What Central University of Punjab Gained from Nonlinear

Through a structured, immersive, and game-based experience, Nonlinear transformed CUPB’s innovation goals into action on the ground. By meeting students where they are - and guiding them step-by-step toward entrepreneurial thinking -  Nonlinear helped CUPB not just teach innovation, but build an entrepreneurial culture that lasts.