The DA-IICT at Gandhinagar represents Wave-4 of educational innovation in Gujarat.

The first wave was the nationalist wave and led to Gandhian experiments in education including Nai Talim. The Gujarat Vidyapith established in 1920 was a hybrid model of a university based on Gandhian principles.

The second wave led to the establishment of a whole range of educational institutions in Gujarat, mainly private colleges

The third wave, an inspired one, was spearheaded by the industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai and the scientist Vikram Sarabhai and led to the establishment of a network of national institutes of international renown. A whole array of remarkable intellectuals provided the leadership of these institutes.

It was in Wave 4 when the focus shifted to higher education and private participation. One of the institutes created during this period is DA-IICT. It is a University under the State Act of Gujarat. The DA-IICT was established in Gandhinagar in 2001. It is the only advanced institute named after the Late Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Group.

Recognition

On 6 March 2003, an act of the Gujarat Legislature provided for the establishment of the DA-IICT and conferred on it the status of a university. (Gujarat Government Gazette Volume XLIV, Thursday, 6 March, 2003)

On 30 November 2004, the DA-IICT as a private university was included in the list of universities maintained by the University Grants Commission under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956. (UGC, Website - http://www.ugc.ac.in)

The institute is a non-affiliating university and does not receive any aid or other financial assistance from the Central or State Government.

Master in Design (communication Design)

• The Master in Design (Communication Design)- M.Des.- program at DA-IICT is a full time two-year program (four semesters) open to graduates in any dis
   
• The study program aims to develop in students technological proficiency along with the cultural and creative sensibility required for successful communication of ideas and information within specific social contexts.
   
• Students will learn to create effective solutions for problems of communication, and apply them to deal with the rapidly changing world.
   
• The program also seeks to respond to the growing need to design information products and services in such a way that they become meaningful links to related knowledge bases.
   
• Communication designers must look at information as the key to much larger systems of knowledge and be aware of potential applications in domains such as education, culture, society and entertainment.
   
• There are many institutions that teach multimedia technology in different ways and intensity, but M.Des. program at DA-IICT is distinct in seeking to relate technology with issues of society, culture and design.
   
• The M.Des. Program at DA-IICT with its unique faculty aims to bring students to an understanding of both the design and aesthetic components of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as well as the social and cultural contexts which give it meaning and relevance.
• Applications are invited from eligible candidates for admission to the following Post graduate (PG) Programs starting July 2009
  • Master in Design (Communication Design) - M Des.