Dubai announces new design educational institute

The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, billed as the first undergraduate institution of its kind in the region, was launched on Monday.

A rendering of The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation. Courtesy Dubai Government Media Office

DUBAI // Plans for a design educational institute billed as the first of its kind in the region were announced on Monday.

The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation was launched under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and is expected to open to its first students in autumn 2018.

The creation of the private, non-profit institute supports the government’s efforts to develop talented designers in the region, said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation’s board of trustees.

“Dubai projects are based on comprehensive studies that identify future challenges and address them,” he said. “Our region needs 30,000 designers by 2019.”

Dubai is seeking to create an environment for skilled graduates to acquire skills that will enable them to enter the job market, said Sheikh Hamdan, adding that the institute would positively affect both local and regional economic growth.

The institute is being developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Parsons School of Design in New York, with a tailor-made curriculum to meet the region’s needs, Sheikh Hamdan said.

Students enrolled in the four-year bachelor’s of design degree programme will be able to concentrate in product design, strategic design management, media, visual art and fashion design.

The institute was announced by Dubai Holding, an investment group, and the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority at an event in the Dubai Design District (d3).

The institute’s board of directors will be headed by Fadel Al Ali, chief executive of Dubai Holding. The campus, to be located in the design district, was designed by the London architectural firm Foster + Partners.

Joel Towers, executive dean of the Parsons School of Design, said the school is pleased to work with Dubai to develop the institute.

“Design plays a key role in today’s global economy, and it’s exciting to see the burgeoning talent of design students in the Middle East,” he said.

“International collaboration strengthens the future of design and leads to creative and innovative ideas.”