Dubai, over the years, is becoming a landmark for all those who are passionate about innovation, design and technology. It is also becoming vital for all entrepreneurs who, with their ideas, want to stand out from the crowd and expand at an international level. For this very reason, everyone talks about “Dubai as global a hub for innovation and design”.
Just think of the birth of non-profit universities specifically created to educate students in the field of innovation, design and the digital sector. In this regard, it is very important to mention the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), dedicated to all innovators who want to grow on this industry.
In this article, we’ll take a look together at the mission, vision and study paths available at DIDI, so that we can understand just how much Dubai is truly a global hub for innovation and design.
DIDI: What is it?
DIDI is a non-profit university which was created to satisfy the needs of talented designers who wish to grow and develop their skills. Designed to offer a unique degree, called Bachelor of Design, the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation allows students to merge more than one discipline in order to give birth to a single and personalized study path, which can be called a cross-disciplinary path.
This allows talented students to choose according to their own personal needs and passions, rather than leading them through a pre-packaged curriculum that would not be very interesting, depending on the subject studied. Also, this lets individuals expand their visions and actively think with their own brains, instead of being driven by the logic of others.
This is not the first time we hear about innovation and innovative pathways targeting talented people. Just think of DubaiNext, specifically created for modern entrepreneurs who want to expand internationally. As such, DIDI can be a great stepping stone for those who want to embark on an entrepreneurial or digital-related path.
In fact, the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation aims to educate students by making them become more confident and understand that risks must be taken. One cannot expect to become a successful entrepreneur if he or she does not know how to ” jump in” without looking back, and this is just the philosophy of DIDI: push boundaries and accept hard challenges.
Who created the university?
The university is led by 2 core elements: 1 chairman and 1 president. The president, who belongs to the leadership team, is Mohammad Abdullah, a former CEO of Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City. He holds several years of experience in managing large institutions, to the extent that he is in charge of organizing more than 500 activities and more than 25 universities.
Plus, the president has worked as Managing Director of TECOM’s media business and for CNBC Arabiya, where he served as Executive Vice President. On the other hand, the CEO is no different.
Malek Al Malek is a board member within DIDI, and serves as CEO of the university. His years of experience in the field allow him to lead the board in the best way possible. In addition, he is the CEO of the TECOM Group, which is home to more than 5,000 companies and 85,000 employees.
He has also led the transformation of TECOM Group’s technology, media, education and science communities, becoming one of the country’s most prominent entrepreneurs. In fact, it is thanks to TECOM that Dubai is becoming one of the most innovative cities in the world.
There are also other groups of members with several years of experience in management, design and media, who help the CEO and President lead the university at its best.
What can I study at DIDI?
As stated above, DIDI’s curriculum is the Bachelor of Design, or bDes. It is the only integrated course in Dubai, where students can choose their subjects as they wish from 4 fields: Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design and Strategic Design Management.
Specifically, students can focus on two of the 4 proposed paths, in order to create a cross-path useful to develop lateral skills, soft skills and hard skills related to the innovation and design sector.
The study environment is purely international, so students can relate to people from all over the world and, as a result, further develop their knowledge. Knowing what other countries do and how they relate to the economy and innovation, on the other hand, can only help in devising new market strategies.
Among the courses that are shared and mandatory for all, there is the Exploring Design course, specifically crafted to provide the basic fundamentals of the field to all incoming students.
The university also boasts numerous partnerships with other world-renowned universities, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Parsons School of Design.
How to apply? What are the potential professional carreers?
To enroll in DIDI just visit their official website and, in the admissions section, you will find all the requirements to be able to join, including the fees to be paid for the application. Once you have decided, you can click on the Apply Now button in the top right corner and fill in all the required fields.
As career outlets are concerned, the choice is vast, and can vary based on how the different paths of study are crossed. In most cases, you can work in a large multinational company as a strategic expert, or work on your own offering your expertise in the field to your clients.
Again, you can take part in big events such as Dubai Design Week, which we’ll talk about in our next article, and in the best case scenario, get noticed by some leading figures in the field.
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