Dubai Design District and Canadian University Dubai Sign MoU on Design Talent
The agreement pairs d3 with CUD's School of Architecture and Interior Design on a yearly programme of events, exhibitions and workshops, plus student internships.
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Dubai Design District has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian University Dubai to support emerging design talent in the region.
The district, known as d3, is TECOM Group's business hub for the creative sector. Under the agreement, it will work with the university's School of Architecture and Interior Design, or SAID, on an annual programme of events, exhibitions and workshops held at d3. Students will also be able to take up internships with companies based in the district, giving them industry experience while they study.
Campus and practice
Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District, part of TECOM Group, described design students and the next generation of designers as an essential part of the d3 community, representing the future of the region's creative industries and a source of fresh ideas. She said the tie-up builds on d3's existing relationships with leading educational institutions and strengthens its position as a meeting point where the latest design thinking is found. The partnership also reflects a commitment to developing skilled talent and to Dubai's standing as a global design centre, she said, in support of Dubai's Design Sector Strategy 2033.
Professor Karim Chelli, President and Vice Chancellor of Canadian University Dubai, said design education has to be connected to industry ecosystems. He described the partnership as a bridge between academia and practice that gives students direct access to one of the most influential creative communities globally, creating room for emerging talent to take on real-world challenges, work alongside industry leaders and help shape the future of design, architecture and innovation in Dubai and elsewhere.
An earlier exhibition
The two organisations have worked together before. CUD staged its "Designing Futures: SAID Graduation Exhibition 2026" at d3, showing projects by students finishing their architecture and interior design degrees.
Designing Futures: SAID Graduation Exhibition 2026
Canadian University Dubai opened in 2006. It runs one of the largest faculties of architecture and interior design in the UAE, which is the pool of students the new agreement is designed to reach.
For d3, the arrangement adds a steady flow of student work and campus activity to a district already populated by design studios and creative businesses. For the university, it opens a route into those companies for graduates entering a competitive market.
