Call for expression of interest from UK HEIs to establish a Fashion, Art, Design school in Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is the education authority for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ADEK is seeking expressions of interest from world class Fashion, Art, Design schools in the UK to establish a campus in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi seeks the establishment of an internationally renowned Fashion, Art and Design school as part of its broader vision to develop the Emirate as a cultural hub within the Middle East region, and as part of its transition towards a knowledge-based economy. Institutions with a reputation as pioneers, innovators and/or disruptors are particularly welcome.

Subject areas include fine arts, graphic design, fashion design, painting and drawing, print making, and sculpture. Mode of teaching delivery may be fully in-person or a mix of in-person and online.

ADEK is seeking to support the development of a pipeline of skills and to foster a future class of professionals and leaders in Fashion, Art and Design. The campus will promote and sustain an annual programme of artistic, design and/or fashion events and will support the development of an innovation ecosystem and start-up culture, e.g., by incubating local creative industries.  

The campus will be located on Saadiyat Island alongside institutions such as the Louvre Museum, Zayed National Museum, Yas Creative Hub, and the currently under construction Guggenheim Museum.

The campus will target both local and international students and is expected to attract talented international researchers, faculty and entrepreneurs to Abu Dhabi.

Collaboration model

• The campus will be established in collaboration between the Government of Abu Dhabi and the UK parent institution through a public-private partnership.
• The campus will be operated on a par with the UK parent institution in terms of curriculum, programme delivery, admissions processes, and recruitment of faculty.

Incentives

• The campus will receive full regulatory support from the Government of Abu Dhabi.
• The Government of Abu Dhabi will provide initial capex requirements and land allocation in a prime location. ADEK will also consider an additional allocation of funds based on the goals and feasibility of the proposal.
• Financial incentives will be provided to local Emirati students in the form of scholarships and to international students in the form of education loans. Students will be provided with internship opportunities in local industries.
• Opportunities to collaborate and commercialise high quality research in partnership with other HEIs in Abu Dhabi will be supported.

Timeline

• Preliminary discussion. October - December 2021
• Detailed establishment plan. January - September 2022
• Establishment implementation. October 2022 - December 2023.
• Campus launch. Jan - March 2024.