H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, attends as guest of honour.
More than 100 business leaders attend the Student-Tech event, where 17 school teams showcase their global innovation challenge solutions and products.
Strategic Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Curriculum Leadership, Development Support for AI, Robotics, entrepreneurship and sustainability signed between GEMS Education and partners

GEMS Education today officially marked the launch of its five pioneering excellence centers designed to promote technology and digital learning, create unique student pathways, and experience learning around emerging industries by bringing together a whole ecosystem of schools, higher education and industry partners.

The launch was held at the GEMS Wellington Academy - Al Khailin in the presence of Her Excellency Reem AlHashimy, Minister of state for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and the Director General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, who also delivered a keynote address. More than 100 business leaders joined the event, which focused mostly on the evolution of the K-12 learning experience and how to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

Attending guests included Dino Varkey, CEO, GEMS Education; Michael Gernon, Chief Education Innovation Officer, GEMS Education; Markus Strohmeier, Senior Executive Vice President, Siemens Middle East and UAE; Ivor McGettigan, Partner, Al Tamimi & Co; Faraz Khalid, CEO, noon; Dr Imad Y. Hoballah, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, American University in Dubai; and Dr Khalid Khawaja, VP Academic Affairs, RIT Dubai.

A first-of-its-kind initiative, the five Centres of Excellence include: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at GEMS Dubai American Academy; Digital Industries and Sustainability at GEMS First Point School The Villa; Aviation and Space at GEMS International School AL Khail; Performance and Theatre Technologies at GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis; and the Entrepreneurship and Youth Start-up at GEMS World Academy Dubai.

The GEMS Xhibit event was an opportunity to highlight the technological and innovation skills of students in front of industry professionals, and underpinned the value that innovation brings to education and how it contributes to shaping the future of young people.

Memorandums of Understanding in the fields of curriculum leadership and development support for AI, robotics, entrepreneurship, sustainability and e-commerce were signed by GEMS Education and key partners including noon, Siemens, RIT Dubai, Al Thamimi & Co and American University in Dubai.

Dino Varkey, CEO, GEMS Education, said: Our students are at the forefront of developing innovative and creative ideas to solve complex problems. In GEMS Education, our goal is to provide experiential learning and enhance our students innovative and creative skills. Not only will our GEMS Excellence Centers benefit from the knowledge, expertise and projects of our key strategic partners, they will also provide unlimited opportunities for our students. Through these partnership, GEMS education students will gain exclusive insights into skills and jobs in the future through a project-based internship. They will also learn through the bespoke curriculum on technology subjects such as artificial intelligence, drones, aerospace engineering and performance art production.

Michael Gernon, Chief Education Innovation Officer, GEMS Education, said: This should be education focused on the future - combining the most recent thinking with technology applications and AI through real-life challenges and partnerships with leading businesses and universities. This will add unique and incredible value into the K-12 sector in ways previously impossible. The focus on innovation, research and development in GEMS education is significant one in the entire organization, ith the Centres of Excellence leading the way. we aim to blur the traditional boundaries of school, university and employment and create a new learning ecology for GEMS student - one which will see them earn a range of credentials and qualifications from our partners from age 14 onwards and, through these unique experiences, be better prepared for the world of the future than any other students.

Dr David A. Schmidt, President, American University in Dubai, said: AUD is very pleased, proud and honored to strengthen our long-standing collaborative partnership with GEMS Education. This partnership is an indication of the enormous benefits of the commitment and cooperation of education in the UAE of the two institutions."

Markus Strohmeier, Senior Executive Vice President, Siemens Middle East and UAE, said: Our mission is to provide students with a hands-on experience of the power of digitalization, use smart building technologies to analyze energy consumption at the GEMS FPS School, and work together to identify sustainable activities. We are proud to be strengthening the bond between educators and industry, demonstrating the positive impact of digitalization and helping students to develop the skills they needed to embrace the digital economy.

Seventeen school teams featuring GEMS education students showcased their global innovation challenge solutions and products during the GEMS Xhibit. These projects include the SHERO and Smart Bandages, both of which were selected to showcase the Unity University Global Summit in California earlier this year.