Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) announced on Monday that Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai has joined its University Entrepreneurship Programme (UEP) that aligns with Dubai’s ongoing efforts to implement Article 6 of the UAE’s Fifty-Year Charter.
Titled “Free economic and creative zones in universities”, the article focuses on establishing integrated economic and creative free zones around public and private universities that allow students to carry out business and creative activities, and incorporate these activities into the education and graduation system.
Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO and COO of DFF; and Dr. Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of MDX and Director of MDX Dubai, signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of the two parties, aimed at equipping more than 3,800 students of the university from 118 nationalities with entrepreneurial skills and motivating them to develop innovative solutions across vital sectors.
AlJaziri said that the University Entrepreneurship Programme enables undergraduate students in various practical disciplines to translate their ideas into quality projects on the ground and to launch their startups that come up with new solutions to current and future challenges. To date, the programme has partnered with 13 local and international academic institutions based in the UAE.
Dr. Fernandes, in turn, said, “Our participation in this programme will help promote the entrepreneurship culture in the UAE through our various initiatives aimed at supporting the next generation of student entrepreneurs and enhancing research cooperation between academia and various future sectors through the centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Centre for Innovation in Human Experience at MDX.”
Currently, 13 universities are participating in UEP, which are Zayed University, the Higher Colleges of Technology, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, University of Dubai, British University in Dubai, the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, University of Wollongong Dubai, Amity University Dubai, Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai, American University in Dubai, the College of Fashion and Design Dubai, and Middlesex University.
DFF supervises the implementation of projects launched within the framework of the Dubai Free Zone Strategy. It also works to develop operational plans, study proposals and oversee the launch and support of university startups.
