A one-of-a-kind exhibition, showcasing graduate projects from more than 100 universities from 43 countries, in the fields of design, science, technology and engineering, was held last week in Dubai.
Held in partnership with Investment Corporation of Dubai, Global Grad Show opened its 5th and most diverse edition to date on Nov. 12 and ran until Nov. 16.
New entrants include established names such as Columbia University, Goldsmiths and the University of Pennsylvania, alongside leading universities from countries participating for the first time, including Colombia, Kuwait and the Philippines.
Global Grad Show is a significant component of Dubai Design Week, which is held under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. Earlier this year, Global Grad Show was named as a key initiative under the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority’s plan to evolve Dubai into a global hub for culture and innovation.
Sheikha Latifa said: “This initiative is at the heart of Dubai’s vision to create a brighter future for all people through progress and innovation. Global Grad Show is a call to action for government and private entities to revisit their challenges and needs in response to current socioeconomic issues. I encourage all entities to engage with the students and collaborate to bring their ideas to life.”
HIGHLIGHT
This year’s expanded program includes an entrepreneurship program supported by A.R.M. Holding, which has pledged 10 million dirhams ($2.7 million) to advance projects into startups.
Mohammed I. Al-Shaibani, executive director and chief executive of Investment Corporation of Dubai, said: “With each year of Investment Corporation of Dubai’s participation at Global Grad Show, we have witnessed ever greater enthusiasm and interest from the international cultural, creative, and intellectual communities. This reception is a true endorsement to the calibre that the Global Grad Show has developed over its five years.”
Under the curation of Eleanor Watson, Global Grad Show explores how innovation can impact our lives through different spheres: The Human, The Home, The Community, The City and The Planet. Some of the projects correspond to themes such as health, wealth and disparity, gender and equality, sustainability, education and technology.
Ranging from high-tech to low-tech solutions, highlight projects in the 2019 exhibition include: “Swiv,” a toothbrush for children with cognitive disabilities, allowing them to clean their teeth with a single physical motion; “Jarvis,” a mixed reality headset, enabling doctors to accurately measure the brain’s response to distractions or activities when conducting cognitive tests for severe head trauma, pharmaceutical efficacy and ADHD; and “Ro-Biotics,” a microscopic robot created from 4D printed materials to be ingested in the place of an antibiotic, which captures infections in the blood stream.
This year’s expanded program includes an entrepreneurship program supported by A.R.M. Holding, which has pledged 10 million dirhams ($2.7 million) to advance projects into startups.
