Real World Specialisation
Delivering future-proof education that is grounded in the real world.
We strongly believe in the importance of ensuring the education our students receive is relevan and therefore also useful. We think it’s essential that what they learn and experience in school fully prepares.
How do we ensure this? By future-proofing education. And by working closely with industry partners to offer our students opportunities to gain experiences, skills, knowledge and ways of thinking that are grounded in the real world and that will stand them in good stead no matter where their life journeys take them.
GEMS Centres of Excellence
We’ve established five ground-breaking Centres of Excellence in five of our schools, all of them designed to deliver outstanding provision of future technological and digital learning experiences while also preparing students for a rapidly changing world.
Operated in partnership with key industry players in the public and private sectors, these Centres provide students with game-changing opportunities in areas including:
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Digital Industries and Sustainability
- Aviation, Aeronautics and Space
- Performance and Theatre Technologies
- Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact
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Centre of Excellence for Digital Industries and Sustainability
Having announced their close partnership with Siemens in June 2019, the role of GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa (FPS) as the Centre of Excellence for Digital Industries and Sustainability is well underway. The school’s Centre of Excellence focuses on student and teacher development, real-world links, culture and research and development.
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Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
The vision of the Centre of Excellence is to promote educational and research activities in the field of AI and Robotics. It bridges the gap between businesses and educators with a distinctive capability to harness the intellectual energy of the academic world with state-of-the-art AI and robotics technologies.
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Centre of Excellence for Performance and Theatre Technologies
Having teamed up with Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) and UDO Academy, both UK-based, the Centre of Excellence for Performance and Theatre Technologies at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis (WSO) offers a transformational, personalised performing arts education that includes theatre equipment, stage design and costume design, plus opportunities for early entrance into higher education. Initiatives include mentorship, workshops, industry programmes and seed funding to develop student performance and theatre tech leadership and business models.
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Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space
To help develop its role as the Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space, GEMS International School – Al Khail (GIS) has developed a partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre where GIS Students can access the Centre’s educational content and workshops. Among other initiatives, GIS students can earn a Microsoft Flight Simulator Licenses for Education or partake in a Drone for EDU programme to aid piloting skills, leading to licensing by the DCAA.
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Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact
GEMS World Academy, Dubai launched The Hub, a central component of the school’s Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact in 2020. The Hub is a key support platform that will incubate the ideas of student entrepreneurs and provide support to make them reality. The Centre of Excellence will also help students to refine their projects, gain appropriate guidance and rapidly establish their enterprises in partnership with key industry leaders and with the support of the Centre’s entrepreneurship eco-system partner, Wamda Ventures.
“At GEMS Education, our goal is to offer experiential learning and promote the innovation and creative skills of our students. Our GEMS Centres of Excellence will not only benefit from the knowledge, expertise and projects of our key strategic partners, but they will also provide limitless opportunities to our students. Through these partnerships, GEMS Education students will gain exclusive insights into skills and jobs of the future through project-based internships.”
Dino Varkey
CEO, GEMS Education
Industry Collaboration
At GEMS, we’re always looking to develop new partnerships with organisations and institutions across diverse industries – collaborations that directly benefit our students by opening up opportunities for them. We’re talking hands-on, practical experiences that add relevance to the curriculum and which our students will be able to draw on once they leave school and enter the world of higher education and employment.
Our partnerships and collaborations with leading organisations include:
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IBM
GEMS and IBM entered into a partnership in 2020 that saw the IBM Digital – Nation platform piloted in select GEMS schools, and the platform has now been made available to all GEMS schools in the UAE and Qatar. IBM Digital – Nation serves as a one-stop-shop for students to build skills and knowledge on emerging technologies and industries. Since its rollout, several GEMS schools have integrated the platform as part of their e-learning journey.
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Siemens
GEMS and Siemens signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2019 to develop new and innovative initiatives designed to add value to the transfer of knowledge and expertise to GEMS students, while also increasing and enhancing the sustainability aspects within GEMS and promoting digitalisation. As a result, GEMS students gain access to industry-level courses and qualifications, support from industry experts, and internships. They also have the opportunity to be part of an energy efficiency programme that will be adapted into a case study specific to their school, while also partnering with universities for accreditation.
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Samsung
In 2019-20, GEMS students were involved in the UAE’s first Solve for Tomorrow contest by Samsung. Three teams from GEMS World Academy – Dubai were shortlisted, with one going on to win the grand prize. The contest challenged students to use their STEM skills to innovate a solution to a problem affecting their community. The winner was a multi-purpose vest developed by GEMS students that boasted built-in cooling pads to be used by manual workers to help maintain body temperature.
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Noon
In 2019, GEMS collaborated with e-commerce giant Noon on the “Future of e-commerce” challenge, in which GEMS students had the opportunity to visit Noon’s office and warehouse and hear from Noon representatives about the business. GEMS also partnered with Noon to present the “Noon Next Challenge” that formed part of 2019-20 edition of GEMS’ Global Innovation Challenge.
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Emirates NBD
GEMS collaborated with UAE bank Emirates NBD to bring the “Future of Digital Finance” challenge as a core component of the 2018-19 Global Innovation Challenge. The winner of the challenge received mentorship, an internship and product incubation from Emirates NBD.
More to Explore
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What’s an education if it doesn’t teach fundamental human values? Values that, in the words of GEMS Founder Sunny Varkey, “will guide students through life”, allowing them to live happy, fulfilling and meaningful lives and have a positive impact on society and the world.
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Going to school is about more than just academic performance; it’s about socialising, collaborating, developing life skills, growing as a person, expanding horizons and having fun.
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We believe every child has the potential to achieve extraordinary things given the freedom to explore, express and challenge themselves.Read More
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Support at every step, from high school to university and the world of work beyond, our mission is to open doors and facilitate success every step of the way.
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All our schools are 100 per cent inclusive. Always. That means no one is ever turned away, no matter what their unique individual needs.
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Just like you, we want the children in our care to be happy and to view and experience school as a safe space filled with discovery, opportunity and positive challenge. We firmly believe that happy students learn better, engaging in a more meaningful way, and thereby get the most out of their school experience.
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All GEMS Education staff have a responsibility to ensure the welfare of our students at all times and this duty of care to students is paramount.
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Through continuous research, design, and prototyping of new educational ecologies and emerging technologies, GEMS Education aims to redefine learning and schooling to meet the inter-connected societies of the future.
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