Designed to deliver outstanding provision of future technological and digital learning experiences and prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

GEMS Education has established five ground-breaking Centres of Excellence designed to deliver outstanding provision of future technological and digital learning experiences and prepare 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 and Space, Performance and Theatre Technologies, and Entrepreneurship and Youth Start-up.
"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 |
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.
"Preparing students for the future means having them engaged in technology through hands-on activities...At GEMS Dubai American Academy, we realize that everything we love about civilization is a product of intelligence, so amplifying our human intelligence with artificial intelligence and robotics has the potential of helping civilization flourish like never before." Tammy Murphy |
Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space
As with the other Centres of Excellence, the focus is primarily on student development, teacher development, research and development and culture. 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.
Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship & Youth Start-up
GEMS World Academy, Dubai launched The Hub, a central component of the school’s Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship and Youth Start-up, 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.
"Students enter a continuously changing world that requires flexibility, creativity, collaboration and nimbleness to adapt to this rapid change. Increasingly, our students need to think like entrepreneurs, and our Centre of Excellence aims to break schools out of old dichotomies between knowledge and skills, traditional rigour and entrepreneurial creativity. We want our students to be socially aware and responsible global citizens who understand local needs." Helen Al Uzaizi |
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.
"We are aiming to blur the traditional boundaries of school, university and employment, and create a new learning ecology for GEMS students – 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." Michael Gernon |
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.
"Our partnership with renowned UK performing arts academy ArtsEd is a welcome addition to our offering in extra-curricular training and will ensure that we deliver on our promise to educate ‘World-Class World- Ready’ future citizens of the world." Kevin Loft |
Additional Centres of Excellence
Golf Centre of Excellence at GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa |
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GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa launched its Golf Centre of Excellence in partnership with Claude Harmon Performance Golf Academy. Students benefit from unique, bespoke Elite Golf Programme that allows them to develop and maintain excellence in both their golf and education. |
"The partnership we have developed with Claude Harmon Performance Golf Academy presents a unique opportunity to develop great potential at a young age and maximise the chance for a young golfer to be successful. I am very excited about the prospect of working with the golfing superstars of tomorrow and supporting their journey." Matthew Tompkins |
Swimming Centre of Excellence at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail |
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GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail launched its Swimming Centre of Excellence with South African Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champion swimmer Chad Le Clos as a special guest in October 2019. It offers swimmers superior coaching and facilities, and a bespoke programme that balances training with academic commitments. The school’s Swimming Centre of Excellence is being run in partnership with Hamilton Aquatics and is designed to ensure the individual requirements of swimmers are met. |
"It is my firm belief that for our student athletes to be successful, the key ingredients are practice, hard work and a supportive environment in which to learn, train and perform. Our Swimming Centre of Excellence brings all these elements together." Neil Matthews |