Scholarship Challenge

The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) has chosen the two winners of its “Scholarship Challenge” who have gained fully supported undergraduate studies at the region’s first university exclusively dedicated to design and innovation.

The successful students participated in a competition to design an innovative, space-compliant game for astronauts to play on their journey to Mars or during their time in space.

The winners of the two scholarships granted by Dubai Holding and Kart Group are Fatima Al Busaeedi, who designed a creative entertainment-based game around music to help astronauts stay stimulated in space. Receiving the second scholarship is Mohammad Bassam, who showcased very complex technical skills and adoption of new software for his submitted challenge.

Launched earlier this year, the “Scholarship Challenge” gave aspiring students the chance to showcase their talents and creativity, in a bid to win the two fully funded scholarships, capturing their imagination by designing the space game. It had to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of future space travelers, enabling them to perform athletic activities, to maintain muscle capacity, bone density as well as cardiovascular health, especially during lengthy space travels.

Fatima Al Busaeedi was delighted at the news, she commented: “It is truly my dream to be part of this growing field and support the UAE’s vision in becoming a leading contributor to innovation on the global stage. I am hugely grateful to have the opportunity to study at DIDI. My family really pushed me to choose this institution as it’s very unique and we all feel it is the right place for me to grow in this field.”

Mohammad Bassam said he is eager to commence his four-year studies after the summer: “DIDI is a very innovative university and I am honoured to have been chosen for this scholarship. There are very few universities in this region which teach in such a unique way and I cannot wait to begin my studies in the fall.”

 

Community engagement

On this occasion, Amit Kaushal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding, said: “The Dubai Holding family would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Fatima Al Busaeedi for the admirable work she has put together for this incredibly difficult challenge. Designing a space-compliant, tech-focused game for future astronauts requires an immense amount of creativity, patience and attention to detail. Fatima is the epitome of all young Emirati Youth who are destined to contribute to the nation’s vision of becoming a global model for science, design and technology.

Kaushal added: “The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation provides talented creatives with the necessary tools and skillset to bring their ideas to life, while allowing them to break traditional barriers and achieve exceptional results. At Dubai Holding, we take pride in nurturing promising talent and encouraging young innovators who use their boundless vision to drive the UAE towards continuous prosperity and modernity. We look forward to supporting more Emirati youth in their academic and creative journeys, while we directly contribute to the country’s national agenda in areas of innovation and smart design.”

Dubai based designer, Mustafa Khamash, Managing Director of Kart Group commented: “Kart Group is proud to support DIDI on this scholarship challenge, which applied innovative design thinking and cutting-edge technology to a real-life challenge faced by space astronauts. Nurturing and inspiring the next generation of designers is key to the sustainability of the UAE’s design industry. As a homegrown UAE company, we are thrilled to help young designers fulfill their ambitions.”

 

Commitment

Hani Asfour, Dean of The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) said: “We have been extremely impressed by the level of entries we received for this challenge, choosing the successful candidates was not easy. It is very promising to see such talent here in the UAE, the future professionals who will be able to take up the UAE’s vision around innovation, design and the space project. We are in an exciting time right now as the institution evolves and grows and these are exactly the kinds of students we are attracting.”

As a first of its kind in the region, DIDI offers a unique design education, in the form of a four-year Bachelor of Design Degree, the curriculum of which has been crafted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and The New School’s Parsons School of Design.