Sydney, Australia, Manama, Bahrain: A partnership signed today to boost the entreprnrship and start-up ecosystem in the Arab world, focusing on key areas to help new generations shape their future, and contribute to the growth of conomy. The agreement is signed between UNSW, Sydney, the 1st in Australia for research, excellence and impact. One of the top 50 in the world, and recoganized for one of the most employable students. And Al Fardan Ventures, lead by serial entreprnuer Mohammed E. Al Fardan who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from top multinational firms to a region wide first hand work expeirnce.

-Ends-

About UNSW Design Next

UNSW Design NEXT coordinates and boosts design to create design-focused graduates. UNSW has world-class capabilities in design, architecture, engineering, and business, and several other faculties have design activities as well. Design NEXT integrates these and makes them easier to approach.

Design NEXT program consists of

  • Education: creation and coordination of design courses • Research: advising faculties on design research • Industry: liaising with industry
  • Clinics: participating in UNSW’s social engagement programs • Global: building an international network with the world’s leading design universities • Events: talks, design conferences and Design Days on campus • Community: pooling UNSW’s design resources into a community Design NEXT works as a contact point for industries interested in collaborating with UNSW in design matters. It helps to find the best university experts and it advises in planning, pricing and budgeting. It helps to bring industry to the classroom and research and it provides a pathway from the classroom to UNSW’s Enterprise and research.

About Al Fardan Ventures:

Al Fardan Ventures is a leader and pioneer in creating a full entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Arab World since 2007. They have created a venture capital, an incubator, a startup academy, crowd funding platform and accelerator to provide the region with one stop shop for the new generations to contribute in the development and growth of economy.

Cooperation

After several rounds of consultation, the parties are interested in bringing forward a strategic cooperation for the promotion of the Design for Entrepreneurship with research, training and mentoring initiatives and activities in the field of design and innovation (the “Cooperation”), for the entrepreneurial development of SMEs and start-ups. The aim of the cooperation is to push forward the design approach to the innovation in strategic fields like:

  • Farming
  • Agrofood value chain
  • Water
  • Renewable energy
  • Digitalisation
  • Gender equity and capacity building
  • Green and sustainable business
  • FinTech
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Web 3.0
  • Blockchain
  • SpaceTech

This Agreement is therefore entered into by the Parties to formally confirm the intention to create the Cooperation, which encompasses the collaboration scopes (“the Collaboration Scope”) listed below:

a. Workshops, training activities, webinars, research and competitions in the field of design for entrepreneurship

b. Identification and involvement of experts, professors, students and designers and special guests to participate to events/ activities / workshops / research developed in solid cooperation with an international perspective

c. Mutual cooperation in the communication and dissemination of the initiatives and the results of the activities developed together

d. Cooperation in the establishment of an international network of partners (universities, professors, students and designers) with which to develop initiatives The details of the individual event that is part of the collaboration scope, i.e. topic, place, date, organisation, participants etc. of the respective event will established by the Parties in writing and in mutual understanding.

Media contact:
a.vignati@unsw.edu.au
info@alfardan.co