Dubai, UAE – GEMS Education has entered a strategic partnership with London College of Fashion (LCF), University of the Arts London (UAL), marking a significant milestone in the evolution of creative education in the region.

Partnering with London College of Fashion brings the academic expertise of one of the world’s most respected fashion institutions into the UAE. Renowned for its academic rigour, research-led approach, and deep integration with the creative industries, LCF brings internationally benchmarked standards in fashion education. As part of the University of the Arts London, LCF is known for its focus on fashion education across design, business and technology, and its close links with industry, providing students with learning that reflects real-world creative practice.

This collaboration brings together GEMS’ scale, educational leadership and access to diverse learner communities with LCF’s academic heritage, industry engagement, and creative credibility to deliver a contemporary and experiential approach to fashion education, across a broad spectrum of creative disciplines. By combining hands-on creative practice with commercial and industry-aligned learning, the partnership aims to prepare students for higher education, professional careers, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the creative sector, bridging the gap between traditional learning and real-world application.

Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer at GEMS Education, said: “At GEMS, our long-term vision is to prepare our students not only for university, but for the industries and careers of the future. The partnership with LCF allows us to bring the best global creative expertise into the UAE education ecosystem. Together, we aim to equip students with learning that is relevant, rigorous, and rooted in real-world application, preparing them for both higher education and professional pathways in the creative industries.”

Shabir Aslam, Director of International Partnerships at London College of Fashion, said: “This partnership marks London College of Fashion’s first formal academic collaboration in the UAE region and represents an important step in how we engage globally. Working with GEMS will enable us to build a strong pipeline into higher education, responding to the needs of students and the wider creative economy by designing learning experiences that develop the skills, critical thinking and industry awareness young people need to progress their ambitions.”

As part of the initial phase of the collaboration, GEMS and LCF will explore opportunities to introduce short, specialist learning experiences, with further details to be announced in due course.

About GEMS Education

GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading private K-12 education providers, educating over 200,000 students from 176+ nationalities across its global network of owned and managed schools. With nearly half a million alumni, GEMS has built a legacy of impact that spans generations and continents.

Established in Dubai in 1959, GEMS remains a family-founded and family-led organisation, guided by its visionary founder and chairman Sunny Varkey, and his sons Dino Varkey (Group CEO) and Jay Varkey (Deputy Group CEO).

With a focus on delivering high-quality education to students from all walks of life, GEMS offers a wide range of curricula and learning pathways. Each year, GEMS students graduate into the world’s top universities including all eight Ivy League institutions and every UK Russell Group university and go on to become leaders, innovators, and changemakers in every sector.

Through its expanding school network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS is committed to its mission: to put a quality education within reach of every learner, everywhere.

Learn more at www.gemseducation.com

About University of the Arts London

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our Colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent, UAL’s community of staff, students and researchers make work that creates lasting change for people and our planet.

UAL is formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. It has 4 Institutes: AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL Creative Computing Institute, UAL Decolonising Arts Institute and UAL Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute.

Ranked second in the world for Art and Design for the seventh-year running (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025), UAL delivers world-leading creative education across art, design, fashion, communication, media and performing arts. Our academics and practitioners inspire new ways of thinking through research, innovation and industry collaboration. We work with students enabling them to build the careers of the future because the world needs creativity.

Learn more at www.arts.ac.uk

About London College of Fashion: Shaping Lives Through Fashion   

London College of Fashion, UAL, leads the world in fashion business, media and design education. We’ve been nurturing creative talent for over a century, offering courses in all things fashion. With our philosophy of open and inclusive education, we encourage students to examine the past and question the present. To develop inventive, assertive ideas that challenge social and political agendas. And we give them the skills, opportunities – and above all, the freedom – to put those ideas into practice. From our new home at East Bank, the UK’s newest cultural quarter at the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, we’re forging partnerships, opening up opportunities, and creating connections with east London’s schools, community and industry. Our new home has brought all of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, from all of our three schools, under one roof for the very first time. In doing so, we’ll continue to pioneer how we use fashion business, media and design to shape culture, economics, and society. And through fashion, shape lives.

Learn more at www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-fashion

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