Today sees the unveiling of 100 ideas from over 40 countries that could change the way we live. 

  • Global Grad Show, the world’s most diverse gathering of graduate ideas for social impact, unveils 5 trends that are the top-of-mind challenges according to graduates from 60 countries 
  • A multi-media, interactive exhibition will showcase 100 projects that provide solutions to social and environmental challenges selected from 1,600 submissions from 270 universities in 60 countries, a 30% increase from last year. 
  • Selected students will be invited to a new cohort of the entrepreneurship programme that accelerates the development of impact innovations

United Arab Emirates: The only exhibition of its kind, Dubai’s Global Grad Show returns for the sixth year with 100 graduate projects from the fields of design, science, technology and engineering, showcased in an interactive online exhibition. The ideas are the outcome of rigorous academic research conducted by graduates and their professors, reflecting areas of deepest environmental, social or economic concern, such as the world’s aging population, the number of people living with chronic illness, the radical approaches dealing with waste and the increasing number of communities vulnerable to emergencies.              

The chosen projects have been organised around five key emerging trends that were identified from the 1,600 applications from 270 universities in 60 countries.

Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director of Global Grad Show, said: The diversity of the community of young talented researchers we bring together at Global Grad Show has many facets: they span across six continents, institutions from Ivy League to regional colleges and disciplines from bioengineering through to architecture. They do have however a reassuring common denominator: they investigate problems, social and environmental, that matter for everyone. This year with over 1,600 submitted student projects we have been able to map what are the most frequently occurring issues keeping these bright minds awake at night. That exercise resulted in the diagnosis of problems that are brewing at a global scale and affecting innumerous communities, which we are calling Trends. These global trends, five in total, have grouped the main areas of concerns and today we present 100 projects that are, in essence, alternatives and remedies put forward by our global community of graduates. whose ambition is to create a future-ready world

The five trends are:

- Living with Illness & Disability

- Coping in a Complex World

- Saving and Protecting Vulnerable Lives

- Cleaning a Waste Filled Planet

-Sustaining the Urban Experience 

Projects that provide solution to those trends include:

  • A non-invasive blood glucose ‘earring’ that tests blood sugar through radiowaves, University of Huddersfield, England
  • A fluorescent hat for commuting children walking in the dark, Zhejiang University, China
  • An autonomous weeding robot for small-scale urban farmers, Lund University School of Industrial Design, Sweden
  • Using Durian fruit as an alternative to Styrofoam, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • A temperature regulating curtain, University of Arts Berlin, Germany
  • A device which replaces clinical sounds with colour during chemotherapy treatment, RMIT, Australia
  • A CO2 eliminator using green bacterial technology, Unaula University, Colombia
  • A firefighting light aircraft with a targeted foam firing bionic arm, Universidad Privada del Norte, Peru
  • An airbag belt to cushion the elderly from falls, University of Limerick, Ireland
  • Low cost shoes made from recycled bottle plastics for school-girls walking lengthy distances, Mackerere University, Uganda
  • Biodegradable food containers made of date seeds to start an economic system for date farmers to generate income, Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation 

The projects will be brought to life in an inaugural interactive digital exhibition on globalgradshow.com, giving a voice to the next generation of innovators and connecting the public and potential investors all over the world with ideas that have the potential to change lives. The virtual exhibition will showcase the graduates behind each one of ideas and will also see prototypes, films and original research material visually curated for online visitors to engage and interact with.

The programme, now in its sixth year, and held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and member of Dubai Council, and in partnership with A.R.M Holding and Dubai Culture, saw entries rise by 30% and features ideas from leading institutions such as Imperial College and Harvard, alongside first-time representation from countries such as Indonesia, El Salvador and Oman.

A year-round activation, Global Grad Show entrepreneurship programme supports innovators to materialize their real-world impact. Through training, mentorship, connections with the industry and funding opportunities, it accelerates the process of bringing graduate projects to life. The focus is to develop business skills and offer structured startup-building route to participants. Last year, A.R.M. Holding pledged AED 10 million for a 10-year fund to help talents from Global Grad Show entrepreneurship programme to advance towards market launch, having already supported eight projects.

-Ends- 

For all enquiries, please contact:
Email: press@globalgradshow.com  

Further Information - Global Grad Show

Global Grad Show, an initiative by the Art Dubai Group, is a programme for graduates in universities across the world whose research tackles social and environmental issues. It is the world’s most diverse initiative of its kind in terms of reach, participating disciplines and programme. Launched in 2015 as an exhibition of impact-driven designs from 10 universities, Global Grad Show has grown its network and reputation exponentially, currently engaging academics in over 60 countries and 300 institutions, in fields ranging from biomedical engineering to urban design, through to data sciences and interactive medias. The programme’s year-round activations, support graduates and professors through three complementing angles: international exposure, knowledge exchange and entrepreneurship. The exhibitions, held physically until 2019 and online in 2020, are a celebration of impact innovation and an opportunity for the public to enter a universe of academic research rarely seen outside campus. Each year, these gatherings of talented minds from all over the world also create the opportunity for learning and collaboration and Global Grad Show champions these conversations through conferences, workshops, publications and dedicated initiatives for multi-country and multi-discipline work. To amplify the real-world impact of its community, Global Grad Show’s entrepreneurship programme offers a full-cycle route for participants who wish to take their innovation to market. Through training, mentorship and connections with stakeholders from the development agenda, the programme accelerates the business development of the projects towards implementation. In 2019, A.R.M. Holding pledged a AED 10 million 10-year fund to support talents from the programme with seed capital to advance their development. Global Grad Show was recently named as one of the key initiatives under the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority’s plan to realize its vision of evolving Dubai into a global hub for culture and innovation. One of its new initiatives is the MENA Grad Show, a celebration of academic talent from the region working on social impact innovation, as part of Dubai Design Week in d3. Visit www.globalgradshow.com  for further information.

About A.R.M Holding

A.R.M. Holding is a multi-focused economic enabler that creates synergies and opportunities through local, regional and global investments. At the core of the company’s business strategy is its commitment to social responsibility. A.R.M. actively employs its resources to advance society and empower its players to pursue innovative solutions and inspire a better future. A.R.M. collaborates with like-minded organizations and leverages its network and partnerships to create meaningful relationships and create growth opportunities. It holds equity stakes in some of Dubai’s foremost companies in a variety of economic sectors including Banking, Telecom, F&B, Real Estate, and Hospitality. Investing in Real Estate since 1976, A.R.M. has contributed to society with significant investments in numerous industries and versatile projects across the region and internationally. To learn more about A.R.M. Holding, please visit: www.armholding.ae  

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority

On 8 March 2008, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture). The mandate of the Authority is to serve as a dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature in the Emirate of Dubai, and to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. Under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, the Authority has played an integral role in reinforcing Dubai’s position as a vibrant global centre for creativity.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with an aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally. Dubai Culture manages heritage sites across Dubai including Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and Al Shindagha Museum, apart from managing Dubai Public Library branches which includes Etihad Museum Library, Al Twar Public Library, Al Rashidya Public Library, Hor Al Anz Public Library, Al Safa Art & Design Library, Al Mankhool Public Library, Umm Suqeim Library, and Hatta Public Library. Dubai Culture also plays a significant role in empowering the four creative sectors (arts, culture, heritage, and literature) by launching innovative initiatives and projects that aim at productive outcomes.

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