Exploring sustainability, identity, innovation and community through talks

Based on the theme: Together / معاً, DIDI’s campus transforms into a living platform of collaboration with exhibitions, workshops, talks and discussions throughout the week. Details about the talks programme are as follows:

Together for Accessibility: Designing with Everyone in Mind
Date: Tuesday, November 4
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Together for Design for Health: Co-creating Inclusive Futures in Health and Wellbeing
As part of DIDI’s activation program for Dubai Design Week under the theme Together معاً, this round-table discussion brings together DIDI’s industry and research partners in the Design for Health field — MBRU/DubaiHealth Innovation Center and Roche — alongside DIDI Professors Joanne Hayek and Raffi Tchakerian to exchange insights on collaborative innovation across design, health and technology. The session invites participants to reflect on methods for impact-driven, cross-sector collaboration beyond academia and to explore new pathways for amplifying and sustaining shared impact in advancing inclusive approaches to health and wellbeing
Date: Wednesday, November 5
Time: 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM

Together for New Mobility: Co-creating the Future of Luxury Yachting in the UAE
This open studio gathers DIDI’s industry and design partners in maritime innovation - including Gulf Craft Inc., Giorgio Cassetta Design and industry analyst Filippo Ceragioli to explore how innovation, sustainability and changing perceptions of luxury are shaping the future of yachting in the UAE. Moderated by Professor Elmar Schuller, who teaches Strategic Design Management at DIDI, the session combines strategic insight with creative exploration, inviting participants to consider how design can drive a more connected, responsible and forward-looking maritime future.
Date: Wednesday, November 5
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Together for Creative Intelligence: Co-evolving the Role of Design Education in an AI-Driven World
As part of DIDI’s activation program for Dubai Design Week under the theme Together معاً, this round-table discussion explores how design education can adapt to the transformative rise of artificial intelligence. Featuring Hani Asfour (Vice President of Innovation, DIDI) alongside experts from Dubai Culture, design education and the creative industry, the session examines how strong design programs can drive innovation and prepare future leaders to thrive at the intersection of technology and human-centered creativity.
Date: Thursday, November 5
Time: 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Together with the Machines: Reframing Creative Practice in the Age of Intelligent Tools
This round-table discussion examines how artificial intelligence and machine-driven workflows are transforming creativity across disciplines. The conversation explores how the rise of AI and advanced digital tools is reshaping the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and creative fields beyond, inviting participants to consider how human intuition, machine intelligence and design innovation can coexist and evolve together in redefining creation in the 21st century.
Date: Friday, November 7
Time: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

About Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation:

DIDI is a future-focused university located in Dubai Design District (d3), dedicated to nurturing the next generation of creative leaders. It offers the region’s first multidisciplinary Bachelor of Design, allowing students to combine two disciplines to build future-ready careers - Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design and Strategic Design Management. Designed in collaboration with MIT and Parsons School of Design, DIDI’s curriculum blends global innovation with creative excellence.