There is a shift taking place in global industries lead by creativity and tech, combined to change the face of brands and re-engineer business processes. Changes in social values, political policies and the economy has made way to a new breed of professionals that thrive in the complexity and unpredictable nature of business in the new world. With the space being available for those who can bring in fresh ideas and skilful innovation, education has to be aligned with the needs of the future.
With this in mind, AOD (Academy of Design) Sri Lanka has initiated a partnership with MI College, the second largest college in Maldives to strengthen design education in the Maldives, opening up global opportunities and an international platform to benefit Maldivian students. MI College is one of the biggest higher education providers in Maldives, with 17 branches across the country and an international presence in Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is committed to offering students with a wide range of higher education pathways to uplift the standard of young professionals graduating in the Maldives.
AOD is a pioneer in Design education in Sri Lanka and is a catalyst for design-led innovation in South Asia. Leading with a vision to be a global voice in the international design movement, AOD nurtures young designers to live up to their potential and recognize the opportunities presented in every industry. AOD in partnership with Northumbria University, UK offers Design Degrees in Fashion, Fashion Marketing, Interior Design, Visual Communication Design and Motion Graphics & Animation Design which can be completed in Sri Lanka in a 100% internal manner. With an impressive ranking as one of the top five design academia in Europe (Newsweek, ‘09) and Britain’s legendary status as the world creative hub, Northumbria extends an education certification that is recognised and respected all over the world.
MI College will be providing AOD’s Design Foundation programme for students after O/L’s who are enthusiastic to follow their higher education in Design. The Foundation programme is a special course with an all-encompassing curriculum that walks students through several design disciplines leading to in-demand careers—such as fashion design, fashion marketing, interior design, visual communication design and animation design—with the help of an expert faculty. After completing the programme, the students have a guaranteed place in a 100% internal Northumbria UK design degree of their choice, which can be completed at AOD. The programme will cover preliminary studies in all creative essentials from ideation, brainstorming and the processes of communicating your ideas through different media from drawing, basic photography, painting, illustration, sculpture, collage etc. Similarly, the programme also familiarises students with digital channels of creative expression which are an essential aspect of contemporary design. MI College will also be the official recruiter of Maldivian students who want to complete their higher education at AOD. After A/L students can directly contact MI College to inquire about the Degree programmes offered by AOD and enrol for these programmes.
AOD also plays a pivotal role in introducing design for business as a mainstream movement, through its many ventures such as Design for Sustainable Development, South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum and the Female Futures Forum. Platforms such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Design Festival (SLDF) which are conceptualized and organized by AOD, will be open to students who study the Design Foundation programme at MI College and subsequently complete their Degree in a Design. Through MI College’s partnership with AOD, students who begin their design journey in Maldives will have access to infinite possibilities and remarkable opportunities. They will be a part of a global design movement led by AOD to create design talent that will drive industries forward and contribute to the economy at large.
The newly-initiated partnership between MI College and AOD is setup to introduce and engage students in creative education and provide them the opportunity to make use of the global platform presented to them and become the Maldivian design ambassadors to the world.
To find out more about AOD’s Design Foundation programme conducted by MI College reach MI College on 7406003.