1. Vision and Mission
The School of Communication and Creative Industries (SCCI) aims to establish itself as a leading center for research in communication, media, and the creative industries in the UAE. The School’s mission is to advance rigorous academic research that aligns with its teaching programs, which emphasize applied knowledge, industry engagement, and global perspectives across media, communication, and cultural sectors. Research within the School integrates theoretical inquiry with practice-based methodologies, examining communication, media systems, and cultural production in relation to contemporary social, technological, and institutional change.
SCCI encompasses programs in Digital Media and Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications, and Creative Industries, offering research opportunities aligned with professional fields of media practice, communication strategy, and cultural production. The Creative Industries program draws from Canadian academic models, including degree structures and pedagogical approaches developed in Canadian higher education, adapting these frameworks to the cultural and institutional contexts of Dubai, the UAE, and the Gulf Region.
Through interdisciplinary scholarship, applied research, and practice-based inquiry with regionally relevant collaborators and partners, the School contributes to academic knowledge in communication, media, culture, and creative sectors.
1.1 Research Context
Research in SCCI is situated within the UAE’s expanding media, cultural, and digital ecosystems and is informed by global shifts in communication technologies, digital media practices, cultural policy and governance, and creative industries production. The School’s research approach is further influenced by the growing academic significance of hybrid and practice-based methodologies, including research-creation or creative practice as research. Drawing from Canadian models such as the practice-as-research methodology recognized and promoted by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), SCCI builds upon Canadian academic values and curricula, adapting these frameworks and best practices to the cultural, social, and institutional contexts of Dubai, the UAE and, and the larger Gulf Region.
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2. Foundations for Research Development
SCCI’s research strategy is organized into four foundational pillars reflecting the disciplinary strengths of its departments. The Department of Communication and Media leads 2.1 and 2.2; the Department of Creative Industries leads 2.3 and 2.4.
2.1 Communication, Culture & Social Transformation
This research stream examines communication as a social, cultural, and institutional process, analyzing how messaging, media systems, and public discourse shape meaning, behaviour, and collective life across diverse societies. Areas of inquiry include media narratives and representation, intercultural and multilingual communication, public communication and advocacy, ethics and public trust, and communication and social responsibility in evolving communication environments. Research outputs include scholarly publications, conference participation, and collaborations with journalists and organizations engaged in public communication and civic discourse.
2.2 Media, Technology & Digital Futures
This research stream examines how emerging technologies transform communication practices and media systems, analyzing platform governance, automation and AI, data-driven communication, immersive and interactive media, and evolving forms of digital engagement and public communication. Areas of inquiry include intellectual property, digital rights and platform governance, immersive media and spatial computing, evolving practices in digital journalism, and digital literacy and ethical media engagement. Research outputs may include analytical studies, applied research, and collaborations with media, technology, and communications organizations. This stream lays the groundwork for the Communication & Media Futures Lab.
2.3 Creative Industries, Cultural Economies & Cultural Policy
This research stream examines how creative and cultural value are produced, supported, and circulated across global and regional contexts. Areas of inquiry include comparative research examining creative economies in the UAE and GCC alongside Canadian and international contexts; cultural policy and governance; cultural districts, festivals, museums, galleries, and media zones; cultural labour and emerging creative models; intellectual property and digital distribution; and mapping creative sectors and ecosystems. Research outputs may include scholarly publications, policy analysis, and collaborations with cultural, media, governmental, and educational institutions. This stream supports creative outputs alongside scholarly work and lays groundwork for future research entities including the Cultural Futures & Preservation Lab.
2.4 Research-Creation, Practice-Based Inquiry & Creative Production
This stream supports research in which knowledge is generated through creative practice, integrating artistic, media, and design methodologies within academic research. Areas of inquiry include film, documentary, and digital storytelling as research; artistic and curatorial research; hybrid critical-creative methodologies; design-led approaches to cultural and technological inquiry; and dissemination through exhibitions, screenings, and publications. This stream supports creative outputs alongside scholarly writing and lays groundwork for future research entities including the Centre for Creative Industries & Research-Creation (CCIRC).
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3. Strategic Objectives
3.1 Collaborative Research Environment
SCCI will foster a collaborative research culture through interdisciplinary projects, shared research activities across departments, and structured opportunities for faculty and students to engage in joint research initiatives and publications.
3.2 Establishment of External Collaborations in Strategic Areas of Strength
The School will strengthen partnerships with regional and international academic institutions, cultural organizations, media industries, public bodies, and technology partners to enhance research impact, visibility, and access to resources and expertise.
3.3 Strengthening Student Research Culture and Supporting Research-Oriented Initiatives, Projects, and Publications
The School will cultivate a strong student research culture by supporting supervised research projects, research-creation outputs, student-led publications, conference participation, and pathways to undergraduate research dissemination.
3.4 Promotion of Academic and Professional Engagement
SCCI will encourage faculty and students to engage with academic societies, professional associations, and public discourse, ensuring that research findings contribute to scholarly communities and sectoral development.
4. Enabling Mechanisms
The successful implementation of SCCI’s research strategy will be supported by school-level, department-level, and institution-level mechanisms designed to foster and promote scholarly productivity, collaboration, and visibility, including the development of new research labs and centres aligned with our research priorities.
4.1 School Practices
SCCI will adopt school-wide research practices that promote interdisciplinary inquiry, align activities with the School’s research priorities, and support dissemination through publications, conferences, public programmes, and strategic partnerships. These practices include the formal development of research entities such as the Centre for Creative Industries & Research-Creation (CCIRC), the Communication & Media Futures Lab, and the Cultural Futures & Preservation Lab, each of which will serve as a locus for thematic research clusters, grant applications, and collaborative projects.
4.2 Department Practices
Each department will articulate discipline-specific research agendas that contribute to school-wide priorities. Departments will identify thematic clusters aligned with faculty expertise, support research integration across curricula, and develop structures for supervising student research. Departmental priorities will inform the evolution and focus of School-level research labs, ensuring coherence between disciplinary strengths and institutional development.
4.3 Research Support
The School will coordinate research support through mentorship, ethics guidance, assistance with grant applications and conference participation, and logistical support for scholarly and practice-based research dissemination. Research labs and centres will function as enabling structures for collaborative grant submissions, co-authored research outputs, and supervision of research-creation projects.
4.4 Research Environment and Culture
SCCI will cultivate an active research environment through seminars, workshops, symposia, exhibitions, screenings, and peer review / critique sessions that encourage scholarly exchange and support diverse modes of knowledge production, including creative practice as research. The School will lead in recognizing a range of scholarly outputs, including practice-based research, as integral to its academic profile, building innovative bridges between Canadian and UAE-based research practices. Research labs and centres will host regular programming, student research opportunities, and public-facing events grounded in School and regional research priorities.
4.5 Research Operational Structure
A clear operational structure will be developed to support the organization and governance of research within the School. This includes defined roles for research coordination, transparent administrative procedures for ethics and reporting, and structured processes for resource allocation. As research capacity develops, the School will establish governance frameworks for research labs and centres, including leadership roles, reporting structures, and alignment with institutional research policies and national regulatory frameworks.
By adopting this 2024–2026 Research Strategy, the School of Communication and Creative Industries advances its scholarly contribution to the fields of media, communication, and creative industries, strengthening its role as an innovative regional hub for research and practice-based inquiry with international relevance.