Cluster 1: Sustain & Transform
The rationale for this cluster lies in the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 agenda and the global importance of responsible business. It positions the School to contribute to Goal 2: Research Profile and Impact and Goal 4: Ethics, Sustainability & Social Responsibility. Its contribution will be to strengthen visibility in sustainability-focused research and rankings, while advancing AACSB’s integration of research, teaching, and engagement. Graduate students may pursue projects linked to real-world sustainability issues, while faculty collaborate with industry partners. Illustrative themes include ESG reporting, sustainable finance, renewable energy business models, and circular economy practices.
Cluster 2: Innovation & Venture
This cluster builds on Dubai’s positioning as a hub for entrepreneurship, fintech, and digital innovation. It speaks directly to Goal 3: Innovation & Entrepreneurship, while also enhancing Goal 1: Academic Excellence through the integration of entrepreneurial pedagogy into programs such as MScBA, MITM, and MBA. Its contribution is to bridge the School more closely with the startup ecosystem, the CUD Incubator Hub, and digital ventures, aligning with SOM’s goals of industry engagement and innovation challenges. Faculty could, for instance, study startup ecosystems, fintech adoption, or entrepreneurial teaching models, while students participate in hackathons and live projects.
Cluster 3: Human Capital Intelligence
The rationale for this cluster is grounded in the UAE’s emphasis on happiness, well-being, and human capital development. It aligns directly with Goal 1: Academic Excellence and Goal 5: Stakeholder Engagement, by focusing on how organizations can better manage and develop their people in digitally enabled workplaces. Its contribution is to bring evidence-based management research and HR analytics into both teaching and practice. It creates opportunities for collaboration with industry on employee surveys, leadership development, and workplace well-being projects. By integrating analytics with leadership and human capital research, Human Capital Intelligence cluster will enhance student learning, foster impactful partnerships, and position the School at the forefront of future-of-work scholarship.
Cluster 4: Global Strategy & Markets
The rationale for this cluster comes from CUD’s international orientation and Dubai’s status as a crossroads for global trade. It reinforces Goal 2: Research Profile and Impact and Goal 5: Stakeholder Engagement, by connecting the School to multinational firms, chambers of commerce, and international trade bodies. Its contribution is to expand the School’s international visibility, supporting QS rankings on internationalization and global engagement. Faculty may investigate topics such as international trade, emerging market strategies, or global supply chain dynamics. At the same time, students benefit from comparative case studies and projects tied to global contexts.
Cluster 5: Frontiers & Futures
This cluster serves as a home for interdisciplinary and contemporary topics that cut across traditional boundaries. Areas such as AI and society, digital ethics, behavioral economics, and sustainability-tech convergence align strongly with Goal 2: Research Profile and Impact and Goal 3: Innovation & Entrepreneurship, while also contributing to Goal 4: Ethics & Sustainability. Its contribution is to ensure that the School remains future-focused, exploratory, and innovative. It allows faculty to experiment with new forms of research and pedagogy, while engaging students in projects that prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges. The scope of this cluster is deliberately open: it welcomes contributions from faculty working at the boundaries of multiple domains, and provides a space for forward-looking, interdisciplinary collaboration.