September 15, 2018
Versace welcomes luxury brand education partnership
UOW Dubai and Politecnico di Milano partner for prestigious luxury brand management programs in the Middle East
International fashion industry leader, Gianni Versace SpA President and co-CEO, Mr Santo Versace, was the honoured guest at the formal establishment of a partnership between the University of Wollongong Dubai (UOWD) and Politecnico di Milano’s Graduate School of Business (MIP) to develop new postgraduate programs in luxury brand management in the Middle East.
The ceremony to formally acknowledge the new partnership, held at Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy on Friday September 14, 2018, was also attended by Australian cricket legend and University of Wollongong (UOW) Global Brand Ambassador, Mr Adam Gilchrist and UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Alex Frino.
The partners intend to create programs that offer professionals in the luxury brand industry a distinctive experience and knowledge in the overall management of luxury brands.
The programs envisaged for UOWD will be offered in a part-time intensive mode format to accommodate the busy schedules of working executives.
They are expected to include travel to the most prominent luxury shopping capitals in the world with experiential components such as factory tours, meetings and presentations at luxury brand headquarters, visits to foundations and exhibitions and a range of luxury retail business interactions.
Pictured at the formal partnership establishment are (from left) Gianni Versace SPA President, Santo Versace, Politecnico di Milano President, Professor Andrea Sianesi, UOW Global Brand Ambassador, Adam Gilchrist and UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Alex Frino.
With the Middle East representing a big opportunity for luxury brands, this collaboration will take a closer look at the overall management of luxury brands and the influence on emerging luxury markets in Dubai and other shopping capital destinations such as Milan, Paris and Geneva.
UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Alex Frino, said: “UOWD is excited to partner with Politecnico di Milano to explore the development and future of Luxury Brand Management in the UAE.
“This initiative recognises the commercial and cultural significance of the luxury market in the Middle East.
“As the first international university to establish a presence in Dubai and still Dubai’s largest foreign university, UOWD offers unparalleled expertise in tertiary education in the Gulf Region.
“We anticipate these new degrees will be significant for executives across all luxury categories including fashion, jewellery, automotive, travel, food and wine”.
UOWD is the most prestigious and forward-thinking tertiary institution in the Middle East with a curriculum and teaching practices that reflect the University of Wollongong Australia which constantly ranks among the top 2% of universities worldwide.
Politecnico di Milano has been ranked 1st in Italy, 6th in Europe and 17th in the world among technical universities. MIP is part of the Politecnico di Milano School of Management and has been recognised as a prestigious business school for over 30 years.