Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Tolerance, and Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, attended the launch of the "d. Academy," a dedicated space for education and cultural interaction that is located in Warehouse 44 at Alserkal Avenue, which was organised by the Young Architect and Design Programme, YADP, in co-operation with Alserkal Avenue.

Nazneen Shafi, Executive Director of Engage ME, said, "the YADP is a new educational initiative, under the patronage and supervision of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which aims to positively affect the minds of young people and direct them towards the issues and challenges that concern the future environment, specifically development and urban expansion, as well as to promote architecture and design in the UAE, especially with regards to education, and the exchange of knowledge and co-operation."

The academy was inspired by the words of Prince Aga Khan, Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the award’s establishment.

Vilma Jurkute, Director of Alserkal Avenue, stated that the academy will focus on exchanging ideas, improving understanding about architecture, planning relevant practices, and preserving history and natural scenery and architecture. She added that the academy’s one-year programme will include exhibitions, workshops and a series of lectures and seminars, under the patronage of Engage ME, which is an academic and cultural initiative based in both Toronto and Dubai.

YADP aims to be a catalyst for improving the quality of people’s lives, by using culture as a platform for economic and social development. Its projects are laboratories for ideas, which can positively shape the future through beneficial means.

Shiraz Allibhai, Deputy Director of Aga Khan Trust for Culture, also highlighted the importance of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.