The International Advertising Association (IAA)'s UAE Chapter in partnership with representatives from the media and organisers of creative competitions such as Dubai Lynx, Motivate Val Morgan, MEPRA and PRCA MENA honoured 20 students and their respective faculty from eight universities in the UAE.Twenty UAE-based students from eight universities were recognised for their success in creative competitions, alongside their respective faculty, at a special event organised by the UAE chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) on March 20.
Among the gathered students were winners of the Dubai Lynx Student Competitions, the MEPRA Awards, the PRCA MENA Awards, and the Middle East participants for the 2025 Roger Hatchuel Academy.
The IAA’s recently formed Higher Education – IAA Working Group designed the gathering to provide a launchpad into the creative industries, and to emphasise the industry’s support for the arts and creative-related education programmes. It also aimed to foster greater engagement between industry, award organisers and faculty in order to increase student participation and success.
“This initiative is the first of many to come under the Higher Education – IAA Working Group,” said Stephen King, IAA Board Member and Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai. “Our goal is to create a sustainable platform for talent development, ensuring that students have access to the industry’s best minds and opportunities to sharpen their skills.”
Advertising industry representatives Douglas Palau, Vice President of the IAA UAE Chapter, and Ricarda Ruecker, Chief Talent Officer at MCN MENAT opened the event highlighting the role of peer-judged awards in inspiring innovation and breakthrough ideas.
Ricarda Ruecker, Chief Talent Officer at MCN MENAT, said, “Talent is at the heart of our business, our industry and critically, our future. Through fostering strong connections between academia and industry, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of talent, providing them with invaluable insights, mentorship, and opportunities to thrive in their future careers. We look forward to growing this journey of collaboration and innovation.”
The eight UAE universities participating in the event included:
- American University in Dubai (AUD),
- American University of Sharjah (AUS),
- Heriot-Watt University Dubai,
- Middlesex University Dubai,
- Murdoch University,
- SAE Institute,
- University of Wollongong in Dubai (UoWD), and
- University of Birmingham Dubai.
Also present at the event were IAA UAE’s Board of Directors including Douglas Palau, Vice President of the IAA UAE Chapter; Youssef Gadallah, Head of Brand and Creative Consultancy at TikTok; Stephen King, Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai; Tarek Miknas, CEO at FP7 McCann MENA; Halim Sader, Founder and CEO at HJMC; and Houda Tohme, CEO at Havas Media Middle East.
The event also enabled students and faculty to engage directly with Campaign Middle East and industry leaders to exchange ideas, while exploring future career opportunities with representatives from competition organisers, including Conrad Egbert Head of PRCA MENA; Sahal Valliyot, Deputy Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, Motivate Val Morgan; Dalya Mohammad, General Manager of MEPRA; and Ghassan Ezzeddine, Partnerships Manager at Dubai Lynx.
Underlining the IAA’s commitment to young talent Nassib Boueri, President of the International Advertising Association, UAE said, “We are committed to fostering young talent and providing a platform for students to gain recognition here in the UAE. Competitions for students celebrate personal achievement and open the door to exciting career opportunities in the evolving world of advertising, media and communications. The IAA UAE remains dedicated to nurturing young professionals and bridging the gap between academia and industry.”
The IAA UAE shared plans to host similar events in the future, reinforcing its role as a bridge between the advertising industry and the academic community.
