Dubai campus studio links students to Wall Street

Canadian University Dubai and FINTECH. TV have inaugurated a live broadcast studio at the university’s City Walk campus, creating a direct media and education link between Dubai and the New York Stock Exchange.

The Global Markets Studio, opened on 1 June and announced publicly this week, is being positioned as a hands-on platform for students to produce financial news segments, podcasts, interviews and market-focused programming while engaging with executives, investors, entrepreneurs and media professionals across global financial centres. The initiative gives the university a physical broadcast link to FINTECH. TV’s headquarters at the New York Stock Exchange, extending Dubai’s role in conversations around fintech, capital markets, digital assets, artificial intelligence and sustainability investing.

The launch follows a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year at the New York Stock Exchange. Professor Karim Chelli, President and Vice-Chancellor of Canadian University Dubai, signed for the university, while Vince Molinari, founder and chief executive of FINTECH. TV, and Troy McGuire, co-founder and global head of content and operations, signed for the media group. The agreement centres on experiential learning, industry engagement and cross-border exposure for students preparing for careers in finance, communications, business and technology.

Located in the heart of the university’s City Walk campus, the studio is designed to operate as more than a campus media facility. It will host live broadcasts, executive interviews, industry programming, masterclasses and student-led content, placing students in a setting that resembles professional financial journalism and market communications environments. The model reflects a broader shift in higher education, where universities are increasingly building industry-facing platforms rather than relying only on classroom instruction.

The inauguration was held under the theme “Opening Gateways Between Dubai and New York” and brought together university leaders, faculty members, media professionals, students and industry representatives. A panel discussion titled “From Dubai to Wall Street: The New Nexus of Talent, Media and Global Finance” was moderated by FINTECH. TV presenter Raghda Ibrahim. Speakers included Troy McGuire; Dr Cecilia Kindelán, Dean of the School of Communication; Mohammad El Moshneb, University Registrar; and Dr Ousama Ataya, Associate Professor and Director of the MBA Programme in the School of Management.

Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, Chancellor of Canadian University Dubai, said the partnership reflected the need for universities to connect talent with opportunity. He said the studio would provide students and the academic community with access to ideas, industries and leaders shaping finance, media and innovation. Professor Chelli said the facility represented a new dimension of experiential learning by allowing students to engage directly with global business leaders, media professionals and market experts.

Molinari said the launch aligned financial media with higher education at a time when the UAE is building a globally connected financial ecosystem. McGuire has separately described FINTECH. TV’s expanding network as a way to cover Gulf markets for international audiences through daily programming and cross-market reporting.

The studio opens as Dubai continues to consolidate its position as a financial and innovation centre. Dubai International Financial Centre recorded 1,525 new company registrations in 2025, a rise of nearly 40 per cent, bringing total active firms to about 8,840. The centre has also set out a major expansion through the Zabeel District, intended to accommodate tens of thousands of companies by 2040 and support demand from banks, asset managers, fintech firms and family offices.

FINTECH. TV has been expanding its Gulf presence through parallel studio partnerships. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and FINTECH. TV announced a live financial news studio this month, with programming designed to connect Abu Dhabi’s capital markets with Wall Street. The media group says its network now includes studios at the New York Stock Exchange, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Canadian University Dubai, with further locations under development.

For Canadian University Dubai, the partnership strengthens its pitch as an internationally oriented institution with a practical learning model. The university, licensed in the UAE, has more than 30 specialised majors, concentrations and accredited programmes and has highlighted its ranking performance in regional and global university tables. Its City Walk campus places students close to Dubai’s business, retail, hospitality and creative districts, a location the university has used to frame its academic approach around industry access.