Nile Rodgers, the multi-Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter, composer, producer, and arranger,has agreed to become a Special Advisor for Music and Performing Arts for GEMS School of Research and Innovation (SRI). 

In his role with GEMS Education’s new flagship school opening in Dubai in August this year, he will provide strategic guidance to enhance the music and performing arts programmes delivered at SRI.

Rodgers is no stranger to GEMS Education, having made several visits to GEMS schools in recent years, where he has personally engaged with students to share his extraordinary life story and creative journey.

Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of GEMS Education, said: “We are very privileged indeed to welcome Nile Rodgers to GEMS School of Research and Innovation as Special Advisor for Music and Performing Arts. His extraordinary contributions to the world of music and his passion for nurturing talent make him an ideal mentor to our students and teachers in our mission to provide exceptional arts education. Nile’s influence will undoubtedly inspire our students to explore their creative potential and pursue excellence in the performing arts.”

Nile Rodgers added: “Joining GEMS School of Research and Innovation as Special Advisor for Music and Performing Arts is an exciting opportunity to share my ideas, experiences and passion for music with the next generation. I believe in the power of education to transform lives, and I look forward to working with SRI to inspire students to embrace their creativity and pursue their artistic dreams.”

Rodgers has produced and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide. His unique sound defined the disco era, with CHIC’s global hits like Le Freak and Good Times becoming cultural milestones.

Rodgers’ illustrious career includes collaborations with a Who’s Who of the world’s most iconic artists, including David Bowie (Let’s Dance), Madonna (Like a Virgin), Diana Ross (DIANA), Sister Sledge (We Are Family), Daft Punk (Get Lucky), Duran Duran (Notorious), Beyoncé (Cuff It & Levii’s Jeans),  Coldplay and many, many more.

He is universally recognised as one of the most influential figures in contemporary music for his innovative approach to music production and enduring creative vision. His artistry has earned him six Grammy Awards, inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and appointment as the Chairman of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardee, and Apple Music Artist-in-Residence and Creative Advisor of Abbey Road Studios.

Rodgers’ activism began as a teen in New York City. He participated in LIVE AID, We Are The World and the Concert for Ukraine. After 9/11 Nile co-founded the We Are Family Foundation, promoting cultural diversity while empowering young people who are positively changing the world.

From humble beginnings in New York City to performing on the world’s biggest stages, his candid, inspiring talks have left a lasting impression across the UAE, reinforcing the importance of passion, perseverance, and self-expression.

Rodgers’ autobiography, Le Freak: An Upside-Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny, reveals a journey marked by extraordinary highs and deeply personal challenges. His life and work stand as powerful testimony to the impact of the arts in building resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of identity – values that lie at the heart of GEMS’ performing arts vision.

GEMS Education has described GEMS School of Research and Innovation as its most innovative school to date, combining world-class teaching, cutting-edge facilities, and ground-breaking AI and edtech tools. Its public launch in January this year attracted global headlines and endorsements from some of the world’s leading educators.

In April, Lord William Hague of Richmond, the former UK Foreign Secretary and current Chancellor of the University of Oxford, was announced as the Honorary Patron for the school, and earlier this month, Lord Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic gold medallist and President of World Athletics, named as Special Advisor for Sports at SRI.