In a heartening display of unity, two students from Ukraine and Russia have collaborated at a Dubai school to design a T-shirt that is now part of the official school uniform and available for online purchase.
As part of the school’s Citizens’ Entrepreneurship Curriculum and Project-Based Learning (PBL) programme, Year 5 and 6 students were tasked with designing their own T-shirts. Artem Buhai, a Ukrainian expat, and Bers Nikaev, a Russian expat, both in Year 6 at the time, created a unique design that has now been adopted as part of the school uniform. Initially, the duo struggled with their designs.
“We did not like any of those, so we decided to go with a planets theme instead. We created three new designs and selected our favourite. We drew many designs, aiming to choose ones that symbolised world peace and showcased simplicity. Throughout the process, we kept the school’s preferences in mind,” said Year 7 student, Artem.
After realizing that other teams had similar ideas, Artem and Bers decided to focus on a design inspired by Earth.
Artem explained, “Then we considered our home planet and aimed to create something inspired by it. Initially, we designed a ‘Galaxy’ motif, but it felt overly intricate with lines everywhere. We experimented with representations of the world and rivers before settling on a simpler approach.” He added, “So, we finally conceived of planet Earth with water and grass elements on the T-shirt.”
By the time they reached Year 7, they had forgotten about their creation, until they saw it available for purchase on the school’s website.
“When we realised a year later that the T-shirts are available on the school’s website and have become a part of the school uniform, we felt incredibly proud of ourselves. We aspire to create more such designs and maybe become entrepreneurs someday.”
Artem shared how his mother, a designer, inspired him. “I enjoy drawing. My mother is a great help. She has a wealth of knowledge. Thanks to her, I learned how to draw. It’s really satisfying to see something that I have created being used by others.”
Year 7 student, Bers added, “Initially, everything was in black and white, and I introduced the colours while Artem sketched it. Together, we brainstormed and conceptualised the idea. We decided to include our school’s logo on the sleeves which complements the overall design. Seeing my friends wearing the uniform gives me a great sense of pride, knowing that we created it for our school.”
The T-shirt, now popular among students at Citizens School, conveys a powerful message about protecting the natural environment. Bers emphasized their future aspirations, “In the future, we aim to collaborate more on designing clothing. Seeing your designs come to life is truly gratifying. The incorporation of our creations into the school uniform is particularly motivating. Currently, we’re considering designing shorts too, if we get approval from the school. This would complete the set, which is very exciting. Seeing our names featured on the school website, Artem and Bers, adds to the thrill.”
Dr. Adil Alzarooni, Founder of Citizens School, highlighted the importance of their Entrepreneurship Curriculum, saying: “We provide learners with the opportunities, resources, and support needed to turn their ideas into reality. This helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, resilience, and teamwork, all the skills essential to survive in today’s ever-evolving world.” He added that this collaboration proves that entrepreneurship is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or experience.
“It’s a skill that can be learned. The T-shirt designed by our young entrepreneurs is now part of our official school uniform, which further encourages them and inspires all our learners to pursue their innovative ideas,” he concluded.
