Where Breakthrough Science Meets Creative Vision
what makes us
human?
Science is changing how we understand the body, the mind, creativity, identity and purpose.
STARS is where researchers, scientists, technologists, and artists build a lasting community around a shared inquiry, treating art and research as equal forms of the same pursuit. This year, STARS explores what happens when AI, biology, neuroscience, robotics, and psychology intersect, and what it means for us as humans. Supporting Dubai’s ambition to become a global hub for research, development, and innovation. The inaugural STARS brings science beyond the lab and into conversation, art, and experience, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing research, and inspiring discoveries with real-world impact.
By:
18–21 November 2026
Emirates Towers, Dubai
One question
five dimensions
The Body
What are humanoids challenging?
Consciousness & Feeling
What can machines not yet feel?
Creativity
Can machines make meaning?
Work & Purpose
If machines can do more, what are we for?
Identity & the Self
What makes you, you?
breakthroughs happen at the intersection
The biggest questions rarely belong to one discipline.
STARS creates a meeting place where scientists and artists can challenge each other, researchers can encounter ideas outside their fields, and new connections can form between research, technology and creative practice.
Because sometimes the most interesting discoveries happen between disciplines, not inside them.
Four days
more than talks
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Talks & Dialogues
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Researchers & Creatives
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Art × Technology
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Research Showcases
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Immersive Experiences
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Curated Dinners
Expect
Talks & Dialogues
World-class researchers, innovators, and creative minds come together to challenge ideas, exchange perspectives, and explore the frontiers of science and technology.
Research Showcases
Emerging research comes to life through interactive, AI-powered poster sessions, connecting researchers directly with peers, industry leaders, and investors.
Immersive Experiences
Step inside the world of scientific discovery through experiential installations that transform complex research into tangible, engaging encounters.
Art × Technology
A curated exhibition where robotics, AI, neuroscience, biology, and psychology become mediums for artistic expression and experimentation.
MIT Open Lab Day
An exclusive look into emerging urban technology and mobility research from MIT teams and collaborators, including work not yet presented publicly.
Curated Dinners
Four thoughtfully curated evenings bringing together artists, researchers, technologists, and strategic partners to exchange ideas, build relationships, and inspire collaboration.
18–21 November 2026
Emirates Towers, Dubai
Dubai Future Week
science, but different
STARS is not only about presenting research. It is about putting disciplines into collision, making ideas visible, and asking what scientific progress means for the human at the centre of it all.