MBZUAI celebrates Emirati master’s students Fatima AlKhoori (transportation engineering) and Rzan Alhaddad (mechanical engineering) for International Women in Engineering Day. AlKhoori is a transportation engineer involved with the UAE’s Youth Sustainable Development Goal’s Council. Alhaddad, who MC'd MBZUAI’s Class of 2023 Commencement, is passionate about applying AI to environmental sustainability. Why it matters: The article highlights the increasing role of Emirati women in STEM and AI, particularly in applying machine learning to address sustainability challenges.
MBZUAI student Fatima Ahmed Khalil Mohamed Alkhoori is researching machine learning techniques to improve traffic sign recognition for autonomous vehicles. Her work focuses on using transformer model architectures to enhance the ability of autonomous vehicles to accurately recognize traffic signs in varying environmental conditions. The research aims to address challenges such as viewing angle, lighting variations, and shadows that can confuse regular models. Why it matters: This research contributes to the advancement of safe and effective autonomous vehicle navigation, aligning with the UAE's vision of having a world-class transportation system.
MBZUAI's inaugural class included eight Emirati master's graduates in computer vision and machine learning, making up 15% of the Class of 2022. All eight have secured employment or will pursue Ph.D. studies at MBZUAI, contributing to healthcare, technology, energy, transport, and government sectors in the UAE. Fatima Albreiki and Wafa Al Ghallabi will continue at MBZUAI for Ph.D. studies in Computer Vision. Why it matters: MBZUAI is nurturing local AI talent to support the UAE's national strategy and address global challenges in key sectors.
MBZUAI graduates Abdulla and Abdulrahman Almarzooqi are developing AI systems to improve UAE road safety. Abdulla's research focuses on external highway monitoring using MLLMs to analyze driving scenes and generate accident reports, while Abdulrahman's work uses in-cabin sensors to detect driver fatigue and distractions. Together, their systems aim to create a comprehensive view of factors influencing traffic accidents, with potential applications in ADAS and automated accident reporting. Why it matters: This research showcases the potential of AI agents and multimodal LLMs to proactively enhance road safety in the UAE and reduce traffic-related incidents.
Mae AlMansoori, a Senior Researcher at the Directed Energy Research Center (DERC) in the UAE, has been awarded the IEEE Mojgan Daneshmand Grant. She is the first woman from the UAE and the region to receive this grant, which recognizes women in STEM. AlMansoori will receive a $1,500 prize and present a paper at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation in Denver. Why it matters: This award highlights the growing role of women in STEM fields in the UAE and provides a platform for regional researchers to gain international recognition.