MBZUAI held its inaugural International Day celebrating the university's multicultural community with music, dance, food, and country pavilions. Over 300 staff, faculty, researchers, and students attended the event, which featured 17 student teams representing over 25 nations. The event included the International Day Booth Awards, with India winning first place. Why it matters: This event highlights MBZUAI's commitment to diversity and inclusion, fostering a global environment for AI research and development in the UAE.
MBZUAI held a campus event with over 150 attendees to celebrate the UAE's 50th National Day. The celebration included Emirati music, food, and speeches from MBZUAI leadership reflecting on the UAE's progress. Amna Al Mansouri highlighted the UAE's transformation from an oil economy to a regional AI leader. Why it matters: This event underscores MBZUAI's role in realizing the UAE's vision of becoming a knowledge hub and leader in AI.
MBZUAI President Eric Xing reviewed the university's 2021 accomplishments, including faculty growth with 14 hires from top universities, launch of an Executive Program with 41 participants, and hosting delegations from various countries. MBZUAI's student body now includes 134 students from 40 countries, with the first graduation planned for 2023. The university aims to become a leading AI hub in the UAE through partnerships with government, industry, and educational institutions. Why it matters: This growth signals the UAE's increasing commitment to developing a world-class AI ecosystem and attracting global talent in artificial intelligence.
MBZUAI will welcome its inaugural cohort of 101 students from 31 countries in January 2021, with 82 in M.Sc. programs and 19 in Ph.D. programs focusing on computer vision and machine learning. The students come from diverse regions, including the UAE (21%), other parts of the Middle East (13%), Asia (38%), Africa (21%), and the Americas/Europe (10%), with 30% female representation. Many admitted students graduated from top universities worldwide. Why it matters: This signals the operational launch of MBZUAI as a global hub for AI research and education, with potential to foster international collaboration and AI innovation in the region.
MBZUAI welcomed its second cohort of students for the Fall 2021 semester, totaling 74 students across master's and Ph.D. programs. The incoming class includes 41 students in Computer Vision, 24 in Machine Learning, and 9 in the inaugural Natural Language Processing program. The cohort represents 29 nationalities, including 10 UAE nationals, and includes graduates from universities such as Purdue, Edinburgh, and Khalifa University. Why it matters: This demonstrates MBZUAI's continued growth as a global AI research institution attracting international talent to Abu Dhabi.