MBZUAI faculty wins Google award for research to make education equitable, accessible and effective

Summary

MBZUAI faculty member Ekaterina Kochmar and postdoctoral researcher Kaushal Kumar Maurya won a Google Academic Research Award for their research on an intelligent tutoring system. The project, "2σ-ITS," aims to develop an educational foundation model for personalized learning and to support tutors in reaching students with limited access to mainstream education. The Google award provides funding and collaboration opportunities for researchers, with Kochmar and Maurya being the only team from the Middle East to win. Why it matters: This award highlights the growing recognition of AI's potential to improve educational equity and access in the region and beyond.