Lily Burns

Vice President of Global Engagement.

Lily Burns is the Vice President of Global Engagement at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), leveraging over 25 years in higher education to drive the university’s international collaborations and outreach.

Before her role at MBZUAI, she dedicated over 11 years to New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Services and Safety, where she managed critical campus operations, security, and health and safety. Her leadership was especially impactful during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she guided the Operations Portfolio through complex challenges.

Prior to NYUAD, Burns spent a decade at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, she worked closely with faculty on policy, governance, and curriculum development, while also managing external relations for the MIT-Harvard Medical School program in health sciences and technology, enhancing collaboration between the institutions.
She began her career in the Global Initiative Department at Harvard Business School and holds a master’s in Intercultural Relations and an MSc in International Business Administration.