MBZUAI and the Weizmann Institute of Science deepen research ties

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

A delegation from MBZUAI, led by President Eric Xing, took part in a two-day engagement at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in Israel aimed at deepening research and innovation ties. Both institutions are seeking to leverage each other’s human capital and expertise in fundamental artificial intelligence (AI) inquiry.

The delegation was received by Weizmann Institute President, Professor Alon Chen, and senior members of faculty. Xing, and associate provost Professor Timothy Baldwin – along with other senior members of the MBZUAI delegation, met with Professor Ziv Reich, Vice President at the Weizmann Institute, as well as department representatives from the Institute.

During the visit, talks centered on knowledge sharing, as well as collaboration across a range of research projects, which are being overseen by a joint MBZUAI-WIS review board. The collaboration is focused on advancing research in natural and machine intelligence and developing new tools and technologies for the benefit of society as well as executing a shared vision for training the next generation of AI leaders.

“Our partnerships with world-leading academic institutions like the Weizmann Institute enable us to create a vibrant ecosystem of AI innovation,” Xing said. “We are proud of our continued association with WIS, which promotes intellectual exchange and collaboration as well as enhances our understanding and knowledge of AI and related fields. We are confident that together we can inspire a new culture of innovation, research, and knowledge sharing in the region.”

In 2021 the two institutions formally established the MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for Artificial Intelligence Research (the AI Program) to promote AI research and carry out, both basic and applied, research in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, computational biology, and more.


“Working together, we are advancing scientific research, development, knowledge transfer, and the use of AI for human well-being and progress,” Chen said. “The WIS-MBZUAI partnership has given us a platform to leverage the expertise of the brightest minds in the fields of AI and utilize their strengths to benefit humanity.”

About the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS)

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions and offers master’s and doctoral-level degrees across five faculties. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, Institute scientists are advancing research on the human brain, artificial intelligence, computer science and encryption, astrophysics, and particle physics, and they are tackling diseases such as cancer, and addressing climate change through environmental, ocean and plant sciences, and more.