MBZUAI holds first Advisory Board meeting

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence (AI) university in the world, held its first official Advisory Board meeting to review and discuss ongoing activities as the University gears up to welcome the first class of graduate students in September 2020.

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) at MBZUAI; His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills; Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, His Excellency Jassim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Finance, Professor Sir Michael Brady, Interim President of MBZUAI and Peng Xiao, BoT member, who welcomed the university’s Advisory Board members.

During the meeting, Advisory board members discussed the importance of ensuring that the university exerts every effort towards producing practical, tangible results that can directly and positively impact economies and industries. They also emphasized the need to directly engage with industries to ensure the proper integration between the output of the university and the needs in the marketplace. This would include making sure that students are aware of the full ecosystem required for a successful market deployment including knowledge of IP, patent laws, and access to startup financial advice.

The Advisory Board provides strategic recommendations to the University and will support in securing external financial aid, potential internships, training, and employment opportunities for the MBZUAI students.

His Excellency Dr. Al Jaber, said, “I would like to thank the Advisory Board members for their time, commitment and priceless contribution. With thousands of applications coming in, I have great confidence that MBZUAI will foster exceptional talent in the field of AI. These great minds will create a long-term integral ecosystem that introduces a new era of innovation, productivity, and growth across the UAE, the region, and globally.”

“With every success of MBZUAI, we get closer to realizing the wise vision of our leadership and their aspirations for the future of our world.”

The university has already begun the process of vetting the applications for the 2020 intake; with over 1000 applications reviewed and in the final stage before acceptance into the MSc and PhD programs that include Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision.

Professor Sir Michael Brady, Interim President of MBZUAI, said, “The MBZUAI looks to create a symbiotic relationship between academic research and the industry; thus, espousing a culture of free-flowing ideas between universities and industries. A formula of success.”

MBZUAI will offer Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Ph.D. level programs while also engaging policymakers and businesses around the world so that AI is harnessed as a force for positive transformation.

Graduate students can apply to MBZUAI via the university’s website for 2020 registration. The first class of graduate students will commence coursework at MBZUAI’s Masdar City campus in August 2020.

The university will provide all admitted students with a full scholarship, plus benefits such as a monthly allowance, health insurance, and accommodation. MBZUAI will work with leading local and global companies to secure internships, and will also assist students in finding employment opportunities.