MBZUAI Opens Applications for First Ph.D. Cohort in Human-Computer Interaction

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has opened applications for its first Ph.D. cohort in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with the inaugural intake beginning in Fall 2026.

The cohort will join a growing community dedicated to understanding how people adopt, adapt, and repurpose AI. Research spans human-AI alignment, multimodal interfaces, cognitive augmentation, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), human-data interaction, and the development of adaptive, transparent, and accessible interactive systems.

Timothy Baldwin, Provost and Professor of Natural Language Processing at MBZUAI, said: “Launching the Human-Computer Interaction Ph.D. program comes at a pivotal moment in the global AI conversation, ensuring that as artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, it also becomes more meaningful to people, so communities appreciate AI as a set of tools we can shape, understand and apply to everyday life. HCI brings together science, engineering, and design to shape AI systems that improve lives responsibly, transparently, and at scale. The new program expands MBZUAI’s focus on designing intelligent systems rooted in real human needs, behaviors and context, and supports the UAE’s ambition to build an innovation-led economy grounded in trust, inclusion, and powerful scientific capability.”

Elizabeth Churchill, Department Chair and Professor of Human–Computer Interaction at MBZUAI, said: “Human-Computer Interaction sits at the center of how people experience intelligent systems. Our department unites psychology, neuroscience, data science, and design with the deep methodological curiosity that defines HCI: asking how technology shows up in daily life, how it changes behavior, and whether it genuinely serves human needs. At MBZUAI, we are building a collaborative environment where students and faculty explore how AI can empower individuals, strengthen collective well-being, and elevate voices that are often overlooked in technology development.”

The program is interdisciplinary, featuring specialists in cognitive science, psychology, design, neuroscience, and social computing.

Applications for the inaugural Ph.D. in Human–Computer Interaction (fall 2026 intake) are now open at PhD in Human-Computer Interaction – MBZUAI.

Applications for the Master of Science in HCI (fall 2027 intake) will open in 2026.