Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence welcomes 400+ students including inaugural undergraduate cohort

This semester received more than 8,000 applications across the University’s Bachelor and graduate programs, yielding an acceptance rate of 5% and reinforcing the University’s prestigious position and ability to attract the best talent in the UAE and from around the world.

Timothy Baldwin, MBZUAI Provost and Professor of Natural Language Processing, said: “This year, MBZUAI welcomes our largest cohort of graduate students alongside our inaugural undergraduate class. Artificial intelligence is transforming the world at a pace that vastly outstrips traditional education models.

“To realize its full global potential, MBZUAI invests heavily in reviewing and updating our programs to reflect modern AI research methodology and workflows, based on our bleeding-edge AI research credentials and grounded in societal and industrial needs. As a young institution, MBZUAI has already earned a place among the world’s top 10 AI universities based on our research credentials.

“With the introduction of our undergraduate and Master’s in Applied AI programs, we continue to build world-leading programs aligned with the UAE’s National Strategy for AI 2031 and supporting Abu Dhabi’s rapidly growing AI ecosystem.”

MBZUAI Provost and Professor of Natural Language Processing, Timothy Baldwin, welcomed new students to the University during Orientation Week.

The newly launched Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence program offers two streams, AI for Business and AI for Engineering, combining technical rigor with leadership, hands-on entrepreneurship, and in-situ industry experience. The first class consists of 115 undergraduate students from more than 25 countries, over 25% of which are UAE Nationals.

Professor Baldwin said: “The jobs of tomorrow are being shaped by AI today and we must ensure that future generations are equipped with the tools and skills to navigate that shift. Our extraordinarily talented students don’t just learn about AI, but learn with it, through it, and for it. This is an extraordinary value proposition across all our programs, but especially for our undergraduate students, who will be studying towards a bachelor’s degree in AI that I believe sets a new global benchmark in terms of technical depth, real-world relevance, and the high-end AI job-readiness of the students.”

Orientation Week took place at MBZUAI’s campus in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

Key highlights for the Fall 2025 intake include MBZUAI’s total student body now totaling more than 700, representing over 47 nationalities.

Nationalities represented in the undergraduate programs are Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the UAE and the UK. Postgraduate programs bring together students from Canada, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Serbia, the UAE, the UK, USA and Vietnam.

MBZUAI continues to attract exceptional students, with 151 of graduate students (27.5 per cent) holding degrees from the world’s top 100 computer science universities (CSRankings), including Cornell University, Tsinghua University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of California, San Diego.

In welcoming the new students, MBZUAI has begun its immersive Orientation Week, introducing new students to the University’s culture of academic excellence, AI-driven innovation, and community engagement. The program combines academic sessions, mentorship activities, and cultural programming celebrating UAE heritage and life in Abu Dhabi. Highlights include the Orientation Mini Fair, where internal and external partners showcase resources for academic success, career development, and student life.

Orientation Week is designed to foster a strong sense of belonging and connection, laying the foundation for academic success and life-changing university experiences.