World's first AI university demonstrates its relevance in global AI talent race with second commence

Source: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) continues to strengthen global AI talent capacity and contribute solutions to pressing challenges across health, education, and climate, following its second commencement ceremony for the Class of 2023 on June 4.

The Class of 2023 with His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (center); His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology,President-Designate of COP28 UAE and Chairman of MBZUAI's Board of Trustees(right); and Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor (left).

Held at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Excellency Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Jordan; and His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, President-Designate of COP28 UAE; the commencement celebrated 59 students graduating with a master's in computer vision (CV) and machine learning (ML), along with its first-ever natural language processing (NLP) cohort. MBZUAI – the world's first graduate research university dedicated to AI – is currently ranked 19th globally in AI and in these three key areas of specialization, according to CSRankings.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said: "The importance of AI is undisputed, which is why MBZUAI continues to push the boundaries of this technology through advanced research, strategic industry collaborations, and, of course, by empowering the next generation of AI experts. I am confident that the Class of 2023 will make a profound impact and develop tangible AI solutions that will help to overcome some of society's major challenges, particularly in the areas of climate, healthcare, and education."

MBZUAI President and University Professor Eric Xing said: "This is a pivotal time as wider public interest turns its attention to AI – and with the UAE's pace, scale, and ambition as a young nation, it offers a cosmopolitan hub of innovation that attracts the world's greatest minds in the field. I extend my congratulations to the Class of 2023 as they embark on the next stage of their journey."

Among the 59 students who graduated, 32 majored in ML, 20 in CV, and seven in NLP. The Class of 2023 comprised 25 nationalities from countries including China, UAE, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Italy, USA, and Jordan, highlighting the university's commitment to a diverse and inclusive learning environment that attracts top talent from around the world.

The Class of 2023 also had 17 academic papers published or accepted at major conferences and journals of international standing, including the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2023), Journal of Physics Energy, and IEEE Access journal.

Currently, 46% of the graduating class have confirmed employment, Ph.D. placements, or paid internships. Employment has been secured with organizations including Snapchat UK, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Abu Dhabi Police, G42 Healthcare, and Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence (IIAI)/G42.