First cohort of AI specialists ready

MBZUAI class of 2022 includes 52 students, including 8 Emiratis

The first class at the Mohammad Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) will graduate at a dedicated ceremony and symposium on January 30, the university has announced.

The event will be attended by students, faculty, family and friends, and government and industry partners, and it will be live-streamed with the feed available via MBZUAI’s website.

The commencement will see 52 students from 24 countries, including eight Emiratis, receive master’s degrees in two specialist areas of artificial intelligence: computer vision and machine learning.

The ceremony will celebrate the importance of AI graduates and their growing role in developing solutions to improve society and solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. The university was founded only three years ago to serve as a pillar of positive transformation in key areas such as health, education, and climate.

With demand for AI talent surging, the ceremony’s timing underscores the university’s importance as a growing hub of AI education, research and dialogue, as well as its ability to support the UAE’s national strategy and commitment to supporting global sustainability goals. The event is set to take place just one week after the conclusion of the World Future Energy Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, and ahead of the UAE hosting COP28 in November.

The MBZUAI Class of 2022 includes eight Emiratis — the top nationality represented — as well as students from India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Canada, and Egypt. In keeping with the university’s commitment to support women in technology, 18 members of its inaugural class – representing over 35 per cent of the total – are female.