Top 20 AI university graduates first Ph.D. cohort

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, June 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, attended the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence’s (MBZUAI) 2024 commencement ceremony on June 6, celebrating 101 graduates from 22 countries, receiving post-graduate degrees in key AI fields including computer vision (CV), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP).

The event was also attended by His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MBZUAI, and other dignitaries.

“Before many other countries recognized its potential, government-led policies encouraged the promotion of AI in the UAE,” Dr. Al Jaber said. “They nurtured the success of companies like G42 and large language models like Falcon. As a result, this small country is creating a world class ecosystem for AI talent and entrepreneurship. We are attracting major investment from tech leaders such as Microsoft and emerging as a significant hub for AI innovation and application.”

Dr. Al Jaber noted that the growth of AI is one of three megatrends shaping the future, alongside the accelerating pace of the energy transition and the rise of emerging markets and Global South: “The Class of 2024’s growing expertise will hold the keys to unlocking solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. In fact, if we are to achieve the ambitious goals of the historic UAE Consensus agreed at COP28 in December in Dubai, AI must play a critical role.”

MBZUAI’s third and largest commencement celebrated the university’s first Ph.D. graduates in ML along with master’s graduates in ML (55), CV (28) and NLP (12) with students hailing from countries including UAE, Canada, United Kingdom, France, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.

MBZUAI President and University Professor, Eric Xing, said: “MBZUAI’s Class of 2024 are the future leaders of technology, innovation, and creativity, they are equipped to accept the responsibility that comes with the stewardship of something so powerful and transformative. They depart us with the knowledge, skills, and a profound understanding of the opportunity before them – the chance to shape a future where AI serves humanity with compassion and unwavering ethical standards – they are ready to tackle the greatest challenges facing our world today.”

Five years since its inception, MBZUAI is now recognized as one of the world’s top 100 computer science universities and is ranked in the top 20 for its specializations in AI, CV, ML, NLP, and robotics (CSRankings).

To apply for admission, visit mbzuai.ac.ae or contact admission@mbzuai.ac.ae. For press inquiries, please contact:

Amy Rogers, MBZUAI’s Senior Communications Specialist
media@mbzuai.ac.ae 

Roger Field/Aya Hassan
mbzuai@wallispr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdfc68d2-c10f-449c-85d5-dd39d3b960bd