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Institution Profile

Named after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, SCHOLASTIC OPTIONS AT MBZUAI
President of the UAE, MBZUAI was established four years
ago and officially licensed by the ministry of education to The university offers postgrad and research degree pro-
award degree certification on March 10, 2020. Currently, grammes exclusively in the field of AI. They include:
the university offers three Masters and doctoral pro- Postgrad. Masters in natural language processing, machine
grammes to 147 students from 27 countries mentored by learning, computer vision, robotics, computer science
50 faculty of which half are from Abu Dhabi. Its President Ph D. Doctor of Philosophy in natural language processing,
is Dr. Eric Xing, an alum of Rutgers University, University machine learning, computer vision, robotics and computer
of California, Berkeley and Tsinghua University (China). science
“While we have a strong focus on foundational AI, much Tuition fees. AED 5,000-6,600 per credit
of the true innovation in AI comes in applied/interdisci- NB: AED=Rs.22
plinary contexts, where intra-institutional opportunities NB. Students are prohibited from wearing “revealing clothes”
are limited for a ‘narrower’ university. But our faculty has — which the varsity defines as clothing made of sheer fabric
built strong international networks and signed up inter- or too tight. The lower back, abdomen and upper arms must
disciplinary collaboration agreements with comprehensive not be revealed. Skirts must extend below the knee.
universities worldwide and also with end users such as in-
dustry, hospitals, government institutions,” says Timothy
Baldwin, Acting Provost, Associate Provost for Academic
Affairs, and professor of natural language processing, MB- are its state-of-the-art AI and computing labs providing
ZUAI. best-in-class technologies. For instance, the High-Perfor-
MBZUAI alumni have thus far been placed with the Abu mance Computing Lab is equipped with powerful worksta-
Dhabi Police, G42, Technology Innovation Institute, Meta- tions enabling data-intensive processing and high-perfor-
verse Centre, Inria Lille Institute, Royal Eficaz, FortyGuard, mance computing while the Data Acquisition Lab is fitted
Shinobi Security, Yalla Group, and SnapChat, UK among with high-end camera systems, thermal imagers, dynamic
other organisations. vision sensors, and drones.
Abu Dhabi. The admin capital of the United Arab Emirates, Admission. Students who have successfully completed a bach-
Abu Dhabi (pop.1.5 million) is a political, business and elor’s degree in a STEM subject such as computer science/
cultural hub with all federal government offices, parlia- electrical engineering, mathematics, physics among other
ment and foreign embassies located in this compact, well- science and engineering majors, from a college/university
planned city. Architecturally, Abu Dhabi is an aesthetic recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education with a mini-
blend of domes and minarets of traditional mosques and mum CGPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent, are eligible
gleaming futuristic skyscrapers. Tree-lined boulevards, for admission into the university’s postgrad programmes.
manicured lawns, dazzling fountains and extensive parks For doctoral programmes, the minimum eligibility criterion
successfully contradict the reality that this thriving city has is completion of a Masters’ programme.
been built in a desert, an impression reinforced by the mar- Applicants are also required to submit proof of proficien-
vellously engineered Abu Dhabi Corniche. cy in the English language (TOEFL iBT with a minimum
The climate in Abu Dhabi is harsh during summer score of 90; or IELTS Academic (6.5) or EmSAT English
(June-September) when temperatures soar to 50°C. Win- (1550)). In addition, two/three letters of recommendation
ter temperatures range between 20°C-33°C. This entrepot are required to be submitted. The admission deadline is
is well-connected with daily direct flights (three-four hours March 31, 2024 for the academic year beginning in August.
duration) plying from Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chen- MBZUAI also offers generous scholarships covering tuition
nai, Bengaluru and Cochin. fees, accommodation and stipends.
Campus facilities. MBZUAI’s state-of-the-art campus is sited Accommodation. MBZUAI offers on-campus accommodation
in the contiguous Masdar City, a unique sustainable urban within walking distance of laboratories and main buildings.
community and emerging hub of education, research and Student residences are split into four blocks, separate for
innovation and clean-tech companies. male and women students. Most apartments are single bed-
The university provides a wide range of purpose-built room with attached kitchen and bathroom facilities. Every
facilities including student accommodation, laboratories, residential block provides laundry facilities. For more in-
library (offering specialised electronic collections in the formation, write to gsd@mbzuai.ac.ae.
interdisciplinary field of AI), a knowledge centre, an au- Degree programmes. The university offers three Masters and
ditorium, canteen, first-aid clinic, multipurpose hall with doctoral programmes (see box). Moreover, it also offers a
indoor sports facilities for table tennis, badminton, basket- fully-paid four-week Undergraduate Research Internship
ball, gyms, and swimming pool. Additionally, several retail Program.
outlets including restaurants and cafes are sited on campus.
Yet perhaps the varsity’s most distinguishing landmarks RESHMA RAVISHANKER

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