Five-year anniversary

24.06.2026 - 24.06.2026

Explore the journey together

Pioneering tomorrow: AI, science and humanity

President’s message

Eric Xing

MBZUAI President and University Professor

Five years ago, MBZUAI started with a bold ambition: to become a world-class research university dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in service of society. At that time, we were a small institution, with only seven faculty members and our first 78 graduate students beginning their journeys in Abu Dhabi.

Today, we are a very different institution.

What began with a focus on machine learning and computer vision has expanded into a broad academic ecosystem, with new divisions spanning computing, engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, the humanities, and social sciences.

Our faculty has grown to more than 115 – joining us from leading institutions such as CMU, Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge, ETH Zurich and many others. Our student body has grown to 653, representing 54 nationalities. What began as a graduate-only institution has also now welcomed its first undergraduate cohort, reflecting both our academic maturity and our confidence in training talent at every stage.

But growth alone is not the measure of success. What matters more is what we have built together.

Over the past five years, MBZUAI has established itself as a leader in frontier AI research, releasing state-of-the-art foundation models, advancing robotics and computational biology, and building interdisciplinary programs that connect AI with health, climate, society, and more. Most importantly, we have built a culture that values curiosity, discipline, collaboration, and merit.

I’m excited for us to move into our second phase of growth, evolving MBZUAI into a comprehensive university with AI embedded across disciplines – a mission that reinforces our dedication to pursue AI for the good of all.

5 Year Anniversary Documentary

Fast Facts

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faculty (45 from the top 100 AI institutions)

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Globally ranked in AI, CV, ML, NLP, ROB, and Comp. Bio. (CSRankings)

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publications in top journals and conferences

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countries represented in student body

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enrolled students

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researchers and postdocs

Future outlook

Building on our momentum: what to expect next

We are transforming from a specialized AI institution into a comprehensive university with AI embedded across disciplines.

Five academic divisions will span computing, engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, and the humanities and social sciences – supported by interdisciplinary labs and national-scale institutes.
Long-term targets include 400 faculty, 1,500 researchers, and more than 3,000 students.
A new venture fund will help support early-stage entrepreneurship at MBZUAI.
The Academy will expand its professional education offerings, strengthening links between academia, government, and industry.
Planning is underway for a new purpose-built campus designed to support collaboration, innovation, and community.

Ready to start your new education journey?

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