MBZUAI celebrates first cohort of Exec Program

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) celebrated the graduation of 41 participants from its inaugural Executive Program comprised of leaders from government and business throughout the UAE at a ceremony held yesterday on the University’s Masdar City campus.

The Executive Program’s first cohort included CEOs, directors general, ambassadors, and executive vice presidents from various organisations in the UAE. To graduate, participants were required to complete 12 rigorous weeks of coursework, lectures, and collaborative project work.

The Executive Program was launched in September 2021 to support UAE government and business sectors—unlocking the potential of AI through practical applications to national challenges. Cohort one participants collaborated to develop a range of proposed solutions such as an agile AI platform that makes employee assessment more efficient and cost effective; a solution which centralises and incentivises progress towards the country’s 2050 net-zero goals; and another which aims to detect cardiovascular disease early to both drive down mortality rates while also eliminating the kinds of costly, life-saving interventions that currently plague UAE nationals and UAE national medical facilities alike. Direct engagement with globally renowned instructors from UC Berkeley, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Oxford, and MBZUAI is also part of what makes the program a one-of-a-kind experience.

The graduation was attended by Professor Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI; Professor Fakhri Karray, MBZUAI Provost; H.E. Mansoor Almansoori, Group COO, G42, and MBZUAI Board of Trustees Member.

“The Executive Program demonstrates MBZUAI’s commitment to support the vision of our leadership by building a community of future innovators and leaders who can drive economic growth and transformation towards the realisation of key national priorities. Congratulations to all the graduates on this special milestone. The skills and knowledge they have gained will enable them to incorporate innovative AI solutions within their organisations, enhancing their performance and competitiveness. Integrating AI applications throughout organisations in the public and private sectors is an important step to achieving the vision of our nation’s leadership, as outlined in the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031,” said H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MBZUAI.

The program featured visits to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Emirates Post Group, Injazat/G42, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) FinTech Hive, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and the Al Ain Zoo and Aquarium. Site visits were geared to demonstrating how AI implementation has taken shape in each organization. The live case studies were used to kickstart brainstorming about how participants could set about implementing AI in their home institutions.

“AI literacy is central to the success of many of the strategic initiatives the UAE government is undertaking. Knowing how to use AI responsibly and designing policies that support its ethical application are often the main barriers that prevent progress. We equip students with a set of practical tools and skills that can be used by them today and by their successors in the future.” Xing said.