Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence welcomes largest cohort for Fall 2025

Abu Dhabi: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has welcomed its largest cohort for the Fall 2025 intake, enrolling 403 new students. This includes its inaugural undergraduate class, new graduate cohorts in existing programmes such as Computer Science, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Robotics, and the first intakes into the Master of Science in Statistics & Data Science and the Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence.

This semester received more than 8,000 applications across undergraduate and graduate programmes, yielding a 5 per cent acceptance rate, reinforcing the university’s prestigious standing and global appeal.

Professor Timothy Baldwin, Dean of MBZUAI, highlighted the launch of the university’s first undergraduate programme, saying: “Artificial intelligence is transforming the world, and MBZUAI plays a pivotal role — particularly in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE. We are proud to welcome over 100 undergraduates and more than 300 postgraduates from diverse nationalities, with Emirati students making up around 25 per cent of our undergraduate intake.”

He added: “Our programs attract highly motivated applicants and are extremely competitive. The new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence offers two tracks — Engineering and Business — equipping students with a balanced mix of entrepreneurial skills, technical knowledge, and real-world experience to excel in today’s AI landscape.”

Professor Baldwin emphasized MBZUAI’s commitment to preparing the next generation of AI leaders, contributing to both the local and global AI economy, and supporting the UAE’s ambitions in this vital sector.

The newly launched undergraduate programme offers two streams — AI for Business and AI for Engineering — combining technical rigor with leadership, hands-on entrepreneurship, and industry experience. The first undergraduate class consists of 115 students from more than 25 countries, with over 25 per cent being UAE Nationals.

The Fall 2025 intake brings MBZUAI’s total student body to over 700, representing more than 47 nationalities. Undergraduate students hail from Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and the UK, while postgraduate students come from Canada, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Serbia, UAE, the UK, USA, and Vietnam.

MBZUAI continues to attract top-tier students, with 151 incoming graduate students (27.5 per cent) holding degrees from the world’s top 100 computer science universities, including Cornell University, Tsinghua University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of California, San Diego.

The university has launched its immersive Orientation Week to introduce students to MBZUAI’s culture of academic excellence, AI-driven innovation, and community engagement. The programme includes academic sessions, mentorship activities, and cultural events celebrating UAE heritage. Highlights include the Orientation Mini Fair, showcasing resources for academic success, career development, and student life.

Orientation Week aims to foster a strong sense of belonging, laying the foundation for academic achievement and life-changing university experiences.