Mohamed bin Zayed University Welcomes Its Largest Cohort Ever with 403 Students in 2025

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence's Record-Breaking Enrollment

As the 2025 academic year kicks off, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) proudly announces its largest ever cohort, welcoming a remarkable 403 new students. This impressive number includes the university's first undergraduate class, along with fresh enrollments in existing graduate programs focused on Computer Science, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Robotics. New Master’s programs have also commenced in Statistics and Data Science, as well as Applied Artificial Intelligence.

This semester, over 8,000 applications were submitted for both undergraduate and graduate programs, with an acceptance rate of just 5%. This competitive figure underscores the university's esteemed reputation and its effectiveness in attracting top-tier talent from the United Arab Emirates and around the globe.

Timothy Baldwin, the university's Provost and Professor of Natural Language Processing, expressed his enthusiasm about the new academic year. “This year marks the debut of our first undergraduate class and the largest group of master's students we have ever had. The pace of change brought by artificial intelligence is outstripping traditional educational models. To harness its full global potential, MBZUAI is heavily investing in reviewing and updating its programs to reflect modern AI research methods and workflows, aligned with societal and industrial needs.” Baldwin noted that MBZUAI's research achievements have already secured its position among the top ten AI universities worldwide.

The newly introduced Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence offers two streams—AI for Business and AI for Engineering. This curriculum combines technical precision with leadership skills, practical entrepreneurship, and real-world industry experience. The inaugural cohort comprises 115 students from over 25 nations, with more than 25% being UAE citizens.

Baldwin elaborated, “The jobs of tomorrow are being shaped by AI today, and we must ensure that future generations are equipped with the tools and skills to navigate this transformation. Our exceptionally talented students will not only learn about AI but also learn with it, through it, and for it. This represents an extraordinary value proposition for all our programs, particularly our bachelor’s students who will earn degrees in AI that set new global standards in technical depth, practical relevance, and preparation for high-profile AI careers.”

As of Fall 2025, MBZUAI has a combined total of over 700 students representing more than 47 nationalities. The undergraduate nationalities include Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and the UK. Graduate student demographics feature individuals from Egypt, China, France, India, Italy, Canada, Kazakhstan, Serbia, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam, showcasing MBZUAI's diverse academic community.

Continuing to attract outstanding students, 151 of the new doctoral candidates (27.5%) have degrees from one of the top 100 computer science universities worldwide, according to CSRankings. This includes prestigious institutions like Cornell University, Tsinghua University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of California, San Diego.

To greet the new students, MBZUAI has initiated an intense orientation week aimed at immersing them in the university's culture of academic excellence, AI-driven innovation, and community engagement. The program features academic events, mentorship activities, and cultural initiatives celebrating the UAE heritage and life in Abu Dhabi. Noteworthy highlights include the Orientation Mini Fair, where internal and external partners present resources that contribute to academic success, professional development, and student life.

The goal of the orientation week is to foster a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie, laying a solid foundation for academic success and transformative experiences at the university. For more information, visit MBZUAI's official website.

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