Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence has launched The Academy, a new initiative created to foster dialogue between artificial intelligence research and wider cultural and societal perspectives. The Academy is positioned as a global forum for high-level exchange across disciplines.
The launch took place with His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Member of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, and Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor at MBZUAI, in attendance. The announcement coincided with the university’s five-year milestone celebrations and the graduation of the sixth MBZUAI Executive Program cohort.
The event also marked the unveiling of the AI x Arts Fellowship. The inaugural cohort includes Refik Anadol, James Gerde, Emi Kusano, Lachlan Turczan, Amrita Sethi, Daniel Ambrosi, Ahmad AlAttar and curator Giuseppe Moscatello. The fellows will participate in two residency programmes in Abu Dhabi during 2026.
Spring Chunxiao Fu, Managing Director at the MBZUAI Academy said: “The launch of The Academy reflects the mission of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to move AI beyond the laboratory and into the heart of society. By bringing together the world’s greatest minds – from the artists in our new fellowship to the leaders in our executive programmes – we hope to shape the narratives and elevate the global conversation beyond technology to purpose and impact, while contributing to Abu Dhabi’s ambitious role in the global AI landscape.”
Held at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, the launch event offered a preview of artworks from MBZUAI’s collections, highlighting the evolving relationship between science and creativity.
The Academy also includes the MBZUAI Executive Program, which has trained more than 200 leaders from government and industry to date.
The event concluded with presentations of Leading Capstone Projects, including an AI-powered personalised longevity companion aimed at improving public health outcomes. More regional news is available at https://abudhabi-news.com/.
