Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a strategic academic partnership that will accelerate collaboration in AI research, education, and ethics.
The partnership supports MBZUAI’s vision to serve as a global epicenter for AI innovation and research, expanding through its Institute of Foundation Models labs in France and Silicon Valley, and positioning Abu Dhabi as a leader in advancing ethical, inclusive, and high-impact technologies.
It also aligns with the Abu Dhabi and Paris campus of SUAD’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence’s (SCAI) vision to drive interdisciplinary AI excellence as a catalyst in Abu Dhabi’s transformative innovation ecosystem.
The agreement, which contributes to the UAE’s national priorities in AI and education, outlines a series of joint research initiatives focused on AI and its applications across key sectors such as healthcare, energy, climate science, transportation, and digital humanities.
The universities will co-supervise Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers to support the development of advanced academic talent.
Faculty and researcher exchanges will enhance the educational experience and promote interdisciplinary knowledge sharing. The collaboration also focuses on upskilling working professionals and youth through the joint design and delivery of courses, workshops, and summer schools covering AI fundamentals, generative AI, and AI ethics.
“This partnership with Sorbonne Abu Dhabi reflects our shared belief in the transformative power of AI and the responsibility we hold as academic institutions to ensure its development benefits society,” said Professor Eric Xing. “By combining MBZUAI’s world-class research and technical expertise in AI with SUAD’s interdisciplinary strengths, we aim to further explore the knowledge and technology exchange between France and the UAE, with a special focus on how this technology can be used to preserve, enhance, and promote culture in meaningful and innovative ways.”
This partnership reinforces the UAE’s AI ecosystem by linking two leading research centres, with the shared goal of advancing innovation and generating tangible impact on the nation’s economy and industrial landscape.”
