- Programme empowers participants to drive innovation within their organisations and contribute significantly to the UAE’s national progress.
- Programme’s refreshed curriculum is meticulously structured around four fundamental pillars: AI’s current paradigm shift, AI fundamentals, AI-driven industry transformations, and AI strategy, policymaking, and ethics.
Abu Dhabi-based Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) inaugurated the sixth cohort of its prestigious Executive Program (MEP), welcoming over 40 senior executives and changemakers drawn from the UAE’s public and private sectors.
The 16-week intensive programme continues its legacy of cultivating leadership in artificial intelligence, having already graduated more than 200 accomplished professionals in previous editions.
By offering applied AI knowledge tailored to strategic leadership, MEP empowers participants to drive innovation within their organisations and contribute significantly to the UAE’s national progress.
Cohort 6 is distinguished by its diversity and breadth of representation, encompassing professionals from vital sectors such as energy, transportation, healthcare, higher education, culture, and real estate development.
National commitment
Notably, over two-thirds of the participants occupy high-level leadership positions, including undersecretaries, executive directors, CEOs, and senior vice presidents.
The robust representation from federal, local, and private governments underscores the UAE’s substantial investment in AI upskilling, reflecting a national commitment to embedding artificial intelligence into the fabric of its economic and social development.
The programme’s refreshed curriculum is meticulously structured around four fundamental pillars: AI’s current paradigm shift, AI fundamentals, AI-driven industry transformations, and AI strategy, policymaking, and ethics.
The comprehensive framework not only equips participants with the technical acumen necessary to understand AI’s evolving landscape but also cultivates strategic insight and ethical awareness vital for responsible AI deployment.
Igniting innovation
Immersive learning experiences, such as site visits to leading UAE institutions pioneering AI solutions, and the innovative Ideas Launchpad, where participants collaboratively develop practical solutions to real-world challenges, add significant experiential value to the academic rigour of the programme.
According to Spring Fu, Managing Director of The Academy at MBZUAI, the MEP is instrumental in expediting AI-driven transformations across various sectors. By instilling participants with strategic, technical, and ethical foundations in AI, the programme enhances institutional capacities and fosters leaders who can ignite innovation and nurture AI-literate cultures within their organisations.
In alignment with the UAE’s Year of Community, the programme actively supports upskilling efforts, nurtures domestic AI talent, and helps unlock the potential of individuals and institutions dedicated to building an inclusive, future-ready society.
The MEP benefits from the expertise of MBZUAI’s globally renowned faculty and a distinguished cadre of international guest instructors. Esteemed academics such as Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President; Professor Sami Haddadin, Vice President of Research; Professor Elizabeth Churchill, Chair of Human-Computer Interaction; and Professor Ian Reid, Chair of Computer Vision, lead core sessions.
Interactive learning environment
Additionally, global AI luminaries, including Dawn Song of UC Berkeley and Mona Diab from the Language Technologies Institute at Heinz College, contribute their profound knowledge and experience.
The curriculum’s design promotes active engagement through workshops, mini projects, hands-on demonstrations, topical use cases, and critical thinking exercises, ensuring a dynamic and interactive learning environment.
With a future-focused curriculum, the MEP provides participants with practical skills in developing, governing, and implementing AI technologies across priority sectors. The programme culminates in capstone projects that challenge executives to apply their learning to tangible organisational and societal challenges.
Its continual evolution alongside the rapid advancements in AI guarantees that the programme remains relevant, impactful, and closely aligned with the UAE’s strategic priorities.