PR86921

ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the

world's first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence (AI)

university, has appointed renowned AI academic Professor Dr. Eric Xing as

President. Professor Dr. Xing will lead MBZUAI as the first intake of graduate

students are set to commence studies in January 2021.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced

Technology and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, said: "We are excited

to welcome Professor Dr. Xing as the president of MBZUAI. He is one of the

world's foremost academics in the field of AI, and an exceptional business

leader who understands the practical application of artificial intelligence. We

are confident that Professor Dr. Xing will bring immense expertise to MBZUAI

and our ambitions in this industry."  

Ranked as one of the top computer science professors worldwide, Professor Dr.

Xing joins MBZUAI from Carnegie Mellon University in the US, where he most

recently served as Associate Department Head of Research at the Machine

Learning Department, part of Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science.

Additionally, he is the Founding Director of the Center for Machine Learning

and Health, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh Medical

Center. Professor Dr. Xing has also spent time as Visiting Associate Professor

at Stanford University, and as Visiting Research Professor at Facebook Inc.

A highly recognised and award-winning member of the AI community, the new

MBZUAI President has authored or contributed to more than 370 research papers

and reports. His research has been cited more than 35,000 times by leading

academics and academic journals.

Professor Dr. Xing is also the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of

Petuum, Inc, which has raised over $120 million funding since 2016 and was

selected as a 2018 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Dr. Xing said: "AI is one of the most

transformational technologies of our time, with the potential to have an

immeasurable positive impact on economies, industries, and society. As

President of MBZUAI, my vision is to build and enable a generation of leaders

who have the necessary understanding, expertise, and skills to unlock the full

potential of AI through academic research and industry applications. It is a

privilege to have this opportunity to lead such a ground-breaking

establishment, and do so in the UAE, a country that has made AI a strategic

national priority."

Since launching in October 2019, MBZUAI has achieved several important

milestones, including the completion of its state-of-the-art campus in Masdar

City and the successful completion of its first admissions cycle. The

university recently extended admission offers to 101 students for the first

academic year commencing in January 2021. Students accepted into the first

cohort were selected from an elite group of 2,223 applicants of 97 different

nationalities. Admitted students come from 31 countries.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1344106/Professor__Dr_Eric_Xing.jpg  

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1227419/MBZUAI_Logo.jpg  

SOURCE: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)