The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing have unveiled the MIT–MBZUAI Collaborative Research Program, a new initiative designed to unite the latest advances in artificial intelligence to address pressing scientific, societal, and environmental challenges. This partnership aims to strengthen the technological foundations of AI while driving innovation in areas critical to human and planetary well-being.
The MIT–MBZUAI Collaborative Research Program will focus on advancing fundamental AI research and its applications in three priority areas: scientific discovery, human thriving, and the health of the planet. By combining their expertise, the two institutions will work to accelerate breakthroughs that improve understanding and solutions in these fields.
This collaboration aligns with the mission of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing to advance computing across disciplines, deepen core areas such as AI, and ensure that the societal and ethical responsibilities of computing are addressed. It also supports the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for inclusive and transformative AI innovation.
Faculty, students, and research teams from both MBZUAI and MIT will work together on joint research projects, each co-led by a principal investigator from both institutions. Le Song, Professor of Machine Learning at MBZUAI, and Philip Isola, Class of 1948 Career Development Professor in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will serve as the academic directors of the programme at their respective universities.
Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor at MBZUAI, said:
“This agreement will unite the efforts of researchers at two world-class institutions to advance frontier AI research across health, robotics, and efficient computing. By combining MBZUAI’s focus on foundation models and real-world deployment with MIT’s depth in computing and interdisciplinary innovation, we are creating a transcontinental bridge for discovery. Together, we will not only expand the boundaries of AI science but also ensure that these breakthroughs are pursued responsibly and applied where they matter most — improving human health, enabling intelligent robotics, and driving sustainable AI at scale.”
Professor Daniel Huttenlocher, Inaugural Dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, commented:
“Our collaboration with MBZUAI reflects a shared commitment to advancing AI in ways that are responsible, inclusive, and globally impactful. Together, we can explore new horizons in AI and bring broad benefits to society through scientific discovery, human thriving, and sustainability.”
Professor Sami Haddadin, Vice President for Research and Professor of Robotics at MBZUAI, added:
“This collaboration marks a pivotal step in advancing frontier AI research by combining the unique and complementary expertise of our two global AI powerhouses. By uniting digital health, robotics, and efficient computing to build multi-scale biological foundation models of the human body we can accelerate the discovery process itself and create possibilities for a new era of healthcare innovation while reducing costly lab work and data generation at scale.”
