A senior delegation from the Weizmann Institute of Science visited the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi for a tour of the campus facilities and to discuss the MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for Artificial Intelligence Research.
The two parties held a series of in-depth discussions about the AI Program to determine how the collaboration should move forward as well as a technical deep dive in research by faculties from both institutions.
The delegation from the Weizmann Institute included its President, Professor Alon Chen and Vice President Professor Ziv Reich. They were welcomed by Professor Eric Xing, President, MBZUAI; Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Executive Vice President for Outreach and Engagement. Other senior representatives from both institutions also attended the discussions.
Drawing upon the combined expertise of MBZUAI and the Weizmann Institute, the AI Program, announced in February, will promote collaborative initiatives in fundamental AI research and will explore AI applications in various topics from healthcare to genomics, amongst others. The AI Program will also carry out both basic and applied research in Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Computational Biology, Neural Sciences, and more, toward the vision of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Highly qualified researchers and staff will support and facilitate the AI Program’s central mission.
This collaboration will also advance the Weizmann Institute’s flagship project, the Artificial Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Discovery, which will build on the Institute’s prominence in mathematics and computer science, and which is meant to activate the potential of AI to speed knowledge acquisition in data-heavy endeavors like biomedicine, environmental research, chemistry and astrophysics.
Professor Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, said: “The program we have established aims to advance AI, explore and utilize its vast potential, for the benefit of humanity. We are bringing together some of the greatest minds in AI, natural and exact sciences, with the ambition of expanding boundaries and empowering our scientists with access to exceptional resources. Through this partnership, we will strive to uncover some of AI’s tremendous possibilities and to help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.”
Professor Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, said: “To ensure we remain at the forefront of AI innovation, our partnerships with world renowned institutions are vital. We are incredibly proud of the MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for Artificial Intelligence Research, which not only reinforces our partnership with the Weizmann Institute, but enhances the regional AI ecosystem, especially in the area of healthcare and genomics. A number of joint research projects carried out by teams from both institutions will form the heart of the program. In addition, both MBZUAI students and faculty members can take advantage of world-class resources, joint training programs, mutual visits, AI conferences and workshops, and even student and staff exchange programs. We look forward to making advances in areas from science to technology and higher education as we continue to make significant steps forward in the field of AI.”