MBZUAI attracts record global internship applications
2,000 students compete for 57 internship places in Abu Dhabi
#UAE #education - Abu Dhabi’s prestigious Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has concluded its largest Undergraduate Research Internship Program (UGRIP) with 57 students from 24 countries participating in the four-week residency. The programme attracted nearly 2,000 applications, representing a 91% year-on-year increase and achieving a 4% acceptance rate. Students worked on high-impact projects including brain tumour detection models, media bias detection systems, and brain-machine interface frameworks alongside world-renowned faculty at the UAE research institution.
SO WHAT? - The Undergraduate Research Internship Program is the cornerstone of the university’s mission to open up AI education and research to the brightest talent globally, regardless of background or geography. MBZUAI offers both merit-based and needs-based scholarships for its Bachelors, Masters and PhD courses, covering up to 100% of tuition fees and the cost of attendance. The foru-week UGRIP programme was fully-funded by the university. The surge in applications across all programmes demonstrates the growing global recognition for both the high standing of the university and for the UAE as a destination for AI.
Here are some key details about the UGRIP:
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has concluded its largest Undergraduate Research Internship Program (UGRIP) with 57 students from 24 countries participating in the four-week residency.
The 2025 UGRIP programme achieved a record-low 4% acceptance rate, with students selected from nearly 2,000 applications, marking a 91% increase in applications from the previous year.
Participants came from leading global institutions including Indian Institutes of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Maryland College Park, and Monterrey Institute of Technology, representing the most diverse cohort in the programme's history.
Students worked on cutting-edge research projects spanning machine learning, computer vision, robotics, and natural language processing, including brain tumour detection models, automated media bias detection systems, and interactive music generation platforms.
The most represented countries among participants were Egypt, the United States, Russia, India, and Kazakhstan, with students selected based on academic excellence, research potential, and demonstrated passion for artificial intelligence.
Research projects focused on real-world applications including machine translation for dialectal Arabic, early-stage brain-machine interface frameworks, and various computer science disciplines aimed at creating tangible societal impact.
The fully funded four-week residency programme targets undergraduate students in their final or penultimate year of study from STEM disciplines including computer science, mathematics, data science, biotechnology, and software engineering.
MBZUAI requires applicants to maintain a CGPA of 3.5 or above with applications for the 2026 programme opening in January, continuing the university's mission to democratise AI education globally.
ZOOM OUT - Officially opened in 2020, MBZUAI is the world’s first graduate-level AI research university, and forms a key part of the UAE’s vision to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. The institution attracts some of the best and brightest talent from around the world. Abu Dhabi’s AI R&D ecosystem now has the biggest critical mass of AI research talent and arguably the region’s most significant AI research output. Meanwhile, demand for top AI talent continues to increase across the UAE, with investment in AI talent growing fast across commercial and government sectors.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
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