CASE STUDY
Taking up the challenge
Any university faces challenges to ensure it sets itself apart from its peers in terms of research and teaching . And Lily Burns likes to make things happen behind the scenes and watch the pieces fall into place .
Describe your job role at MBZUAI . What are your strengths and abilities that you bring to the above role ?
My role at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence , MBZUAI is to oversee operations around the academic side of the organisation , and as they relate to educational and scholarly needs of faculty and researchers , including academic finance , library , executive education , institutional research , and faculty affairs are part of her portfolio . I am a people person and prefer to make things happen behind the scenes and watch the pieces fall into place . Faculty and students are supposed to take the stage , and my team are there to help and support them in every possible way .
What are the challenges the university faces in delivering teaching and learning to students ?
Any university faces challenges to ensure it sets itself apart from its peers in terms of research and teaching . The top institutions are going after the same students , researchers and faculty . MBZUAI has a specific and targeted field . Artificial intelligence is growing rapidly , and it is healthy to have competition . It is paramount that we not only support the needs of our internal community but those of the government and greater extended community as well .
How do you remain engaged for your learnings with UAE and global enterprises and IT industry vendors ?
I am surrounded by amazing people who are truly experts in the AI field . It is important to learn from those around me . I am fortunate to be in the situation where I can ask questions , challenge ideas and learn . This is what an academic environment should be , not only for the students but for everyone involved . By staying involved and asking questions you can understand the current trends in the field , and how they apply to research and learning .
Which aspect of AI and technologies do you find the most fascinating . Which aspects of technology are most likely to disrupt business in the next five years ?
I find the interface between AI and health one of the most fascinating areas . I grew up around Boston , Massachusetts in the USA surrounded by healthcare professionals . I am intrigued by how AI can be used to improve medicine and healthcare in a way that makes treatments more equitable for people all over the globe . Moreover , I am interested in how AI can help with early detection for problems such as heart disease and stroke .
Which aspects of your daily job role do you find rewarding and challenging ?
Change in a job can be the most rewarding , and the most frustrating . It is not easy to move away from what is comfortable and what is known . However , changing the way work is done or how people communicate with one another will often lead to the greatest rewards . The secret , which is not really a secret , is managing the change in a way that brings people along with you rather than leaving people behind . in compulsory internships to successfully complete their post-graduate degree , which gives them industry experience before returning to the workforce .
MBZUAI ’ s students take part in many competitions and hackathons supported by industry , having shared many successes in implementing Artificial Intelligencepowered maintenance programmes at ports , food security applications , energy saving metering systems , and traffic management , safety innovations .
These Artificial Intelligence applications can increase production , reduce costs , and improve overall efficiency . Two Class of 2022 graduates claimed DP World ’ s Big Tech Project and were awarded a paid internship where they are currently exploring metaverse solutions for seamless logistics at their ports .
Enrolment
MBZUAI welcomed its largest and most diverse class in August 2023 . The 142 students represent 34 countries , with 95 studying for master ’ s degrees and 47 pursuing PhD programmes .
The university has continued to attract top students , with 22 students coming from the top 100 universities according to internationally recognised listings such as CSRankings , which ranks MBZUAI among the world ’ s top 20 universities in select areas .
Academic seats were competitive , with more than 4,000 applications received and an admission rate of 4.6 %. This latest cohort has doubled the university ’ s student body count , reaching close to 300 students .
MBZUAI accepts applicants from all nationalities who hold a Bachelor ’ s degree in a STEM field such as computer science , electrical engineering , computer engineering , mathematics , physics and other relevant science and engineering majors , from a university accredited or recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education . For most programmes , the university simply requires a STEM bachelor ’ s degree with a GPA of 3.2 / 4.0 or above .
It is also possible to gain entry to the PhD programmes straight from a bachelor ’ s degree for exceptional students , generally on the strength of publications in top streams , but most enrolled PhD students also have a degree .
Being the world ’ s first research university dedicated to Artificial Intelligence , MBZUAI is not modelled on any other institution . It offers MSc and PhD courses in CV , ML and NLP , in addition to the newly added computer science and robotics courses . p
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