MBZUAI and AWS agree multi-year collaboration to link AI research with skills and startup growth
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Amazon Web Services have formalized a multi-year collaboration aimed at translating academic AI research into practical applications, while expanding skills development and startup support across the UAE.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Amazon Web Services have signed a multi-year collaboration agreement focused on artificial intelligence research, technical skills development, and startup growth.
The partnership reflects increasing alignment between higher education, cloud infrastructure, and workforce readiness as the UAE pushes to embed applied AI into its education and innovation strategy.
The collaboration was shared by MBZUAI in a LinkedIn post, where the university framed the agreement as part of a wider effort to connect academic research with real-world impact.
Research program links academia with applied AI development
At the center of the agreement is a Strategic Research Program designed to support joint AI research in agreed priority areas. Under the framework, AWS will provide cloud services, technical mentorship, and guidance on relevant AWS programs, alongside access to public datasets hosted on its platform. MBZUAI will contribute faculty expertise, researchers, and laboratory capacity.
In its LinkedIn announcement, MBZUAI stated that the collaboration was intended to “accelerate artificial intelligence research, strengthen technical capabilities, and support startup growth across the UAE and wider region,” while supporting the UAE’s National Strategy for Higher Education 2030.
Timothy Baldwin, provost and professor of natural language processing at MBZUAI, says, “This collaboration brings together academic depth and industrial scale. By combining MBZUAI’s scientific expertise with AWS’s mentorship, infrastructure, and guidance on relevant AWS programs that will support MBZUAI’s research, we are building a bridge between research and real-world impact and unlocking transformational opportunities for our faculty, researchers and students.”
Student skills and startup pathways built into the agreement
The partnership also supports MBZUAI’s GenAI Academy initiative, which will run hackathons giving undergraduate students hands-on experience with AWS AI technologies. The focus areas include government, entrepreneurship, and social impact, aligning academic study with applied problem-solving.
AWS will also make training resources available to MBZUAI staff and students, including instructor-led classroom training and self-paced learning through AWS Skill Builder, covering cloud computing, AI, and machine learning.
Chris Erasmus, general manager for the UAE and rest of Middle East and North Africa at AWS, comments, “At AWS, we’re proud to collaborate with MBZUAI in empowering the next generation of innovators in the UAE. Blending our cloud technologies and expertise with MBZUAI’s visionary academic and research capabilities, we’re establishing a foundation of technical excellence to support the students and researchers of today and tomorrow.”
Supporting early-stage AI companies
Startups based in MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center may also benefit from the collaboration. Eligible companies that join the AWS Activate program can access promotional cloud credits, technical support, and business mentorship, extending the partnership beyond research and education into early-stage commercialization.
In its LinkedIn post, MBZUAI described the collaboration as an effort to “build an innovation ecosystem that is inclusive, future-ready, and designed to drive meaningful impact for the region and beyond,” positioning the university as a central player in the UAE’s applied AI landscape.
ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
Entries are now open for the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026, recognizing education technology companies and programs working across AI, workforce development, and digital learning. The awards are open to organizations in the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with entries assessed on evidence of impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning.
