Deadline:
February 28, 2026
Program Starts: May 31, 2026
Program Ends: June 26, 2026
Location(s)
United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
Overview
Details
The program has quickly become one of the most competitive and sought-after immersive AI undergraduate research experiences. In 2025, nearly 2000 students applied, with only 4% accepted. More than 130 interns have participated so far, representing leading global institutions such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Indian Institutes of Technology, and Monterrey Institute of Technology.
WHY US
Located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s hub for sustainability, MBZUAI provides advanced facilities, labs, and research centers to think big. Our graduates go on to launch startups, invent breakthrough technologies, and drive innovation across sectors.
- World’s first AI-focused research University
- Ranked top 10 globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and robotics (CSRankings)*
- Access to world leading faculty with an attractive student-faculty ratio (5.6:1)*
- Diverse international student body representing more than 60 countries*
- Active supporter of women in STEM (28% of students are women)*
* Correct as at August 2025
What research will you undertake?
Interns will have the opportunity to work on a research project related to core AI disciplines such as computer vision, computer science, machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics. Projects may also explore human-computer interaction, computational biology, and data science.
Past projects have included:
- Developing models for brain tumor detection
- Creating automated systems for media bias detection
- Designing interactive music generation systems
- Advancing machine translation for dialectal Arabic
- Ensuring safe obstacle avoidance in Robotics
The projects for the 2026 program will be introduced to interns during the first two days of the program. Interns will have an opportunity to talk to faculty and their teams about the available projects and nominate up totheir top three preferences.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Eligibility
- Undergraduate students in the penultimate year of a STEM-related major and graduating after August 2026
- Minimum CGPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent
Dates
Deadline: February 28, 2026
Program starts:
May 31, 2026
Program ends:
June 26, 2026
Program Starts: May 31, 2026
Program Ends: June 26, 2026
Cost/funding for participants
What you can expect:
- Fully funded, four-week residency at our Abu Dhabi campus
- Mentorship and guidance from top faculty
- Collaboration with high-caliber students from the UAE and abroad
- Opportunities to build a strong professional network
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
