ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (APP):Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry lauded the United Arab Emirates’ plans to launch the world’s first university of artificial intelligence (AI), expressing Islamabad’s interest in collaborating on the project.
Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi announced the opening of the first dedicated AI university. The Mohammad Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) will open its doors on September 2020.
Fawad Chaudhary said Pakistan also had a center of excellence on artificial intelligence and “would like to join hands with the UAE university to enhance the capabilities of our people in the field”.
“UAE was the first country which established a proper ministry for artificial intelligence in 2017, we have a lot to learn from the UAE. This AI university is an excellent initiative,” the minister said in an interview with Arab News.
The minister praised the “visionary leadership” of crown prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed, under whom he said the UAE had progressed immensely in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence.”
Under an artificial intelligence strategy 2031, the UAE is looking to save 50 percent of its annual costs by using technology for smart governance.
Exploring options for bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence, Chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr. Tariq Banuri, said that the HEC would study the programs offered at MBZUAI and work on a possible collaboration plan.
“We have established nine different centers of excellence in artificial intelligence in different universities across Pakistan about two years ago and would like to further strengthen them as per international standards,” Banuri said.
He added that while MBZUAI was a step in the right direction for the UAE, “a lot of challenges” lay ahead for a single discipline university to flourish and sustain.
