NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has launched a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MIDSAI), further strengthening its growing portfolio of graduate programmes and reinforcing its role in advancing the UAE’s knowledge economy. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the world’s top 31 universities, making NYUAD the highest globally ranked university in the UAE.
Building on NYU’s long-established excellence ranked 17 globally in Computer Science and AI by QS, MIDSAI is designed as a research-intensive, two-year programme that develops advanced data science and AI expertise. MIDSAI is interdisciplinary by design, offering opportunities for students to focus on emerging areas such as healthcare informatics, Arabic natural language processing, ethics and responsible AI, computational social science, human-machine interaction, and urban mobility.
By drawing on NYU’s position within a global network, students will engage with emerging ideas in data science and AI internationally, while collaborating on real-world projects with both global and local impact. Applications are now open for MIDSAI, with the first cohort expected to begin in Fall 2026.
Alongside this development, NYUAD welcomed the inaugural cohort of its PhD in Astrophysics and Space Systems (PASS) programme, the first-of-its kind in the UAE and the MENA region which includes six students, half of whom are Emirati. The programme reflects the university’s deepening role in cultivating homegrown expertise in areas central to the UAE’s national priorities, including the space sector.
Fabio Piano, NYUAD’s interim Vice Chancellor, said: “Graduate education is at the heart of NYU Abu Dhabi’s next chapter. With the launch of the MIDSAI programme, the continued success of PASS, and the expansion of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi through the one-year MBA and the recently launched Executive MBA, we are proud to be shaping programmes that not only meet the demands of the global economy but also align closely with the UAE’s vision for innovation and talent development. NYU Abu Dhabi was created with the vision of building a more collaborative world, and our graduate programmes carry that mission forward. As our graduate offerings expand, so too does our impact through cutting-edge research, a global network, and a community of students and alumni who are making a difference both locally and internationally.”
NYUAD now has more than 2,200 students, with approximately 60 per cent of graduates choosing to stay in the UAE after completing their studies, directly contributing to the country’s workforce and economy. Alumni achievements include 24 Rhodes Scholars, underscoring the calibre of talent nurtured at the university.
On the faculty and research front, NYUAD now has four Nobel Laureates, has established more than 90 faculty labs and projects, producing over 9,500 internationally recognised publications. According to the Nature Index, NYUAD ranks number one in the UAE for publications in the world’s top science journals (Nature Index).
