Universities in the Emirates and Israel collaborate on Artificial Intelligence
The Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel have signed a collaboration agreement for technological research related to Artificial Intelligence.
The two entities signed a memorandum of understanding that encompasses "student and post-doctoral exchange programmes, conferences and seminars, various forms of exchange between researchers and of computer resources, as well as the establishment of a virtual institute of Artificial Intelligence", as noted in a statement issued by the Emirate's state news agency WAM.
This agreement follows the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel reached on 13 August, which is due to be officially signed next Tuesday at the White House in Washington, all under the mediation of the United States.
Also, in scientific matters, the Hebrew and Arab health ministers agreed to strengthen medical cooperation in the field of scientific research and specifically in the fight against COVID-19.
The Emirate's University of Artificial Intelligence, named after the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, was established last year and in January 2021 will host its first class of 101 students from 31 countries.
The organisation said that this agreement will strengthen the Weizmann Institute's flagship project, the Artificial Intelligence Initiative for Scientific Research, which aims to "develop the potential of AI to accelerate the acquisition of knowledge in projects that require the handling of a large amount of data, such as biomedicine, environmental research, chemistry, astrophysics and education".
The Emirates became the third Arab country to establish relations with Israel since the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. After the initiative of the Gulf country, Bahrain also arrived, which this Friday signed up to the establishment of diplomatic ties with the Israeli state, all with the intention of pacifying the Middle East region.
