Provost

MBZUAI Provost

Founded in 2019, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is the first university dedicated exclusively to advancing scientific discovery through artificial intelligence. Ranked 10th globally in CSRankings across AI, computer vision, machine learning, NLP, robotics, and computational biology, MBZUAI has assembled over 140 world-class faculty and more than 900 students from 50+ countries. Located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, MBZUAI is not trying to become large, its model is elite, research-intensive, and faculty-led. What it is trying to become is excellent in a way that is durable, as an institution that builds the academic structures, governance, and operational discipline that allow quality to be sustained and replicated across generations of faculty and students. The Provost will be the person most responsible for that work.

MBZUAI is now seeking a Provost , its chief academic administrative officer and the person most responsible for translating President Eric Xing's vision into academic structure, governance, and operational practice. The university has five divisions planned, currently two are operational with an undergraduate program in its second year, and a research portfolio of genuine distinction. The Provost will build the infrastructure — governance, resource allocation, faculty development, research administration, and academic policy — that allows excellence to be sustained and scaled. This is institution-building work, not caretaking, and it requires someone who has made the full transition to academic leadership and is ready to devote themselves to it.

The ideal candidate brings significant senior academic leadership experience at a research-intensive university, along with the scholarly standing to earn the respect of a distinguished faculty. They will have led complex, multidisciplinary academic organizations, demonstrated a track record of strengthening governance and advancing academic quality, and possess the global outlook to represent MBZUAI credibly with institutions, governments, and industry partners worldwide. Experience leading through significant institutional growth is particularly relevant.

The full leadership prospectus is available here: MBZUAI - Provost

This is a full-time, on-site position based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MBZUAI offers a highly competitive,tax-free compensation package,commensurate with the experience and seniority of the successful candidate, together with a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support the candidate and their family. The benefits packageincludes relocation assistance to the UAE, education supportfor dependent children, including school education allowances and university tuition benefits, comprehensive medical insurance for the candidate and eligible familymembers, and annual travel benefitsfor the candidate and family. Relocation support is designed to facilitate a smooth transition to Abu Dhabi, while the broader benefits package provides comprehensive support for the successful candidate and their family throughout their appointment at MBZUAI.

DSG Global has been exclusively retained for this search, led by Jim Sirianni, Amy Sugin, and Kate Phillips. To express interest, please submit a cover letter and CV at dsgco.com/search/v2/23222 . All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.