MBZUAI Academy

42 days, 1 Christmas: a global AI academy platform launched.

In late 2025, JBi Digital was appointed to deliver a new digital platform for MBZ Academy, the executive education arm of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

While the university focuses on research, the Academy is a different entity entirely: it provides world-class training and thought leadership programmes specifically designed to bridge the gap between academic AI excellence and real-world leadership. However, their digital presence didn't reflect this prestige. 

The Academy is a distinct entity from the university’s research arm; it was tucked away in a few sub-pages on the main university site, a placeholder that couldn't support the weight of their global ambitions. The Academy provides world-class training and thought leadership programmes designed to bridge the gap between academic AI excellence and global business leadership. 

The brief was to create a high-performance recruitment engine for their inaugural intake of global C-suite leaders. The site had to be a premium, standalone, and SEO-compliant platform, delivered in just 42 days over the Christmas holiday period to hit a non-negotiable January 2026 launch.

The Academy needed to move away from being a sub-section of the university site to establish its own digital authority, but the constraints were significant:

• Establishing a distinct identity: the Academy required a dedicated platform to effectively showcase its specific AI courses, events, and programmes, separate from the main university's academic structure.
• The 42-day sprint: we had to execute a full build and launch during the festive period, a time when most industry momentum typically stalls.
• Technical integration: to ensure seamless deployment within a rigid internal IT environment, we utilised a WordPress-based solution as requested, matching the client’s existing infrastructure and expertise.

At JBi, we value and foster long-term relationships. We didn't view this 42-day sprint as a one-off project, but as the foundation of a partnership designed to grow alongside the Academy’s global ambitions.

• Parallel workstreams: to meet the deadline, we ran UX design and content strategy in parallel with development. This allowed us to build a recruitment-ready platform that was SEO optimised from day one.
• Consultative partnership: we worked as an extension of the MBZUAI team, making strategic decisions that protected the launch date without compromising the premium quality required for an elite executive audience.
• A roadmap for growth: this initial build was the first part of a broader roadmap. By aligning our technical choices with the Academy’s 12-month goals, we ensured the platform could scale to showcase the incredible work the organisation does worldwide.

Following the successful January launch, we have transitioned into a long-term strategic role, managing the Academy's digital evolution through a phased roadmap.

The roadmap is underway, with the following services and strategic focus:

By delivering a premium standalone platform at pace, without compromise, we proved our reliability as a long-term partner.

• Zero to Live in 42 days: a complete, premium platform delivered through the peak holiday season.
• A scalable recruitment engine: the Academy now possesses a standalone digital home that effectively recruits and engages the world’s top executive talent.
• From vendor to strategic partner: the success of the sprint has evolved into a long-term advisory relationship, where JBi continues to support the Academy’s mission to lead the global conversation on AI.