Dubai International Academic City
University of Birmingham Dubai partners with in5 start-up Mentra to advance AI-enabled mental health services for student well-being
1 July 2025
University of Birmingham Dubai, based at Dubai International Academic City, the region’s leading hub for academic excellence, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mentra, an artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) mental health start-up within the in5 entrepreneurship incubator to advance research into AI-enabled mental health interventions for university students.
The agreement was signed by Professor Yusra Mouzughi, Provost at University of Birmingham Dubai and Dr Adenike Dairo, Founder and CEO of Mentra, in the presence of Dr Afsana Faheem, Assistant Professor in Psychology – School of Psychology at University of Birmingham Dubai and Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, and Dubai Science Park, part of TECOM Group PJSC.
The MoU demonstrates the collaborative innovation facilitated by TECOM Group’s synergistic portfolio, which includes both in5, the incubator behind Mentra, and Dubai International Academic City, the home of University of Birmingham Dubai.
A milestone in the regional healthtech landscape to support student mental health and well-being, the partnership will focus on evaluating AI-enabled interventions tailored to the cultural sensitivities of the UAE’s and the region’s diverse student community, including more than 33,500 students based at Dubai International Academic City and its sister district, Dubai Knowledge Park.
Professor Yusra Mouzughi, Provost at University of Birmingham Dubai said: “While mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent in our digital age, advances in AI have unlocked powerful tools to support young people. This collaboration allows us to harness these innovations and deepen our research into how technology can improve lives. As a civic university, we are proud to contribute to the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 by embedding responsible, research-led solutions at the heart of our academic mission.”
Dr. Adenike Dairo, Founder & CEO, Mentra, said: “This partnership marks a defining moment for Mentra, not just as a startup, but as a mission. Collaborating with the University of Birmingham Dubai allows us to validate AI as a meaningful tool for delivering mental health care at the highest academic level. We’re proud to be part of a movement that places student well-being, innovation, and accessibility at its core. With the support of TECOM Group and in5, we’re proving that purpose-led innovation can start local and scale global.”
“Driving impactful innovation requires a concerted effort to leverage cross-sector knowledge and synergies, and TECOM Group’s portfolio is designed to enable such collaboration,” said Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, and Dubai Science Park, part of TECOM Group. “We will continue to champion such partnerships between forward-thinking start-ups, renowned academic institutions, and industry leaders to strengthen our contributions to Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’, Dubai Social Agenda 33, and Dubai Research and Development Programme.”
Mentra and University of Birmingham Dubai will conduct collaborative research and explore the facilitation of internships, guest lectures, and industry networking opportunities as part of the MoU.
The partnership also sets the stage for enterprises at in5 – the region’s leading start-up and entrepreneurship incubator founded by TECOM Group PJSC which has nurtured more than 1,000 start-ups since its inception in 2013 – to pursue further collaborations with universities and industry leaders within TECOM Group’s ecosystem.
TECOM Group is home to more than 12,000 customers and 137,000+ professionals across six economic sectors vital to the knowledge economy. Its portfolio of business districts includes Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Design District (d3), and Dubai Industrial City.