Mali's AI and Robotics Centre Holds Entrance Exam for 2026-2027 Class

Mali's Centre d'Intelligence Artificielle et de Robotique du Mali (CIAR-Mali) held its entrance examination for the 2026-2027 academic year on 15 September 2026, the country's Directorate General for Higher Education and Scientific Research (DGESRS) confirmed.

CIAR-Mali is a public scientific and technological institution created to build domestic capacity in artificial intelligence and robotics, backed by an investment of roughly 3 billion CFA francs (about $5 million) and built on a 50-hectare site at Kati Sirakoro Niaré, outside Bamako. The centre's foundation stone was laid in 2023 under Mali's transitional government.

The September 2026 entrance exam selects students for the centre's integrated preparatory cycle, marking a concrete step in CIAR-Mali's transition from construction project to functioning academic institution. Officials have described the centre as central to Mali's ambitions for technological sovereignty, aiming to train Malian engineers and researchers in AI and robotics domestically rather than relying solely on foreign training programmes.

The centre's development has continued despite Mali's broader political and security challenges, reflecting the government's continued prioritisation of the project as a flagship science and technology investment.