© NYU Abu Dhabi 

HERE,
WE GROW

Celebrating Ten Years of Excellence, Innovation, and Engagement in the UAE and Beyond

2010-2020
Introduction
Established in partnership between New York University and the Government of Abu Dhabi, NYU Abu Dhabi has over the past decade assembled a remarkable community of scholars, students, researchers, artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and more. Together, they have contributed to the growth of the UAE’s capital as a global hub of knowledge and culture, and forged a new model of higher education for today’s complex world.
“Education is a country’s single most important priority, and investing in the educational development of the individual represents the only real investment.”
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces
“One of the things that was so compelling about this partnership is that both NYU and Abu Dhabi were asking the same questions: What does the future of higher education look like? How do you educate students in a world that is more interconnected? How do you prepare them for rapid technological change, more globalization? Is there something that needs to change about how we educate them?”
Rima Al Mokarrab,
Chair, Tamkeen LLC; NYU Trustee
“The single most important thing that contributed to the ultimate success of NYU Abu Dhabi was the fact that we had great partners... That great partnership is key to the enterprise. Everything else flows from that.”
John Sexton,
President Emeritus of NYU
“Ten years ago, when NYU embarked on NYU Abu Dhabi in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Government, it was a bold and untested venture. In the decade since, NYU Abu Dhabi has attracted students and faculty of exceptional caliber from all across the world; developed a uniquely rigorous, global curriculum; and established itself as a major center of research, culture, and innovation in its region.”
Andrew Hamilton,
President of NYU
“NYU Abu Dhabi has shown that higher education in this lively crossroads of the world can integrate the best of tradition and innovation, address the challenges facing humanity, and advance individual transformation and societal development. In the process we have built a community of faculty, students, and staff motivated by common purpose and solidarity. I know of no other institution that so profoundly embraces the joy, value, and possibility of education and its necessity for our shared future.”
Mariët Westermann,
Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi
Milestones
HERE, WE GROW - A History of NYU Abu Dhabi

2010-2020

2006
  • First meeting between His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and then President of NYU John Sexton
  • Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the Government of Abu Dhabi and New York University to establish a university in Abu Dhabi
2007
  • NYUAD is announced to be the first comprehensive liberal arts, sciences, and engineering university in Abu Dhabi to be operated by a leading American research university
2008
  • Al Bloom, former President of Swarthmore College, is appointed as inaugural Vice Chancellor of NYUAD
  • The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, a leadership program for talented Emirati university students is launched
  • First NYUAD Institute event is held
2009
  • Prospective students visit Abu Dhabi for the inaugural Candidate Weekend
  • Opening of 19 Washington Square North, NYUAD’s home in New York City
  • Opening ceremony of interim Downtown Campus in the heart of Abu Dhabi city
2010
  • 150 students from nearly 40 countries are welcomed as the inaugural Class of 2014
  • First research grants are announced for The Library of Arabic Literature, the Neuroscience of Language Lab, and the Center for Technology and Economic Development
2011
  • 161 students from nearly 60 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2015
  • First ever International Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World is hosted at NYUAD
  • Summer Academy program for talented Emirati high school students begins
2012
  • 151 students from over 65 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2016
  • NYUAD student team wins Hult Global Challenge, a year-long competition seeking solutions to pressing global issues
  • NYUAD co-creates the first ever intercollegiate sports league in the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Inter-University Sports League (ADISL)
  • Library of Arabic Literature publishes its first volume: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology
2013
  • 175 students from almost 70 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2017
  • NYUAD senior receives prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the first time the award has been won by a student from an institution yet to have a graduating class
  • NYUAD senior is awarded first Truman Scholarship, one of the ’US’ most prestigious undergraduate scholarships
  • NYUAD builds the most advanced supercomputer in the UAE, bolstering research capabilities
2014
  • 263 students from over 75 countries are welcomed to the University’s permanent campus on Saadiyat Island as the Class of 2018
  • NYUAD’s first two Falcon Scholars (now recognized as Rhodes Scholars) are announced
  • First global PhD fellowship programs are launched
  • The NYUAD Art Gallery stages its inaugural exhibition On Site
  • NYUAD celebrates its inaugural graduating class with the 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton giving its first Commencement address
2015
  • 299 students from over 80 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2019
  • Internationally-renowned science journal, Nature, rates NYUAD first in the UAE for producing ‘high-impact’ science articles, more than all other local universities combined
  • NYUAD hosts its first Institute Research Conference
  • Class of 2015 graduate is awarded first Fulbright grant for NYUAD
2016
  • 323 students from some 75 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2020
  • Global accelerator for startups, startAD, is launched
  • First two Schwarzman Scholars and first two Yenching Scholars are announced
  • First Emirati student from NYUAD is awarded the Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship
2017
  • 361 students from over 85 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2021
  • His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visits the NYUAD campus
  • First-of-its-kind national public health study, UAE Healthy Future Study, is launched
  • NYUAD hosts first Ideas Abu Dhabi event staged by Tamkeen LLC and the Aspen Institute
2018
  • 389 students from some 80 countries are welcomed as the Class of 2022
  • NYUAD welcomes its first global PhD fellows graduate
  • First NYUAD student is selected as Al Ghurair STEM Scholar
2019
  • 429 students from more than 80 countries are welcomed as the class of 2023, NYUAD’s tenth incoming class
  • NYUAD’s first Luce Scholars are announced
  • Applications open for NYUAD’s inaugural master’s program, in Economics
  • First five-year reunion brings back alumni from the Class of 2014 to the campus
  • Mariët Westermann, NYUAD’s founding Provost, named the University’s second Vice Chancellor following Al Bloom
  • NYUAD joins forces with the Special Olympics as a venue for the 2019 Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi
2020
  • 490 students from over 80 countries and speaking more than 75 languages are welcomed as the Class of 2024
  • First NYUAD student is awarded prestigious Aker Scholarship from Norway
  • First NYUAD student is awarded the Boren Award for students entering the US civil service
  • Two more Rhodes Scholars are announced, bringing the total to 16 Rhodes Scholars in eight years, the highest number per student of any university in the world from 2014-2020
  • Arlie Petters is appointed Provost of NYUAD following ten years of Fabio Piano’s academic leadership
10 Years in Numbers

Students

3100+
3100
undergraduate students since 2010
100+
100
graduate students
120+
120
countries represented
14%
14
undergraduate students from the UAE, followed by the US (13%)
115+
115
languages spoken
4%
4
average acceptance rate, with applications nearly doubling since 2010
81%
81
average yield rate over the last four years (the number of students offered admission who chose to enroll)
91%
91
increase in applications in 10 years

Academic programs

25
25
undergraduate majors
4
4
academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science, Social Science
11
11
global PhD fellowship programs in Science and Engineering
2
2
master’s programs

Faculty

(as of Academic Year 2020-21)

320+
320
faculty
45+
45
faculty nationalities

Alumni

1650+
1650
alumni
95%
95
average alumni in graduate school or employed within six months of graduation
69%
69
of NYUAD graduates pursuing further education were accepted to two or more programs

Rankings

(NYU including NYUAD)

26
26
Times Higher Education
World University Rankings
11
11
QS Graduate
Employability Rankings

Research and Innovation at NYUAD since opening in 2010

  • #1 in UAE for publications in world’s top science journals (Nature Index)
  • 3,600+ research publications
  • 100+ patents filed and 20+ issued
  • 250+ creative works commissioned, created, or directed
  • $30m+ external grant awards, from organizations including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Office of Naval Research, NASA, Al Jalila Foundation, Oxford Policy Management, US. Dept of State, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, and UNICEF
Students

NYUAD’s selectivity and attractiveness to students are on par with the world’s best universities.

Incoming students have reported choosing NYUAD over some of the world’s most prestigious universities for its:

  • small class sizes
  • rigorous and innovative curriculum
  • geographic location
  • incredible student diversity

Inspired by the UAE’s own demographic composition and global perspective, NYUAD has attracted a student body that is more diverse than any other university in the world.

  • 91% of students cited NYUAD’s diversity as a reason for attending NYUAD
  • 94% of alumni living abroad have recommended studying at NYUAD
  • Some 56% of incoming NYUAD students are women
  • 19% of NYUAD’s Class of 2024 are first-generation college students
“We all arrived here from different walks of life. We brought our cultures, our stories, our perspectives, and our beliefs into this environment. NYUAD encouraged us to be curious, critical thinkers, and courageous. And that I think is what we’re going to walk away with.”
Majida Al Maktoum,
Class of 2019
“My NYUAD experience helped me deconstruct, re-examine, and often reshape the core beliefs and norms that I was brought up with.”
Musbah Dilsebo Ormago,
Class of 2014

Student Quality

NYUAD’s students have been recognized internationally for their academic excellence.

16
16
Rhodes Scholars*
12
12
Schwarzman Scholars
9
9
Fulbright Awards
2
2
Truman Scholars
7
7
Erasmus Mundus Awards
6
6
Yenching Awards
1
1
Future Global Leader Fellow
1
1
Boren Award
1
1
Luce Scholar
1
1
Oxford Ertegun Scholar

*Most scholars per student of any university in the world

NYUAD students have excelled at leading global competitions:

2020
NYUAD Hackathon for Social Good,
● Winning idea for a healthcare online platform
2019
Hack3D,
● 1st at a global student cybersecurity competition
2019
iGEM Competition,
● Silver medal for best diagnostic award
2016
EJ McCluskey Doctoral Thesis Award,
● 1st female to win for an outstanding PhD dissertation
2016
Rio 2016 Olympics,
● 1st female swimmer to represent the UAE
2015
SASES Research Symposium Contest,
● 3rd place at SASES’ national UG research contest, USA
2015
NYU Global Debate Challenge,
● 1st place against NYU students worldwide
2012
Hult Global Case Challenge,
● Winning idea to bring energy to rural Africa (AED 1M)
“As the first Emirati Rhodes Scholar to read for the MPhil in International Relations at Oxford, and the first elected Emirati president of NYUAD’s student government, I have been lucky to have been an Emirati trailblazer at a new, exciting juncture for my city and country’s development.”
Hamel Al Qubaisi,
Class of 2015, Rhodes Scholar
“NYU Abu Dhabi has allowed me to situate my studies in a broad, interdisciplinary context, attuned to transcontinental connections, comparisons, and exchange. I am looking forward to continuing to strengthen my commitment to global frameworks of understanding as a Yenching Academy Scholar at Peking University in Beijing.”
Julia Saubier,
Class of 2016, Yenching Scholar
Faculty

NYUAD’s faculty are leading researchers, scholars, writers, and artists. Across the disciplines, faculty dedicate themselves to scholarly and creative activity while providing an inclusive and engaging educational experience. Their contributions in teaching, research, creative activity, and service extend beyond campus to the wider UAE and international academic community.

  • More than 300+ faculty
  • From over 45+ countries
  • Over 90% hold the highest degrees in their field

Faculty have received a number of global awards and honors, including:

  • The Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
  • The Sheikh Zayed Book Award
  • The Moore Prize in Fiction
  • The Hindu Prize
  • The Rhodes Trust Inspirational Educator Award
  • Best of UNICEF Research Award
  • American Sociological Association Book Award
  • The Radcliffe Fellowship
  • Election to the National Academy of Sciences
  • Member of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences
  • Member of the UK Academy of Social Sciences
  • Member of the Editorial Board, American Political Science Review
  • Board member at the American Physical Society
  • Fellow at the Max Planck Institute
  • NYUAD faculty comprise 25% of members elected to The Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists, the primary body representing the UAE's science community
“I cannot understate the value of faculty members [at NYUAD] who supported me in my academic pursuits and their constant encouragement toward independent research.”
Myungin Sohn,
Class of 2017
Research and Innovation

NYUAD has made significant discoveries and contributed important knowledge to our rapidly changing natural environment. From rising sea-levels to the discovery of new species, researchers at NYUAD are investigating the future of our planet and taking a multidisciplinary approach to solving some of humanity's greatest challenges.

  • 80+ faculty labs and projects
  • 16 distinctive research centers led by accomplished thought leaders
  • 3,500+ internationally recognized academic papers, articles, and books produced
  • 250 creative works created and directed

Undergraduate and graduate student research

NYUAD embeds research opportunities throughout the undergraduate program, helping students gain first-hand experience in research and creative activities.

  • NYUAD’s Global PhD program currently spans 11 fields of study in science and engineering.
  • In 2019, NYUAD announced two new, full-time master’s programs: a Master of Science (MSc) in Economics and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Art and Media.
  • NYUAD’s graduate student population has grown from fewer than 10 students in 2014 to more than 80 students in 2020.

RESEARCH IS A CORNERSTONE OF NYUAD’S SUCCESS AND GROWTH

  • Ranked #1 in the UAE by the industry benchmark “Nature Index”
  • Ranked #28 in Nature Index Western Asia (out of 500 institutions) for research output
  • NYUAD’s mean citation rate, an indicator of publication quality, is the highest in the UAE, and above many top US liberal arts universities (Elsevier’s Scopus database)

RESEARCH CENTERS

Arab Center for the Study of Art
The Center aims to move research and pedagogy beyond the established canons of Art History by investigating the histories and theories of art that are particular to the region from regional perspectives.

Center for Astro, Particle, and Planetary Physics
An alliance of faculty and scholars actively involved in research in astronomy, astrophysics, planetary, and particle physics. Their goal is to work toward providing answers to a series of fundamental questions related to the composition and evolution of our universe.

Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID)
The Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID) at NYU Abu Dhabi will be a globally recognized research hub that will explore in depth the origins of human behavioral diversity, undertake the development of empirically-informed theories of human behavior, lead their application to public policy, and build capacity in behavioral social science in the public and private sector, locally and internationally.

Center for Cyber Security
A world class cyber security center partnering with key local universities, industry, and government agencies to facilitate cyber security research, education, and practice in the UAE and GCC region.

Center for Genomics and Systems Biology
Providing a nexus for cutting-edge life sciences research in the UAE, with world-class facilities and resources to promote innovative advances in genomics and systems biology.

Center for Global Sea Level Change
The Center for Sea Level Change combines observations and computer models to understand past, and project future, sea-level rise.

Center for Interacting Urban Networks
Developing fundamental research that can be translated into pragmatic ideas for increasing the livability of our cities. The rapid rate of urbanization is putting strain on urban systems and posing new challenges across a multitude of sectors.

Center for Prototype Climate Modeling
Bridging the gap between climate theory, modeling, and observation, with the goal of better understanding fundamental processes in the earth system, and improving our ability to predict future climate.

Center for Space Science
Focused on the study of the the internal structure of the Sun and stars through stellar seismology and modeling. The Center seeks to address the role of rotating convection and large-scale flows in the generation and maintenance of magnetic fields in the Sun and stars.

Center for Stability, Instability, and Turbulence
Instability of dynamics flows and their transition to turbulence are widespread phenomena in engineering, computer science, geophysics, biophysics, and the natural environment. The Center's interdisciplinary research will develop novel enabling technology to deal with this phenomena.

Global TIES for Children
Global TIES designs, evaluates, and advises on programs and policies to improve the lives of children and youth in the most vulnerable regions across the globe.

Humanities Research Fellowships for the Study of the Arab World
The NYUAD Institute has embarked on a multi-year research fellowship program in the Humanities. This program aims to help create an energetic, multi-faceted research environment for the Humanities and the study of the Arab world at NYUAD's campus.

Library of Arabic Literature
The Library of Arabic Literature offers Arabic editions and English translations of significant works of Arabic literature, with an emphasis on the 7th to 19th centuries.

Neuroscience of Language Lab
The Neuroscience of Language Lab (NeLLab) brings together complementary research programs in the cognitive neuroscience of language. We aim to integrate linguistics and neurobiology in an effort to uncover the neural bases of language comprehension and production.

Public Health Research Center
The center addresses critical topics for Abu Dhabi in public health science, including diabetes and obesity.

Water Research Center
The Water Research Center (NYUAD-WRC) aims to promote innovative research in water desalination, wastewater treatment, environmental policy, and social issues. The center serves as an interdisciplinary innovation hub for water research where scientific knowledge is transformed into practical solutions.

RESEARCH STORIES

Rising Sea Levels

  • A team of researchers from NYUAD’s Center for Global Sea Level Change, supported by the Office of Polar Programs of the USA National Science Foundation, found that unusually warm ocean water is causing rapid melt at the Greenland outlet glacier Helheim, one of the largest in the region

NYUAD-led cybersecurity research receives funding from Intel

  • Intel Corporation awarded NYUAD a three-year $300k grant to support NYUAD Associate Dean of Engineering Ozgur Sinanoglu’s research into new ways of securely testing and configuring computer chips by third-party companies
  • The grant comes in the wake of research by Sinanoglu and his team at the NYUAD Design for Excellence Lab that led to the production of the world’s first unhackable computer chip

UAE Healthy Future Study

  • The UAE Healthy Future Study is a first-of-its-kind national medical research project assessing how the health of 20,000 Emiratis is affected by their lifestyle, environment, and genes – looking at risk factors for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease

Center for Interacting Urban Networks

  • NYUAD’s Center for Interacting Urban Networks, led by Associate Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering Monica Menendez, takes a multidisciplinary approach to research that leads to real improvements in terms of economic opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, and the overall quality and sustainability of everyday life in urban areas

Feature film: Sons of Monarchs

  • Assistant Professor of Biology and filmmaker Alexis Gambis merges science with narrative data and film to explore evolutionary biology and broader social issues in his feature film Sons of Monarchs (2019)

RESPONDING TO COVID-19

NYUAD launched over 100 initiatives to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the UAE’s and global efforts against the virus.

  • Developed recyclable 3D printed N95 masks, in partnership with Mubadala Healthcare
  • NYUAD science students worked at Department of Health – Abu Dhabi labs and testing sites
  • Developing a saliva-based C19 test in partnership with the National Reference Laboratory and Mubadala Healthcare
  • Health and Wellness Center introduced a new type of test (“RT-PCR”) 10-100x faster than standard PCR testing conducted by most labs
  • Biology and Chemistry Departments are studying C19 proteins for drug discovery and design
  • Health and Wellness Center is running clinical viral and antibody trials
  • A new long-term study out of NYU Abu Dhabi will assess the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the lives of 5,000 participants from three countries

STARTAD

Anchored at NYUAD and powered by its partner Tamkeen, startAD supports Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s goals of becoming a knowledge-based economy by equipping students, startups and corporates with the necessary tools to build innovative new products that serve a global need, collaborate across organisations, and develop entrepreneurial capacity.

“Abu Dhabi has taken enormous strides to unlock its entrepreneurial potential. As a result, the path to progress for a new business in Abu Dhabi is now a short one – with plenty of support and guidance available along the way. And it is at the earliest stage of this entrepreneurial journey that you will find startAD: helping budding entrepreneurs go from insight, to business proposal, to active incubation, and beyond.”
John Tate,
CEO of Tamkeen LLC
Global Education

NYUAD is a degree-granting campus of NYU that forms a core pillar of the university’s global network of degree-granting campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, and 12 academic centers worldwide.

STUDY ABROAD

Students are encouraged to spend up to two semesters during their four years at the University studying abroad. In addition, students are required to take three January-term courses, which are held both in Abu Dhabi and sites around the world.

J-Term Courses include:

Students taking American political consultant Frank Luntz’s Electing the President: An Up-close Look at How American Elections Really Work hit the US presidential campaign trail to hear from some of the most influential figures in American politics on site at the primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Human Prehistory: A Unified Approach, taught by geneticist, anthropologist, and author Spencer Wells, starts at the very beginning, with the very earliest evidence of our species in the fossil record in Africa and Asia. Class work is supplemented by computational analyses of the students’ own DNA, and a field trip to Oman to visit one of the richest Paleolithic archaeological sites in the Arabian Peninsula.
Social Media and Political Participation examines the effect of social media on political participation, exploring theories of political behavior and the relationship between social media and politics. Students work towards a final project involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis of social media usage by a member of the United States congress. The course includes a two-day field trip to Washington DC involving interviews with the social media coordinators for the Member of Congress the students are analyzing.
Engaging Khaleeji Musical Heritage: An Introduction to Applied Ethnomusicology takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the intersection of applied ethnomusicology and heritage studies to explore both Khaleeji Arab music, and culture more broadly. Students travel to Kuwait to work with the Mayyouf Mejally Folkloric Ensemble Boom Diwan.

NYUAD’s roster of J-Term instructors has also included:

  • Wole Soyinka - Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature
  • Douglas Alexander - Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and former UK cabinet minister
  • Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri - UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security
  • Tim Shriver - Chairman of Special Olympics
  • Tsitsi Dangarembga - Zimbabwean novelist, playwright, and filmmaker
  • John Defterios - American journalist best known for his work at CNN
“I did J-Term in New York and a semester abroad in Florence. Both of those experiences have really anchored me, given me perspective, and prepared me for life. I’m more inclined to put myself out there, make my own way, and see where that takes me.”
Maryam Al Hammadi,
Class of 2019

Community-based Global Learning

Over 40 courses at NYUAD have community-based learning components that bring theory to practice through regional academic seminars across the globe.

  • In Ethiopia, students engaged in fieldwork with students from Mekelle University, documenting the Chekelot Church site through photography, aerial photography and video, and photogrammetry
  • In Italy, students met with the Director of Excavation for the Deir al-Medina exhibition Cedric Gobeil, discussed papyrus and preservation with curator Susanne Töpfer, and examined the ethics of exhibiting human remains with curator Paolo Del Vesco
  • With the support of the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), students traveled to the island of Palawan to explore DSWD’s community-led efforts in the barangays (communities) of Decalachao and San José
  • Students had a unique opportunity to explore the landscape of diplomacy in contemporary Jordan, where they met with Edward Oakden, British Ambassador and visited the local headquarters of the United Nations meeting with country representatives of UNHCR, UNRWA, UNICEF and UNDP

Engineers for Social Impact

Engineers for Social Impact is aimed at developing sustainable projects that respond to local challenges. Students travel to countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and Jordan to help design and build infrastructure that improves quality of life for local populations. Students engage with the study of ethics in the classrooms and ethnographic fieldwork off-campus and are encouraged to examine projects broadly, through social, cultural, and economic vantage points.

“My trip to Sri Lanka wasn't about the country, but rather about the people. We broke stereotypes and understood the needs of 20 families who lost their homes. We built them hope and they built our knowledge and earned our respect.”
Jad Mahmoud,
Class of 2016
Alumni

NYUAD has cultivated a remarkable community of more than 1,650 alumni who are equipped to turn challenges into solutions, to shape the future by their willingness to look at things differently, and to place their ambitious visions at the service of their communities and the world at large.

Since 2010, NYUAD has graduated eight classes.

  • Of all NYUAD graduates, 95% were in employment or further study six months after receiving their degrees
  • According to a survey conducted by Oxford Economics and NYUAD, 94% of its alumni living abroad have recommended studying at NYUAD, and 92% have recommended visiting the UAE
  • Some 17% of alumni living abroad also have ongoing business links with the UAE.

NYUAD graduates are making an impact at over 400 organizations globally, including:

  • Abu Dhabi Investment Authority,
    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Atlantic Media,
    Washington DC, United States
  • BAE Systems,
    Samlesbury, United Kingdom
  • Bain and Company,
    Shanghai, China
  • Booz Allen Hamilton,
    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Boston Consulting Group,
    Ho Chih Minh, Vietnam
  • Citi,
    Dublin, Ireland
  • Clemenger BBDO,
    Sydney, Australia
  • Clifford Chance,
    London, United Kingdom
  • CNN,
    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Deloitte,
    New York, United States
  • ExxonMobil,
    Budapest, Hungary
  • Google,
    California, United States
  • JP Morgan,
    New York, United States
  • J. Walter Thompson,
    London, United Kingdom
  • The Korea Herald,
    Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • Mantra4Change,
    Bangalore, India
  • McKinsey,
    Prague, Czech Republic
  • Mubadala,
    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Peggy Guggenheim Museum,
    Venice, Italy
  • Rakuten,
    Tokyo, Japan
  • SpaceX,
    California, United States
  • Uber,
    Nairobi, Kenya
  • UNICEF,
    Amman, Jordan
  • The World Bank,
    Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Yunnan Tea Culture Museum,
    Yunnan, China

Beatrice Ionascu (Class of 2016) and Dora Palfi (Class of 2016), founded tech startup imagiLabs. The genesis of their story dates to their first days on the Saadiyat campus. In the fall of 2012, they were matched as first-year roommates, a fateful pairing that sparked a friendship and inspired a business. From their residence hall they launched a student group to empower women in computer science, engineering, and technology. Then, after graduating, they both studied in Sweden at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where Palfi’s research produced an epiphany: to inspire girls into computing, coding should be fun. The result was imagiCharm, an illuminated smart accessory that can be programmed on a mobile phone. Sales are growing steadily, as is interest in the company’s workshops and trainings.

“Technology is such a powerful force today and will be even more so in the future. We believe that the best way to empower women and to achieve more equality is by bringing more women into tech.”
Dora Palfi, Class of 2016

Farah Shamout’s impressive rise in academia has seen her grow from a budding student enrolled at NYUAD to a Rhodes Scholar completing a PhD at the University of Oxford, and finally coming full circle to where she started her university career. Just three years after graduating from NYUAD with a Bachelor of Engineering, Shamout finds herself back on campus on a first name basis with the faculty she called professors just a few years ago, and conducting exciting research working closely with entities around the region to help develop solutions in the health sector.

“This is the only place I would have come back to. NYU supports the faculty in a way where you can actually do your research. Faculty in other places are often spending most of their time writing grant proposals, which is something you do here but it isn’t what drives you every day. Here you’re driven by your quality research.”
Farah Shamout, Class of 2016

HE Shamma Al Mazrui joined the inaugural class of NYUAD as an Economics major with a concentration in Finance before becoming the first Emirati Rhodes Scholar. After receiving her master's in Public Policy with Distinction from the University of Oxford in 2015, she was appointed Minister of State for Youth Affairs and a member of the UAE Cabinet in 2016.

“As an NYU Abu Dhabi graduate I can attest to the fact that NYUAD graduates survive. They adapt. They finish what they start. They stand their ground and always put others before them. NYU Abu Dhabi graduates never stop learning, working, and questioning.”
HE Shamma Al Mazrui, Class of 2014
Developing UAE Leaders

Tailored programs for UAE students

In addition to its regular undergraduate program, NYUAD has tailored programs designed for UAE Nationals and residents.

Secondary School

SUMMER ACADEMY

The NYUAD Summer Academy is a competitive, 18-month program designed to enhance the academic profiles of highly motivated Abu Dhabi-based Emirati high school students.To date, more than 280 high school students have taken part in the Summer Academy program.
“NYUAD Summer Academy not only provides our students with the intellectual resources and skill development they require for future success, but also offers them a character-building life experience.”
Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan
University

SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED SCHOLARS PROGRAM (SMSP)

SMSP is a demanding, high-impact, and life-changing academic and leadership enrichment program for a select cohort of talented university students from three participating federal UAE universities. Since launching in 2008, some 280 students have participated in the SMSP of whom 69% have been Emirati.
University

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (AEP)

AEP is designed for undergraduate students at NYUAD who need additional preparation and support as they begin their studies
University

EMERGING SCHOLARS PROGRAM (ESP)

ESP students take undergraduate-level courses to boost their skills and receive support from the University to enhance their prospects should they apply to NYUAD
Graduate and post graduate school

KAWADER RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP PROGRAM

Kawader is a unique, national capacity-building research fellowship program that allows outstanding graduates to gain experience in a cutting-edge academic research environment.
Arts and Culture

Reflecting the dynamic cultural fabric of Abu Dhabi, NYUAD has over the past decade curated a rich array of world-class artistic, cultural, and intellectual programming for the local community.

The Arts Center at NYUAD, the NYUAD Art Gallery, and the NYUAD Institute are powerful channels of outreach to the UAE community that enrich the local arts and culture ecosystem through innovative productions, exhibits, conferences, collaborations, and more.

THE ARTS CENTER

The Arts Center at NYUAD is home to state-of-the-art facilities where performance, education, and community come together in a vibrant setting to enrich the cultural life of both the campus and the city.

Since opening in 2015, The Arts Center has

  • Staged more than 400 performances
  • Attracted over 93,000 attendees
  • Commissioned 22 new performances, many of which have toured the globe
  • Hosted more than 800 community and university engagement events for over 11,000 participants
“Our partnership with the Arts Center at NYUAD aims to develop the performance and theatrical arts scene in the UAE, as well as enhance the skills of our creative theater professionals. This helps in elevating the theater industry as a vital contributor to our National identity and to the social fabric of the country.”
HE Noura Al Kaabi,
UAE Minister of Culture and Youth

Cuban-Khaleeji Project

  • World premiere commissioned by the Arts Center; multi-Grammy Awardwinner Arturo O’Farrill led a sold out public performance of the musical traditions and sounds of seafaring cultures from the Gulf and North Africa to Cuba

Holoscenes

  • Holoscenes explored issues of climate change in a visceral, cross disciplinary way through a large-scale performance installation.
  • More than 2,000 people attended in person and over 20,000 people watched live streams across four nights of performances
“NYU Abu Dhabi is unquestionably the most diverse campus and perhaps community that I’ve ever spent time and presented a work in. There is much inspiration alone in that reality. I found the conversations surrounding the performance to be particularly vital and illuminating.”
Lars Jan,
Creator and Director of Holoscenes

THE ART GALLERY

The NYUAD Art Gallery presents curated exhibitions of art and culture across historical and contemporary topics, with a special emphasis on subjects of both regional and international significance.

Since its inception, the Art Gallery has:

  • Hosted 12 landmark exhibitions
  • Presented more than 70 community-based and student exhibitions
  • Produced five scholarly publications
  • Published 10 youth guides commissioned from local artists
  • Mounted seven Christo and Jeanne-Claude awards
  • Organized 110 public programs, attracting some 70,000 visitors to date

But we cannot see them: Tracing a UAE art community, 1988-2008

  • First art history exhibit of contemporary art in the UAE
  • Included an Emirati film series and the first Emirati theater production at NYUAD

Zimoun

  • Curated by Maya Allison, this landmark exhibition marked the first time the artist exhibited his work in the Gulf, and included a major new commission: an expansive installation unveiled on the opening night.

THE NYUAD INSTITUTE

The Institute supports cutting edge research programs, connecting the community with UAE and international experts to engage in discussions of national and global relevance.

Since 2008, the NYUAD Institute has

  • Presented 500+ public lectures by eminent scholars
  • Held 235+ conferences and exhibitions of peer-reviewed research
  • Welcomed 70,000+ audience members

NYUAD public programs have featured leading scholars, practitioners, and public intellectuals from a variety of disciplines and geographies, including:

  • The Right Honorable Gordon Brown - Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • His Excellency Jerry Rawlings - Former President of the Republic of Ghana
  • Jane Goodall DBE - Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute; UN Messenger of Peace
  • Randy Schekman - 2013 Nobel Laureate in Physiology of Medicine
  • Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks - Former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
  • Lakhdar Brahimi - UN Diplomat
  • Sheikha Maryam bint Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan - winner of the 2013 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award
  • His Excellency Omar Al Olama - UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence
In the Community

NYUAD’s collaborates with local entities to advance public knowledge and drive efforts of social responsibility and leadership.Each year, NYUAD’s community outreach efforts positively impact some 1,250 external UAE community members through 60 UAE partner organizations.

VOLUNTEERING, INTERNSHIPS, AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

  • More than 65% of students volunteer during their time at NYUAD
  • Internships held at more than 80 UAE organizations
  • Faculty and researchers have signed agreements with over 45 organizations to date to deepen local and international partnerships

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

NYUAD’s Office of Executive Education provides expertise and tailored programs to strengthen human capital development in the UAE and meet the evolving needs of UAE organizations and leaders. Nearly 1700 professionals, of which 37% are Emirati, have received high-quality executive education at NYUAD since 2009.

SPORT AND FITNESS

NYUAD’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities are a resource for elite sporting teams and other groups to host training camps and competitions, strengthening athletics and sports in the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Inter-University Sports League

In 2012, NYUAD created the first intercollegiate sports league in the UAE. Since 2012, ADISL has grown from 15 participating teams to 74 local university athletic teams featuring thousands of athletes competing across eight different sports.

International use of sporting facilities

NYUAD’s world-class sporting facilities have been chosen as training grounds for several elite sporting groups including:

  • Asian Football Club
  • Australian Football League
  • Manchester City Women’s Football Club
  • New York City Football Club
  • Real Madrid FC

Special Olympics

NYUAD joined forces with the Special Olympics to serve as a venue for the 2019 Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi – the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event.

  • Over 7,000 athletes from over 190 nations competed in the World Games in Abu Dhabi, drawing over 50,000 spectators
  • Over 150 NYUAD community members volunteered across campus and in community events
  • Special Olympics International Chairman Timothy Shriver and Special Olympics UAE Chairman HE Mohamad Abdulla Al Junaibi visited campus and met with NYUAD leadership before speaking at the Special Olympics’ Global Youth Leadership Summit (GYLS)

Ride for Zayed

This community relay has attracted over 700 cyclists since its inaugural event celebrating the Year of Zayed in 2018. Following the success of the first three rides, NYUAD intends to host the legacy event annually, supporting UAE residents to lead an active, healthy lifestyle

Commencement

In May 2021, NYUAD celebrated its eighth graduating class. NYUAD graduates are bold, engaged, and purposeful. They came from around the world with intellectual passion, creativity, and initiative, and they leave prepared to build bridges of mutual understanding and contribute to a more cooperative world. NYUAD’s nearly 1,700 alumni form part of a worldwide family of more than 600,000 NYU alumni.

“We are going to share the future, but the remaining job is to define the terms of our interdependence so that it is full of peace and prosperity and promise. Today there is both promise and peril. You represent the promise.”
President Bill Clinton,
The 42nd President of the United States and founder of the Clinton Foundation;
Keynote speaker at NYUAD’s 2014 Commencement
“The students I see here today, you are notably the leaders of tomorrow – the scientists, the engineers, the doctors, the nurses, the politicians, the philosophers, the academics of the future. Leadership is not just about getting, it’s about giving. And it’s also not just about commanding people, it’s about convincing people. Your purpose as leaders has got to be to convince people that there are great causes you want them to follow with you.”
The Right Honourable Gordon Brown,
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom;
Keynote speaker at NYUAD’s 2015 Commencement
“Over the past year humanity had to reconsider old ways of thinking and the pursuit of knowledge and truth. It was also a year that celebrated curiosity, brought hope which turned into reality, and one that transformed an entire community, when three spacecrafts from three different countries arrived at Mars. The Class of 2021 have lived through this unprecedented time in history, they have risen to the occasion, with their ability to adapt, rethink and thrive in the face of adversity and today they embark into a new lifelong journey of learning and self-discovery. I would like to congratulate them for their hard work and tenacity and extend my gratitude and appreciation to the wider NYUAD community for their tireless commitment to the universal values of diversity, justice and peace.”
Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri,
Minister of State for Advanced Technology;
Speaker at NYUAD’s 2021 Commencement
© NYU Abu Dhabi