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Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Opens NYU Abu Dhabi Campus |
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His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today officially opened the Downtown Campus of NYU Abu Dhabi, the first comprehensive liberal arts campus established in the UAE by a major U.S. research university. The opening ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, NYU President John Sexton, and Alfred Bloom, Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi. Located in the city center of Abu Dhabi, the Downtown Campus will house all major academic and cultural activities for NYU Abu Dhabi during its inaugural years, until construction of the residential campus on Saadiyat Island is completed in 2014, under an agreement established between the Government of Abu Dhabi and New York University. In addition to providing classroom and administrative space for students, faculty and staff at NYU Abu Dhabi, the Downtown Campus will serve as the new location for the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, a leading research center that has been hosting academic conferences, workshops and other events in the UAE since its establishment in 2007. The campus, consisting of two three-story buildings connected via a pedestrian bridge, features a combination of academic and gathering spaces for students, faculty, and staff. It also provides community spaces that will be open to the public, including a café with indoor and outdoor seating; a bookstore with textbooks, general interest books and NYU Abu Dhabi merchandise; gathering space for lectures and performances; and a welcome center. His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority said: “The opening of the downtown campus today represents a major milestone in the establishment of NYU Abu Dhabi. Alongside other new and existing institutions, NYU Abu Dhabi will contribute to the development of the Emirate’s education system, the diversification of the local economy, and the establishment of Abu Dhabi as one of the world’s true cultural capitals.” Alfred Bloom, Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi said: “The location of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Downtown Campus, in the heart of the city, is a perfect symbol of our goal to become an essential thread of the fabric of Abu Dhabi. It will be a wonderful academic home for our first class of students, who will arrive in Abu Dhabi in just eight short months.” “Preparing the next generation of global leaders requires a new approach to higher education,” said John Sexton, president of NYU. “The vibrant connection between NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU New York will provide the foundation for the world’s first truly global university and is perfectly aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision for becoming one of the world’s next great idea capitals. History has shown that great universities have proven indispensable in that evolution.” Since the announcement of its establishment in October 2007, NYU Abu Dhabi has attracted distinguished educators and researchers from around the world. Twenty world-class academics with specialties ranging from particle physics to urban planning have joined the standing faculty. In addition, more than 15 members of NYU’s faculty from the Washington Square campus will be teaching in Abu Dhabi during its inaugural year as members of NYUAD’s Affiliated Faculty, helping to ensure strong connections between the two campuses. The inaugural undergraduate class of 100 students, drawn from the top high school students around the world, will begin classes in August 2010. NYU Abu Dhabi’s undergraduate curriculum exposes students to challenging ideas, bodies of knowledge, cultural traditions, and transformative achievements, across the liberal arts, sciences, and engineering. NYUAD students will select from one of 18 majors, and will choose from five multidisciplinary concentrations including The Arab Crossroads and The Environment. The school will also offer seven pre-professional tracks, including Journalism, Law, Premedical and Health Studies, and Museum Studies. All students will be able to spend up to three semesters studying at any of NYU’s 11 global sites, including New York. Over the next decade, NYU Abu Dhabi will expand its class size and develop a world-class research center and graduate programs in the liberal arts, science, engineering and other areas. |
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