A university in Abu Dhabi is attracting an increasing number of students from the US, who are drawn to the capital for its multicultural environment and have expressed their desire to return to live and work here. This trend is a testament to the Global Education program at New York University Abu Dhabi, which has become a cornerstone of the institution's educational mission and curriculum.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, transfer students highlighted that they are now encouraging their friends and peers at the main campus in New York to visit the UAE and experience its rich, multi-ethnic, and multicultural atmosphere. “One of the things I love most about this campus is the strong sense of community. I’ve shared my experiences with many people and even inspired several friends to come here. The community you become a part of here is truly unique,” said Isaiah Blemur.
Isaiah, who is benefiting from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Global Education, has developed a deep appreciation for Arab culture and the family-oriented environment that the UAE offers. The 21-year-old, originally from the New York campus, has spent a total of six months in the country so far. He returned to Abu Dhabi for a second time and has been calling NYU Abu Dhabi home for nearly a month now.
Notably, every semester, NYU Abu Dhabi welcomes visiting students like Isaiah from NYU in New York and NYU Shanghai. “I have fallen in love with the Arab culture. I am a Christian, but I now love the culture here, and I learnt a lot about my Muslim brothers and sisters and their faith during my Spring semester when I came here. I did observe a few fasts during Ramadan for a couple of days. It’s such a family-oriented environment. It’s not just about going out with friends and playing video games. It’s experiencing life per se as you sit down together for a meal. That I would say is a key takeaway for me.”
Meanwhile, Isaiah has been taking Arabic lessons and learning different dialects of the language. “I loved the experience the first time when I came here. It’s my fourth week being here back in the UAE, and I love every single part of it. I like making friends and I met a lot of people from Sudan, Emiratis, Palestinians, basically people from around the Middle East. It’s been a very enlightening cultural experience and Arabic is a beautiful language.”
For Isaiah, this has been one of his first experiences visiting a Middle Eastern country, and he emphasized that it was also “one of the best experiences of my life”. Narrating his back story, Isiah said that his desire to return to Abu Dhabi stems from a story his mother shared about her regret of not studying abroad in China due to certain misconceptions fuelled by people. “This inspired me to embrace new cultural experiences, which I've always loved, and take on that opportunity that my mum missed out on and instead explore the world.”
Similarly, Natalia Oben, who is here for the Fall semester and intends to continue being here till the Spring semester, is double majoring in Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology. She explained the robust academic offerings at NYU Abu Dhabi, including courses like “Judging Heritage: Cultural Property Law & Preservation Policies,” align perfectly with her career objectives. “The opportunity to engage in these specialized topics, particularly those that emphasize linguistic identities, will equip me with critical skills necessary for excelling in my field,” said Natalia.
A faculty member from the NYUAD campus stressed that the thoughtfully designed learning environments here serve as crucial laboratories within the liberal arts and sciences framework, just as essential as a state-of-the-art chemistry lab, an art studio, or a biological field station. Carol Brandt, Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor of Global Education and Outreach at NYU Abu Dhabi said, “Just as the development of critical thinking skills is not produced in one course but through a process of intellectual and social maturation over multiple years, an NYUAD global education is not the product of a single experience abroad or more generally traveling.”
