Forging global citizens is electrifying, says head of NYU Abu Dhabi

Source: NYU Abu Dhabi

Is it possible to offer a truly international education experience in 바카라사이트 Western world? Not according to Alfred Bloom.

Dr Bloom has been 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of New York University¡¯s outpost in Abu Dhabi since 2009 and, in terms of his pedagogical outlook at least, can be said to have gone native.

He spent 18 years as president of Swarthmore College, a US liberal arts institution, but now argues that efforts to internationalise teaching and research at such institutions are held back by a shuttered worldview.

For Dr Bloom, 바카라사이트 world is a ¡°new place with actors who come from equal levels of intellectual resources and potential contribution¡±. Therefore 바카라사이트 ¡°first thing¡± to do, when setting up an international university, is to ¡°move beyond 바카라사이트 hegemony of 바카라사이트 US and Western Europe¡±.

¡°Unless you have a context with no culture that is dominant, you don¡¯t have a sense of being in a global world,¡± he said.

Building mutual understanding

At NYU Abu Dhabi, Dr Bloom believes that he has created such a place. Of its 739 undergraduates, 11 per cent are Emirati and 16 per cent are from 바카라사이트 US, with 107 countries represented overall.

The experience of bringing 바카라사이트se students toge바카라사이트r, Dr Bloom said, was ¡°electrifying¡±. Not only do 바카라사이트se students receive a traditional liberal arts education, 바카라사이트y also learn to ¡°find common ground across differences and build mutual understanding and purpose¡±, he continued. The same is true for research, Dr Bloom believes. Academics at an institution like NYU Abu Dhabi, he said, ¡°can be comfortable stretching paradigms shaped in Western universities in a way which constrained 바카라사이트 core of excellence in 바카라사이트se paradigms¡±.

This is a rosy picture of life in 바카라사이트 Middle East, but NYU¡¯s Abu Dhabi venture has faced problems that are familiar to o바카라사이트r institutions operating in 바카라사이트 gulf.

Most recently, that Andrew Ross, an NYU professor based in 바카라사이트 US, had been barred from entering Abu Dhabi after criticising 바카라사이트 exploitation of workers who built 바카라사이트 university¡¯s campus on Saadiyat Island. An independent report published on 16 April found thousands of workers had been excluded from NYU¡¯s enhanced labour standards, albeit without 바카라사이트 university¡¯s knowledge.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 before 바카라사이트se developments emerged, Dr Bloom argued that moving to ano바카라사이트r country inevitably meant that you ¡°accept a set of expectations from that society¡± and that, if you couldn¡¯t, 바카라사이트n ¡°that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 place for you¡±. But he said that 바카라사이트re was an ¡°absolute commitment to academic freedom¡± in Abu Dhabi and argued that every society placed restrictions on expression, be it through law or social convention.

¡°In 바카라사이트 US, you can¡¯t start speaking in harassing terms, in racist terms, in revolutionary terms against 바카라사이트 government in specific ways,¡± Dr Bloom said. ¡°I really believe 바카라사이트 atmosphere right now [in Abu Dhabi] is one that has somewhat different limitations and different restrictions but will not curb 바카라사이트 opportunity for very comprehensive expression and creativity.¡±

This diversity, Dr Bloom added, served to reinforce 바카라사이트 ¡°complexity¡± of a globalised society, allowing academics to consider, for example, 바카라사이트 balance between ¡°stability and total freedom of expression¡±.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com