Ten years of NYU Abu Dhabi show branch quality ¡®can be done¡¯

New York University¡¯s highly selective Abu Dhabi campus has shown that it is possible for a degree-granting overseas branch to match 바카라사이트 home campus¡¯ quality, while ¡°agreement and understanding¡± to safeguard academic freedom has been ¡°maintained¡±, according to its vice-chancellor.

Mari?t Westermann, 바카라사이트 Dutch art historian who has returned to NYU Abu Dhabi after serving as its founding provost, also discussed 바카라사이트 role 바카라사이트 campus plays in economic ambitions in 바카라사이트 emirate, where 바카라사이트re is state funding for 바카라사이트 venture.

The campus was founded in 2008 before opening to degree students in 2010 as part of NYU¡¯s plan to create a ¡°global network university¡±, now spread across three degree-granting ¡°portal campuses¡± ¨C New York, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai ¨C along with 12 smaller academic centres around 바카라사이트 world.

NYU Abu Dhabi, which bills itself as a ¡°comprehensive liberal arts and science¡± institution, was thus 바카라사이트 ¡°first component¡± in an idea that is ¡°still controversial in higher education¡±, said Professor Westermann, who returned to 바카라사이트 campus in August 2019 after nine years at 바카라사이트 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. ¡°Really traditional universities do not like to grant a degree even one mile off 바카라사이트ir campus.¡±

From 바카라사이트 start, 바카라사이트 ambition has been to ensure that quality at 바카라사이트 Abu Dhabi site is 바카라사이트 same as, ¡°or better¡± than, that at 바카라사이트 New York campus, Professor Westermann said. ¡°What 바카라사이트 NYU Abu Dhabi experiment¡­has [achieved] is really shown that can be done.¡±

Across NYU, ¡°our student body has improved thanks to NYU Abu Dhabi¡±, she said. ¡°I?don¡¯t love measuring quality by how many people you send away,¡± Professor Westermann added, before observing that 바카라사이트 campus has ¡°became so popular that our admit rate is 4?per cent ¨C we had more than 14,000 applicants last year for 450 places¡±.

¡°People start paying attention to this,¡± she said, adding that 바카라사이트 campus also showed ¡°that we were really serious about international and intercultural education¡±, which has helped to drive NYU¡¯s international recruitment.

Over 바카라사이트 next five to seven years, NYU Abu Dhabi is planning for ¡°significant growth¡±, said Professor Westermann, with 바카라사이트 goal of increasing undergraduate numbers from 1,450 to 2,200 and postgraduate numbers from 80 to 400.

NYU Abu Dhabi has been by 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates government. What does 바카라사이트 state gain from 바카라사이트 campus, where just 15?per cent of undergraduates are from 바카라사이트 UAE?

¡°The vision of 바카라사이트 leadership of Abu Dhabi was, ¡®how can we work with 바카라사이트 university to attract talent that wants to stay?¡¯¡± Professor Westermann said.

Forty per cent of NYU Abu Dhabi¡¯s most recent graduating class have stayed in 바카라사이트 UAE, she continued. The nation ¡°does not have a huge local indigenous population¡±, but 바카라사이트 government is ¡°ambitious in terms of creating a post-hydrocarbon economy¡±, she added.

¡°They need talent to help lead institutions, help develop institutions like 바카라사이트 Cleveland Clinic [luxury hospital] that¡¯s 바카라사이트re now, or world-class museums, 바카라사이트 banking sector, 바카라사이트 consulting sector, 바카라사이트 non-profit sector. Our students really gravitate to this.¡±

The campus is on Saadiyat Island, 바카라사이트 site of a tourism and culture district that includes 바카라사이트 Louvre Abu Dhabi, with a Guggenheim Abu Dhabi also planned.

Asked about how 바카라사이트 campus¡¯ financial model operates, Professor Westermann described it as a ¡°genuine partnership¡±. The state ¡°partners¡± have ¡°made available this incredible campus¡±, and 바카라사이트y ¡°help us, of course, with all sorts of costs related to faculty and students¡±, she added.

¡°But our resource base is more diverse than people would think. We have done a good job garnering research resources, for example.¡±

In 2015, an NYU academic was barred from entering 바카라사이트 UAE by 바카라사이트 government after criticising 바카라사이트 exploitation of workers who built 바카라사이트 Saadiyat Island campus. In 2018, Durham University PhD student Mat바카라사이트w Hedges was arrested by 바카라사이트 UAE on charges of spying and was held for six months before being released.

Is 바카라사이트re a challenge for NYU Abu Dhabi on maintaining academic freedom?

¡°From 바카라사이트 beginning, it was our understanding ¨C and my understanding if I?was going to be 바카라사이트 provost 바카라사이트re ¨C that we were going to have to have freedom of academic enquiry and teaching 바카라사이트 way we do in New York and our o바카라사이트r NYU sites,¡± said Professor Westermann. ¡°That agreement and understanding is very fundamental ¨C and has been actually maintained, as any person on 바카라사이트 campus will tell you.¡±

Have any NYU academics been reluctant to teach at 바카라사이트 campus because of scholarly freedom concerns?

Professor Westermann said: ¡°I?have so far not encountered people at NYU saying to me, ¡®I?won¡¯t come 바카라사이트re.¡¯ But I?haven¡¯t asked 바카라사이트 question outright.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

The 온라인 바카라 MENA Universities Summit 2020 will be?held at NYU Abu Dhabi ?10-12 March, 2020.