NYU Opens Abu Dhabi Campus

December 21, 2009

Earlier this month, NYU announced the opening of its Abu Dhabi campus. The ceremony was attended by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and NYU President John Sexton, but it was missing a crucial element of a university: the students. The first class won’t arrive until late August 2010; however, prospects are itching to be a part of the select group of 100 students that will begin classes in September.

Funded completely by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the Gulf campus allows NYU to boast about its world class education. NYU, like other universities, already has several study-abroad sites, but few universities have ever opened actual campuses in other countries. This gives NYU a competitive edge though it is already one of the most applied-to schools in the country.

It’s also one of the most expensive, but it looks as though NYUAD may be cutting students some financial slack. Unlike their New York counterparts, the NYU Abu Dhabi students will be offered a generous financial support package. The university website states that NYUAD wants to ensure that families don’t go into debt over a college education. If only it would adopt the same philosophy for its New York campus (yup, bitter alum here).

The downtown campus of NYUAD will act as a temporary space as the university awaits the completion of its permanent campus on Saadiyat Island, which is set to open in 2014. Until then, these two three-story buildings will house several events to increase NYUAD’s presence in the area while it awaits the arrival of its first group of students next year.

Source: The National