Abu Dhabi Week says hello to seven of the first NYU Abu Dhabi students to walk the halls of the capital’s newest premier international institution this autumn

 

Written by Laura Fulton

Neelgoon Safdar
from Lahore, Pakistan – moved to Abu Dhabi two years ago "I plan to study economics and finance – I think I want to go into economic policy and do something with welfare. I don’t know if I’ll stay in Abu Dhabi after I graduate or not – I will if I get a job, but I’ll probably want to go back home. When I was choosing schools, I applied to universities in Pakistan and in Abu Dhabi. NYU-AD was the best choice but it wasn’t my first choice because I didn’t think I’d get in. Once I did get in, it was pretty cool. While I’m going to NYU-AD, I’ll probably live in the dorms during the week but go home for weekends."

Bouthayna Baltaji
is half Saudi and half American but was born in Abu Dhabi and has lived here her whole life"I want to start off studying economics and finance, but ultimately, I want to go into museum management. I don’t have any one museum in mind, but I actually really like the Guggenheim. I go to museums all the time in the summer with my parents, and when you’re on holiday you only have one day to see everything, so I feel like the flow of a museum is very important. There are a lot of museums coming to Abu Dhabi, so I think it would be really cool to stay here and be a part of that – I’m really excited about it."

 

Huda al Shaikh
is an Emirati from Al Ain who moved to Abu Dhabi last year where she finished high school
"Al Ain is a very, very quiet place, but I got used to living in Abu Dhabi straight away. I’m still undecided about what I want to study, but I’m thinking about chemical engineering or something to do with the environment. I don’t really know what career I’ll end up pursuing. NYU-AD was my first choice. I feel like I was born to be in a university like this. I’m planning to live with my parents next year, but hopefully I’ll be able to persuade them to let me move into the dorm eventually."

 

Ahmed al Dhaheri
is an Emirati who was born and raised in Abu Dhabi"I want to study economics and finance, and I’m planning to study for my master’s in New York. I believe in setting your sights high, so my dream position would be the Minister of the Economy of the UAE. I applied to other schools in the United States and the UAE, but my first choice was NYU-AD. They have the courses I want, plus we’ll be part of the very first class and get the chance to study abroad for a few semesters. And the ratio of eight students to one teacher is really good. I’m planning to live on campus, but I’ll be able to go to my parents’ house whenever I want. The dorms are like luxury apartments – there’s even a pool on the roof!"

Alex Wang
is Taiwanese by race but was born and raised in Pennsylvania in the United States "I chose NYU Abu Dhabi because I believe in global citizenship. After listening to John Sexton deliver a speech during my Candidate Weekend, I knew this was the only university in which I could see myself for the next four years. I’ll be living in Sama Towers while I study Economics and Finance with a minor in Political Science. I also want to study Chinese and Arabic. This may sound painfully clichéd, but my ultimate career goal is to end human tragedy. I don’t know how I’ll do it – through policy or philanthropy – but I suppose I’ll have the next four years to figure that out."

 

Florencia Schlamp
was born in Argentina, is of German/Italian descent, and lives in Brazil "I learned about NYU-AD from my counsellor – it offers everything I was looking for in a university and more; a prestigious institution with excellent teachers and international exchange programmes, alongside strong research programmes. My ultimate career goal is to be a biologist working on a research project in the middle of the Amazon Rain-forest in Brazil or diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia collecting samples for an investigation, or surveying dugongs in the Arabian Gulf. Who knows?"

Manuel Nivia
is a Bolivian-born Colombian who has lived in the US, Peru and Costa Rica"As a person who has lived in many countries I searched for an opportunity to study abroad. I read about people from all over the world going to study in Abu Dhabi with the opportunity to study for three semesters in other NYU sites. The idea of travelling captured me and also the idea of meeting people from all over the world. I will be living in Sama Tower which has all one can ask for. I want to become a music composer and/or guitarist. It is also in my plan to study business after I graduate from NYU-AD. I have several dreams, but my goal in life is to help humanity and promote love and hope through music. I want to add my grain of sand."