The Internet is so seamlessly integrated into modern life that it can be easily taken for granted. But when Jay Chen — now an assistant professor of Computer Science at NYU Abu Dhabi — stepped outside of the "bubble" of his US upbringing and got on a plane to Kerala, India, to participate in a Microsoft research internship while working toward his PhD, he experienced "a series of culture shocks" about network connectivity in the country that made a lasting impression.

With her research on human-to-human social interactions firmly established, NYU Abu Dhabi Assistant Professor of Psychology Susanne Quadflieg has expanded her focus to include interactions of a less conventional nature — those between humans and robots. She recently spoke to The National about this research and in its May 16 article, "Together in electric dreams: competing visions of the robotic future," Quadflieg shares some outcomes of her studies thus far.

Guest Post: Clara Bicalho Maia Correia, Class of 2016.

Linajma, which means "to come together" in Arabic, is NYU Abu Dhabi's non-credit learning program that aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and skills and foster public engagement among members of the University and the city of Abu Dhabi at large. Posters across campus reminded students, faculty, staff, and guests that this spring's Linajma Showcase was, indeed, a time to come together.

Everybody knows that books are the perfect companions for rainy days. Fortunately, on one of the recent drizzly weekends in Abu Dhabi, the NYUAD Arabic department gathered students to visit the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. There, students wandered among teetering columns of novels, magazines, and religious texts as they learned more about the world of Arab and international literature.

It wouldn't be a stretch to surmise that a childhood of summers spent on the water had something to do with NYU Abu Dhabi Assistant Professor of Biology John Burt's chosen profession. The marine biologist, who grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, stayed on the family boat for two months each year. "It gave me an appreciation for living along coastlines and the marine environment," he said. Initially focused on fresh water ecology — using river- and lake-dwelling larval insects as indicators of pollution for his master's degree — Burt switched to marine biology while working toward his PhD. "I was still interested in the environmental genre," he explained, "but just changed direction." And, he laughed, "I must say that it's much more attractive to work in tropical coral reef environments than hanging off the side of a boat in the middle of the Great Lakes in November."