News

In the News

2018-2019

NYUAD faculty in the Arts and Humanities are frequently featured in local and international news media.

Fung Global Fellows to focus on ‘Thinking Global’
Sophia Kalantzakos and five scholars from around the world come to Princeton University this fall to begin a year of research, writing and collaboration as the seventh cohort of Fung Global Fellows.
Princeton University | June 19, 2019

UAE academics reconstructing 'revolutionary' Bronze Age boat
Using historical sources, university lecturers and students are piecing together a reconstruction of a primitive ship that caused a trade revolution in the Arabian Gulf.
The National | April 28, 2019

Tishani Doshi on her journey from poetry to novels
I think all my characters have something of me in them: Tishani Doshi.
The Telegraph | April 27, 2019

NYUAD professor Philip Kennedy on winning a Sheikh Zayed Book Award: 'I thought I was dreaming'
The NYU Abu Dhabi professor on winning a Sheikh Zayed Book Award and why he now considers Abu Dhabi home.
The National | April 25, 2019

Pah-La review – fascinating Tibetan drama sets theatre ablaze
Abhishek Majumdar’s play launches a philosophical inquiry into non-violence and defying oppression at the Royal Court, London.
The Guardian | April 9, 2019

NEH Announces $28.6 million for 233 Projects Nationwide
NYU Abu Dhabi Assistant Professor of History Masha Kirasirova received a grant to write a book on Soviet foreign policy with the Arab Middle East from 1920 to 1990.
National Endownment for the Humanities | March 29, 2019

NYU Abu Dhabi professor wins a Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Philip Kennedy was nominated in the Arab Culture in Other Languages category.
The National | March 18, 2019

The Most Important Indian Philosophy Books
NYUAD's Jonardon Ganeri leads the list.
The Reading List | March 9, 2019

[Book Review] Keeping It Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys by John O’Brien | Reviewed by Hale Inanoglu
In his ethnography Keeping It Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys, John O’Brien demonstrates how a group of Muslim boys practicing hip hop live “culturally contested lives.”
Maydan | March 07, 2019

Why language is so important to cultural diversity
Ever since he first met people from the Gulf in his student days, Nasser Isleem, a senior Arabic language lecturer at NYUAD, has been fascinated by how languages can splinter and evolve.
Abu Dhabi World | January 09, 2019

Critically Acclaimed Play 'Noura' Puts Iraqi Refugee Experience On Stage
A playwright draws on Iraqi refugees' experiences in a writers workshop to craft a work that translates the flight from war for American audiences.
Morning Edition, NPR | January 2, 2019

Rodrigo Duterte is leading a new kind of dictatorship
The Philippines is Asia’s oldest democracy, but for generations, its democratic mechanisms have been hijacked by those seeking to impose their will. 
The Globe and Mail | December 08, 2018

The essential list for art lovers visiting Abu Dhabi in 2018 and 2019
Abu Dhabi has become a hotbed for both old and new artistic talent; here’s your essential art hit list for the UAE capital for this and next year.
Huffington Post | December 27, 2018

'Art is to be shared' says Zaki Nusseibeh after lending collection to students so they can learn about curation
Nine NYU Abu Dhabi students were split into three groups, each tackling the steps of putting an exhibition together: 'I am impressed by the choices of the students,' says Zaki Nusseibeh.
The National | December 02, 2018

Southeast Asians will regret giving up political rights for affluence
Young people offer best hope of challenging region's Faustian bargain
Nikkei Asian Review | November 23, 2018

9th Worldwide Logo Design Award 2018 Announced
Assistant Professor of Practice of Visual Arts Goffredo Puccetti and his students win the Silver Medal with their work created for the 9th Worldwide Logo Design Awards 2018 (WOLDA).
WOLDA – Worldwide Logo Design Award | November 23, 2018

Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan
Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan named on the longlist for the 2019 International Dublin Literary Award.
Dublin Literary Award | November 19, 2018

Moore Prize Winner 2018
The judges of the Moore Prize 2018 have announced that Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan is the winning book.
Christopher G. Moore Foundation | October 30, 2018

Two new books investigate the rhythm in Emirati Arabic
"Popular Proverbs: An Entrance to Emirati Culture" and "UAE 101: Stories and Cultural Learnings" explore how to speak Arabic with an Emirati dialect like a native.
The National | October 06, 2018

The Wrong Way to Fight a Drug War
The Philippines has undertaken a brutal battle against “shabu,” or crystal methamphetamine. But the government needs to go after another target entirely.
The New York Times | August 08, 2018

American Kids Are Learning Islamophobia From Their Textbooks
Melissa Levinson is a graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi where she majored in Middle Eastern Studies with a concentration in Arabic.
Huffington Post | August 07, 2018

Why do you need to learn about our unique local language?
The launch of a new book is turning the spotlight on the Emirati dialect in a bid to help non-native Arabic speakers gain a deeper appreciation of the vernacular.
Abu Dhabi World | August 02, 2018

Image Nation’s Arab Film Studio marks 200 screenings
Films created by participants in Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s flagship training programme Arab Film Studio have now screened over 200 times at prestigious film festivals around the globe.
The Gulf Time, Emirates Business | July 30, 2018

Study Film from a Transnational Curriculum at NYUAD
A groundbreaking transnational curriculum, a multidisciplinary approach and a richly international student body makes New York University Abu Dhabi’s Film and New Media program an especially attractive option for students interested in studying or making films. 
BrainGain Magazine | July 8, 2018

Texture and Transfiguration
In his latest exhibition – a fine word, galaxy – multi-disciplinary American artist Jonny Farrow, who often works with sound to investigate transmission, liminality and resonance, builds upon his past meditations on temporality, here primarily via sculpture.
Canvas Magazine | June 01, 2018

How Yemeni Refugees Photographed Their World
As part of our series ‘Picturing Refugees,’ anthropologist Nathalie Peutz and photographer Nadia Benchallal discuss self-representation and the social significance of imagery after working with nine Yemeni refugees to document their lives in Djibouti over a year.
News Deeply | May 31, 2018

Arabic translation comes of age
The first volumes of the Library of Arabic Literature, an ambitious translation project of classical Arabic works into English, appeared five years ago, with several dozen now being available to international readers. But this is just the beginning, library editors Philip Kennedy, James Montgomery, Shawkat Toorawa and Chip Rossetti explain.
Al-Ahram Weekly | April 07, 2018

It took novelist Deepak Unnikrishnan 10 years to write his award-winning ode to the immigrant worker
Temporary People, Unnikrishnan’s decade-long project that finally culminated in a book, captures the range of the migrant-worker experience in the Gulf.
Elle India | April 06, 2018

Charles Siebert Talks about Non-Human Animals
Sharing stories with a room of students and professors from American University of Paris and New York University. 
The American University of Paris | March 27, 2018

The influential female voices shaping the UAE art scene
Salwa Mikdadi, associate professor of art history at NYUAD, is considered one of ten influential voices in the creative landscape of the UAE today.
The National | March 23, 2018

Letter of Recommendation: Schleich Figurines
Wild creatures rendered with an eye for detail that results in museum-diorama quality, but without having to kill anything. A recommendation from Charles Siebert, NYUAD professor of practice of literature and creative writing and contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.
The New York Times Magazine | March 20, 2018

Does Laughter Have a Place Here?
Aysan Celik has found that laughter has an important role to play in helping us understand the extent of the climate crisis, and that a good laugh may be just what we need to be compelled into action.
HowlRound | March 19, 2018

The Poems of the Story
Marcel Kupershoek is featured in an episode of a new poetry program. The subject of his episode is on Humeidan al-Shuway'ir, an early 18th-century satirical poet. The program will feature six poets.
Al Arabiya (in Arabic) | March 17, 2018

Director Scandar Copti opens up about his new film ‘Happy Holidays’, the Oscars and funding
The Palestinian filmmaker adopts cinema verite style and casts non-actors to capture the realities of occupation.
The National | March 13, 2018

NYUAD exhibition shows life from a migrants' perspective
A new photo exhibition is a collaboration with refugees in Djibouti.
The National | February 06, 2018

Oscar-nominated ‘Ajami’ to show in Abu Dhabi
The 2009 movie will screen as part of a contemporary Arab film series called CinemaNA.
Gulf News | January 24, 2018

Students get a look at how the arts transform Cambodian society
About 15 students from New York University Abu Dhabi were recently given a hearty welcome by Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) as they started a culture tour of Cambodia under a programme called Arts for Transformation, the case of Cambodia.
Khmer Times | January 17, 2018

Deepak Unnikrishnan bags ‘The Hindu Prize 2017’ for ‘Temporary People’ 
Deepak Unnikrishnan bagged the coveted The Hindu Prize 2017 for his ode to the ‘pravasi’ Malayalee - ‘Temporary People’. Receiving his award from British novelist and journalist Sebastian Faulks
The Hindu | January 15, 2018

Staging Octavia Butler in Abu DhabiStaging Octavia Butler in Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center hosted the world premiere of Parable of the Sower, an opera composed by the singer/songwriter Toshi Reagon, a queer Brooklyn-based activist, and based on the prophetic novel by Octavia Butler.
The Paris Review | January 08, 2018

World Arabic Language Day: The Fight to Keep Arabic Relevant
The role of new technology and how to harness it offers a tantalising look both forwards and back through time.
The National | December 18, 2017

Launch: Ballenesque by Roger Ballen (12 December)
With over 300 photographs and an introduction by cultural theorist and critic, Robert J. C. Young, Ballenesque offers a new way of looking at the work of one of the world’s most important and original photographers.
Books Live | December 08, 2017

Falconry Research Project: database by UAE researchers shows ubiquity of predatory bird
Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi are compiling a database of falconry imagery through history.
The National | December 07, 2017

Photography: Tarek Al Ghoussein's Al Sawaber at The Third Line, Dubai
The Kuwaiti-Palestinian artist's latest exhibition examines the traces of lives left behind in the doomed Al Sawaber housing estate.
The National | November 29, 2017

Mapping the Many Languages of Beirut
The polyglot city boasts a crazy combination of tongues. Researchers are trying to untangle them.
True Viral News | November 26, 2017

Photos of a Paradise Island, Frozen in Time
While UNESCO and other external organizations have traditionally prioritized the management of the island’s physical landscape, local perspectives on heritage may be more nuanced.
True Viral News | November 25, 2017

‘We Are Not Yet Free’: Living in Slavery’s Shadow in Mauritania
The rising prominence of voices like Dah Abeid’s is helping to chip away at any lingering slavery-related stigma the Haratine might feel, says Erin Pettigrew, a professor of history at New York University in Abu Dhabi who has studied social activism in Mauritania.
International Reporting Project | November 07, 2017

How Novelist Deepak Unnikrishnan Post-Modernized the United Arab Emirates
The Abu Dhabi-based writer uses feats of imagination to bring voices to country’s many inhabitants.
The Culture Trip | October 28, 2017

NYU Abu Dhabi Open Studios returns with interactive public programme
New York University Abu Dhabi, NYUAD’s, Open Studios returns next month featuring over 60 exhibitions, installations, screenings, performances, talks, demonstrations, and works-in-progress as part of an interdisciplinary celebration of the arts.
WAM | October 25, 2017

Capturing the Lives of Gujarati Fishermen
Sohail Karmani's latest photo series explores the lives of Indian fisherman living and working in Abu Dhabi.
CNN | October 23, 2017

How Difficult Is It for Bilingual People to Switch from Arabic to English?
NYU Abu Dhabi study tested bilingual students to see which parts of the brain are engaged when switching between languages, and the results could contradict previously held beliefs about ‘bilingual advantage’.
The National | October 19, 2017

NYUAD Professor Receives Middle East Education Leadership Award
Jonardon Ganeri, Arts and Humanities Professor of Philosophy at the New York University Abu Dhabi, NYUAD, was awarded the Middle East Education Leadership Award for Best Professor in Philosophy.
WAM | October 18, 2017

CinemaNa Brings Top Arab Films to Abu Dhabi
Award-winning Arab films will get another moment in the spotlight at CinemaNa, a cinema series held at NYU Abu Dhabi and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.
Gulf News | October 16, 2017

How NY Became an Art Hub
The latest exhibition taking place at the New York University Art Gallery on Saadiyat island, Inventing Downtown: Artist-Run Galleries in New York City, 1952–1965, features more than 200 very early works of over 50 artists offering a unique and rarely explored perspective of the cross-section of creative life in the city during that period.
Gulf News | October 11, 2017

New Photo Exhibition Launches at New York University Abu Dhabi
The Art Gallery at NYU Abu Dhabi is showcasing work from one of its own talented crop, Wendy Bednarz, an Arts and New Media Professor at the university, at its alternative venue, Project Space, starting next week.
Time Out Abu Dhabi | October 08, 2017

NYUAD Show on the 1950s 'Downtown' New York Art Scene Is a Fairy Tale Story
New NYUAD Art Gallery show highlights the role of artist-founded and -run spaces in building an art community. A process that resonates in the UAE.
The National | October 04, 2017

Susheela Raman and Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali in UAE
Acclaimed British-Indian musician Susheela Raman and the people behind the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali musical group will bring the world premiere of their collaboration, Queen Between, to The Arts Center at the NYU Abu Dhabi on October 19.
Gulf News | October 01, 2017

Children's Show Farfalle Brings a Sense of Escape to NYUAD

Making its debut in Abu Dhabi on Thursday at The Black Box in the Arts Centre at New York University Abu Dhabi, this is the first time Farfalle has been performed in the region since its creation seven years ago.
The National | September 26, 2017

Maysoon Zayid: Comic with Can-Do Calibre
Maysoon Zayid has already taught two guest lectures, given a half-hour interview and been briefly trapped in New York University Abu Dhabi’s underground parking garage by the time early evening rolls around. With her make-up washed off and hair up, she is wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Angry Crip” and is ready to get down to business in the stand-up workshop she is leading Monday night, yalla-ing one of a half-dozen tentative, wannabe comics on stage.
The National | September 12, 2017

New Public Programme Deciphers UAE through Food, Sport and Music
Where can you get the best bread in Abu Dhabi for Dh2 or less? Where is the best place to eat Ugandan or Ethiopian food? Do you have what it takes to find fresh coconut water from Kerala, or are you only able to find the sort that comes from Sri Lanka? For the writer Deepak ­Unnikrishnan, who grew up on Abu Dhabi’s Hamdan Street, such questions are more than a matter of taste, memory or nostalgia, they’re one of the key techniques he uses to entice his students beyond the confines of New York University Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) Saadiyat Island campus.
The National | September 10, 2017

Inter-lingual translation as pedagogy Arabic text simplification
An interview with Laila Familiar, lecturer of Arabic Language, about her new publication of an authorized, abridged edition of Saaq al-Bambuu by Kuwaiti novelist Saud al-Sanousi for students of Arabic.
Asymptote Journal | September 22, 2016

Exhibition preview of Invisible Threads: Technology and its Discontents
The gallery exhibition at the NYUAD Art Galllery was co-curated by Assistant Arts Professor Scott Fitzgerald.
The National | September 15, 2016

The Fatwa hotline: "We've heard everything"
Associate Professor Justin Stearns answers questions about Abu Dhabi’s Fatwa Center.
The Guardian | August 20, 2016

Three Reasons to Consider Earning a Foreign Language Degree Abroad
Senior Lecturer of Arabic Nasser Isleem discusses the employability advantages of being multilingual.
U.S. News & World Report | July 26, 2016

Theater Mitu: How NYUAD’s Resident Company is Building an Ambitious Digital Archive
An interview with the head of the Theater Program Rubén Polendo.
The National | April 28, 2016

The Secret History of Saadiyat: How People Lived There Until the Early 90s
Visiting Professor Museum and Heritage Studies Robert Parthesius talks about Saadiyat Island, long before planners imagined its five-star hotels, luxury villas, and museums.
The National | April 28, 2016