Social Science

At its core, the multidisciplinary field of Social Science is about people — their individual and collective behaviors and the societies they create. 

• How does our broader environment affect how we develop as individuals and behave collectively in our communities?
• Why do our societies look the way they do, and why do they differ?
• What drives pervasive inequality within and across regions, and what policies and institutions affect this?

The breadth of research in Social Science at NYU Abu Dhabi uses data to help historians, economists, NGOs, and governments better understand human behavior — and improve people’s lives.

Leonid Peisakhin awarded the 2018 Gregory Luebbert Best Article Award from the APSA’s Comparative Politics Section on the paper 'The Legacy of Political Violence Across Generations'.

Swethaa Ballakrishnen wins 2018 JPO Best Paper Award on her article, 'She Gets The Job Done': Entrenched Gender Meanings and New Returns to Essentialism in India’s Elite Professional Firms.

Rachel Brulé wins Best Paper in Comparative Politics at MPSA for research on the implications of Meghalaya’s inheritance system.

Quartz has identified Bob Allen, Global Distinguished Professor of Economic History, as one of 13 economists on the research that shaped our world in 2017. 

David Cook-Martin recipient of ASA “Distinguished Scholarly Book Award” for his book on Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racial Immigration Policy in the Americas.

Rahul Sagar, Global Network Associate Professor of Political Science, participated in the discussions on UAE-India relations at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy.

Peter Van der Windt recipient of 2016 Annual Bruce Russett Award for his article, Crowdseeding in Eastern Congo: Using Cell Phones to Collect Conflict Events Data in Real Time in the Journal of Conflict Resolution.

Christopher Paik recipient of two APSA awards: Outstanding Article in International History & Politics and Best Article in European Politics & Society.

Maitha Salem Al Memari, a Social Research and Public Policy major with a minor in Legal Studies and Political Science, selected as 2018 UAE Rhodes Scholar.