Social Science

The disciplines in this field seek to deepen our understanding of how people behave in a wide variety of contexts and to assess the consequences of an individual, group, and societal decisions. Collectively, Social Science seeks to explain and investigate the functioning of society and address the vast array of pressing contemporary issues that affect individual and societal well-being.

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.

Research at NYU Abu Dhabi

Graduate Outcomes

NYU Abu Dhabi economics ranked 8th in Asia by Research Papers in Economics

Hervé Crès, Dean of Social Science, Professor of Economics, NYUAD

A new world is unfolding before our eyes and at a remarkably dramatic pace in the wider region, rendering our presence in Abu Dhabi all the more meaningful.

Dean of Social Science Hervé Crès

Latest News

NYUAD students win first place at the CFA Institute Research Challenge regional competition on finance and banking. Congratulations Sorin Panfile, Sergey Shkurynskyy, and Anastasiya Karavan.

Swethaa Ballakrishnen 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.

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

Daniel Karell wins JPR Best Paper Award on his article, Aid, exclusion and the local dynamics of insurgency in Afghanistan.

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.

ThePrint spoke to some of the biggest names in Indian intelligentsia and asked who are the brightest minds on the horizon. Rahul Sagar was identified as one of the next generation of Indian intellectuals.

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

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

Peter Van der Windt receives 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.

NYU Abu Dhabi Students Witness Brexit Unfold

Students engaged with former prime ministers and key politicians across Europe as part of an immersive 10-day course. Taught by American political consultant and best-selling author Frank Luntz, Europe in Crisis: Brexit and the Future of the EU, was held in London, Brussels, and Paris. Throughout the course, 16 students interacted with former prime ministers including Tony Blair and key politicians such as Michael Gove to delve deeper as Britain renegotiates its relationship with the European Union.