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Zeyad Dahab

In the market of improving lives

By Andy Gregory

Just two days after finishing his Master of Science in Economics at NYU Abu Dhabi, Zeyad Dahab got a full-time job as a research assistant at the NYU Center for Technology and Economic Development. Today, he’s working alongside one of the world’s leading scholars in the field of development economics, solving problems that will make people’s lives better.

Dahab, an economics major from NYUAD’s Class of 2020, says he chose to stay in Abu Dhabi for graduate school because he wanted to develop a deep and mathematically rigorous understanding of economic theory, which would prepare him for a career in academic research.

Zeyad Dahab is a graduate of NYUAD's Class of 2020 and a graduate of the inaugural MSc in Economics at NYU Abu Dhabi, 2021.

“The program at NYUAD provides a good foundation for students interested in an academic career,” Dahab says, although the workload and pace were completely different from his first four years at NYUAD. The transition into grad school took a lot of adjustment, self-discipline, and learning how to keep up.

No matter how challenging things got, the professors were always around to answer his questions one-on-one. These are the perks of small class sizes. Dahab was one of only seven students in the class.

“There’s more independence expected from students and much more attention from faculty than you would get at another master’s program,” he says. 

The program at NYUAD provides a good foundation for students interested in an academic career.

Zeyad Dahab, Class of 2020, MSc in Economics, NYUAD 2021

A second advantage of being among the first master’s students in NYUAD history, says Dahab, was the willingness of faculty and university administration to hear their ideas so the program could continue to be shaped and improved for future students.

“There were many feedback sessions. You can see your ideas are taken into consideration and implemented. It felt special being in the first cohort.”