Alumni

Shared Values

NYU Abu Dhabi was founded in 2010 to educate students to be true citizens of the world. Like the main campus, NYU Abu Dhabi seeks to promote liberal arts education with the benefits of a research university, supporting interaction with new people and ideas.

The spirit of NYU is the spirit of New York, diverse, dynamic, and ambitious. NYU Abu Dhabi students and alumni can certainly relate to that, as a 2018 student-led values survey revealed that three of the top characteristics of the NYU Abu Dhabi community are curiosity, creativity, and passion.

Continuing Tradition

Since its founding, NYU has been a paradigm-shifter. Established as a non-denominational institution, NYU sought to enroll students regardless of their social background, an unusual practice for its time. As the first portal campus of the first truly global university, NYUAD is a continuation of that legacy of paradigm-shifting and its alumni a part of that tradition. 

Whether you spent all your summers and a study away semester in New York or have never even been to the city, you are a valued part of the NYU community. NYU Abu Dhabi students and alumni come from around the world, just like NYU students and alumni.

NYU Legacy

In 1831, New York University was founded in New York City to establish “in this immense and fast-growing city ... a system of rational and practical education fitting for all and graciously opened to all.” So said Albert Gallatin, one of the founders of NYU and a former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Originally known as the University of the City of New York, NYU endeavored to serve as a social investment, providing education for those interested in academic pursuits, the arts, commerce, and professional careers.

In its first semester in 1832, NYU enrolled 158 students. Over 180 years later, NYU Abu Dhabi began its first semester, also with 150 students.

As NYU Abu Dhabi Alumni

...we are a unique part of the extraordinary whole that is NYU.
Our experiences may not be the same as someone who spent their four years in the Square, but we share a unique and common bond.  The perspective that we bring as NYU Abu Dhabi alumni to the NYU community is a valuable piece of the alumni network to which we all belong.