Luke Tyburski

Currently studying African Studies and International Economics  at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, Luke Tyburski got his first taste of international affairs as a student at NYU Abu Dhabi. 

“NYUAD was my dream school since early in high school,” he says. “I wanted something different. I already knew I was interested in an international career,” he continues, “I wanted to break stereotypes about Americans as monolingual and ignorant about geography and other parts of the world.” 

Studying Arabic and French, Luke subverted those stereotypes and was also keen to share his culture with his classmates. One of his favorite memories from NYU Abu Dhabi was hosting Thanksgiving dinner every year. Spending all day cooking traditional Thanksgiving dishes, from turkey to pies, he celebrated this American holiday with 25 of his classmates, sharing its traditions and values.  

“The most interesting thing is that being away from home has made me more conscious of being an American. I am proud of where I come from and am confident that NYUAD helped make me a better representative of my home country.” 

After graduating from NYU Abu Dhabi in 2017, Luke spent a year as a field coordinator for a development project in Sierra Leone. “It was a good test for me since I am interested in working for embassies abroad, especially in Africa,” he notes. 

Luke currently holds a Project Assistant position with the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, a D.C.-based think tank. He will graduate from SAIS in 2020 and hopes to pursue a career in Africa policy.