Academic Program Proposals

Established in 2008, the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute is a major hub of scholarly and creative activity, advanced research, and co-curricular enrichment. The Institute is a cornerstone of NYUAD’s academic excellence, bringing together faculty and students from institutions of higher learning, professionals from both the public and private sectors, and leading experts from all over the globe, the region, and the UAE.

The Institute sponsors and coordinates major academic conferences, research workshops, lectures, film series, exhibitions, and theatrical and musical performances. Through a comprehensive range of activities, the Institute forms an intellectual and programmatic link between NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi, and bridges and creates knowledge communities across the globe.

The Institute welcomes proposals for conferences, workshops, and regional collaborative seminars in all fields of study that have thematic relevance to NYUAD’s curriculum and areas of research (Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science, and Social Science). Proposals can be submitted by full-time faculty from any of NYU’s global sites or scholars of another international institution of higher education who play an active and leading role in research and scholarship. 

  • To provide public and specialized academic forums for discourse about cultural, historical, artistic, and scientific themes, having global significance as well as special relevance for Abu Dhabi and curricular development; 
  • To contribute to the academic experience of NYUAD’s faculty and students; 
  • To establish networks of collaboration and cooperation with local and regional academic and professional institutions; and 
  • To invite scholars and faculty from NYU and around the world to Abu Dhabi in order to contribute to NYUAD’s potential as an incubator of ideas and innovation.

As part of the process, applicants will be expected to submit a Commitment Memorandum, which will be peer reviewed and then presented to the NYUAD Institute Steering Committee, who will give a final decision. The Institute’s Steering Committee will look favorably upon proposals that exhibit concrete and organic collaborative opportunities with local and regional partners. To ensure that the proposed program is as successful and productive as it can be, applicants are encouraged to make a special effort to explore, as early as the proposal planning stage, all opportunities to include relevant collaborators from the UAE and the Middle East. 

More information and proposal guidelines can be found in the Institute’s Memorandum of Understanding.

For more information, please reach out to nyuad.program.proposal@nyu.edu

For public talks, please contact nyuad.institute@nyu.edu