On most days during his freshman year, Evan Wang would enter the university library at 9am and study there until 2am the next morning.
"I miss the 2am library every day," reminisced Wang, adding that it “was probably the most productive time in my life." For Wang, those long days in the library helped him build resilience.
Wang, 22, graduated from NYU Abu Dhabi in 2025 with a major in economics and a minor in mathematics. After graduation, he started working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong.
Journey to Abu Dhabi
Wang arrived at NYUAD without a clear plan for what he wanted to study as a freshman. "I came totally undecided from a traditional Chinese high school where you study all subjects without much choice," said Wang.
"At first, I tried computer science and mathematics… before settling on economics as my major and mathematics as my minor,” he added.
When applying for universities, he was determined to look beyond China. "I have a natural curiosity about the world. I want to do something a little bit different. I want to experience the life of people in different parts of the world," he said.
He applied to universities in the US, but an encounter with an NYUAD alumnus convinced him to apply to NYUAD where he will be at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
With opportunities to interact with a variety of cultures and to experience many global sites, it made the NYUAD journey exciting for Wang.
Core subjects
NYUAD's core subjects were one of the university’s defining features for Wang. "The core subjects we have here are much more extensive than most of the US universities, or even compared to some US liberal arts colleges," he said.
Economics came to him almost by accident. Hearing about a class called Markets that could fulfill a social science core requirement, he decided to take the course.
As a student who has never studied economics before, Wang didn’t really understand the appeal of economics initially. "It's just a theory, a framework of how to think about yourself," Wang commented. But the more he dived into it, the more he realized that economics is much more than a set of theories. That perspective fascinated him and ultimately led him to choose economics as his major. It helped that Professor Baraka was amazing at tackling different real-world cases in class, Wang said.
Understanding the profession he wanted to pursue was a gradual process, informed by conversations with others. Wang credits Professor Barakat for shaping his academic and professional foundation.
"He is the best finance professor I've ever had. He is very straightforward about the mistakes you make, and he's very straightforward about guidance. He wants you to achieve,” said Wang.
Start internships early
Wang moved through internships deliberately, trying consulting before pivoting to corporate banking in Dubai. In 2023, during his third year as a student, he began applying for junior summer internships and received a job offer in November. He was primarily targeting Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, drawn back to Asia as he missed Asian food.
"Food was a primary consideration to move back to Hong Kong. I missed Asian food so much," he said.
At Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, Wang works in leverage finance, focusing on bond issuance for corporate and sovereign clients, as well as acquisition financing. He plans to stay for a couple of years before exploring opportunities within the firm, whether in a different region, a larger team, or a different office.
Read more: Our career development center supports students in gaining experience through internships.
What NYUAD taught him
Wang reflects that NYUAD's lack of a prescribed career path was, paradoxically, its greatest strength.
"At NYU Abu Dhabi, there is no set path to become an investment banker or consultant. So most of the time, you need to make many decisions for yourself, whether to do an internship or spend some time on courses. You have to face those decision-making moments quite often,” he said.
His advice to current students who feel at a loss on their next steps: “Never be shy. Reach out to people."
"The reality is, the people who are senior to you are willing to share. They're much more willing to teach than you expect. It will push you to learn something new every time you talk to new people,” Wang added.
For a student who once spent every day of his freshman year in a library until it closed, the lesson is clear: work matters, but so does knowing when to look up from the books and ask for help.
