NYU Abu Dhabi has announced the 2019/2020 class of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program (SMSP), which enhances existing skills of outstanding students in the United Arab Emirates and provides them with special academic and leadership opportunities.
The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, established by NYU Abu Dhabi in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Education Council, draws on students in their third and fourth years of study in the UAE’s national institutions of higher learning — United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, and the Higher Colleges of Technology.
Sixty students were nominated by the three institutions to be considered for the Scholars program. Of these, 40 were selected as finalists and were interviewed, and 24 were selected as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars by a distinguished panel of judges from NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and leaders from the local community.
Education With Global Focus
The 2019/2020 Scholars will take either one of two special classes. The first option is a course entitled Challenges of the New Political Economy, taught by the former US Ambassador to the UAE Michael Corbin. The second offering is the course US Foreign Policy, taught by noted author and journalist James Traub. In addition, all Scholars will take courses on Leadership Development, Public Speaking and Public Presentations, and Critical Thinking and Persuasive Writing. During the year, the program participants will travel to the US to visit government sites in Washington, DC, and hold classes at the Washington Square campus in New York while also touring major cultural attractions in the two cities.
Program participants will travel to the US to visit government sites in Washington, DC, and hold classes at the Washington Square campus in New York.
Co-chair of the Scholars Program Steering Committee Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pointed that the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program recognizes promising students and provides them with unparalleled educational and leadership development opportunities. She added that the students who won the chance to become Scholars for this year should be very proud of their achievements.
Furthermore, Her Highness highlighted that the UAE’s unwavering support is the primary force behind the selected Scholars’ continued success, emphasizing that they are the future leaders of tomorrow who will help serve this nation, fulfill its ambitions, and ensure it is always at the international forefront.
Executive Director of the Scholars Program and Advisor to NYUAD Leadership Diane C. Yu said: “We are delighted that these exceptional young men and women will be part of this new class of Scholars. They represent the very best qualities of academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, leadership potential, creativity, skills, and accomplishments among the top university students in the UAE. They are a diverse and dynamic group, and we hope they will benefit greatly from what they will learn and experience through the program.”
The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program is one of two Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Community Programs operated by NYU Abu Dhabi. The other is the NYUAD Summer Academy for recipients of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarships for Outstanding High School Students, which is a competitively selected college preparatory academy for Abu Dhabi-based Emirati high school students entering their tenth year.
