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Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak to Speak at NYU Abu Dhabi’s 2023 Commencement

Environmental champion HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak to speak at the University’s 10th Commencement ceremony

Press Release

Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the leadership team of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the UAE, will deliver the keynote speech at NYU Abu Dhabi’s 10th Commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 24.

HE Razan Al Mubarak’s role as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, announced in January this year, includes mobilizing climate action among non-state actors, including cities, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and investors, through advocacy, representation, and fundraising.

For more than 20 years, as founding managing director of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, managing director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, and managing director at Emirates Nature, HE Razan Al Mubarak has played a leadership role in the UAE’s commitment to a more sustainable future. She also serves as a board member of several environmental organizations in the UAE, and she was recognized by the World Economic Forum in 2018 as one of the top 100 Young Global Leaders.

I am honored to serve as the commencement speaker at NYU Abu Dhabi, an institution that continues to make significant strides in its second decade, fostering a culture of academic excellence, innovation, and global engagement. Commencement day is a celebration of the remarkable achievements and transformative experiences of the graduating Class of 2023.

Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the leadership team of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the UAE

Razan Al Mubarak said, “NYU Abu Dhabi is a beacon of knowledge that nurtures outstanding graduates who will help shape the future of our planet. Its commitment to sustainability, social justice, and the preservation of our natural world aligns with my own values as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28."

Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak is a true environmental champion who has worked tirelessly over many years to preserve biodiversity and make the world a more sustainable place. She is an inspiring leader on climate and role model as the second woman to lead the IUCN in its 72-year history. She was also the youngest person to be appointed to lead an Abu Dhabi Government entity. We are especially delighted that our graduating students will hear her words of wisdom and encouragement at our tenth Commencement and in the UAE’s Year of Sustainability.

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann

NYU Abu Dhabi’s Class of 2023 comprises some 455 students from more than 80 countries, speaking over 65 languages. The ceremony will feature a tribute to the graduating class, the presentations of the Global Leadership Award and the NYUAD Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Ceremony of the Torch. The NYU torch, symbolizing academic purpose and authority, has been an integral part of NYU's global identity since 1911, and a part of its commencement ceremonies since 1938.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

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