Fifteen NYU Abu Dhabi students have been named the University’s first Laidlaw Scholars, selected from a pool of 128 applicants.
Supported by the Laidlaw Foundation, the 18-month program begins with a faculty-mentored summer research project and culminates in a “Leadership in Action” experience, where students work with communities and organizations to address real-world challenges.
Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of Laidlaw Scholars: Ali Al Dailati, Anastasia Gaynullina, Alex Kurian, Ghalia Fohami, Hani Keshtkar, Hemanta Bhandari, Irene Oballe Simon, Mayada Abuhaleeqa, Meerah Al Kalbani, Meshack Moseti Mangana, Mohammed Faheem, Oumou Madeleine Sylla, Sabina Craciun Panicker, Yordanos (Jordan) Legesse, and Zena Al Maqatish.
Research on robotic movements
One of the selected scholars is first year student, Ghalia Fohami (NYUAD ‘29).
Fohami says, “When I heard the opportunity was available to freshmen, I was thrilled… Furthermore, the opportunity places heavy emphasis on developing and implementing actionable research through the first year of summer research and second year of establishing a Leadership in Action project. I strongly believe that it is more important now than ever to become the leaders and establish real impact for our future.”
Fohami will be working closely with Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Fares Abu Dakka on teaching robots to master “hands-on” tasks by having them mimic human touch and pressure. Using a framework called Dynamic Movement Primitives, this research refines how robots feel and adapt to physical contact. “This research serves to bridge the gap between rigid machine motion and the tactile adaptability of humans to pave the way for robots that can safely assist humans in everyday, unpredictable environments,” Fohami adds.
Exploring interactions between psychological traits and economic behavior
Alex Kurian (NYUAD ‘28) will be working with the World Behaviors and Stereotypes Dataset that is collected by Professor of Economics, Nikos Nikiforakis and his team from the NYUAD Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID).
“I’m looking forward to the people I’ll meet through this program, whether that’s postdocs at C-BID during my research, fellow Laidlaw scholars, or others through the Leadership in Action project,” Kurian says.
Understanding space conditions
Kenyan student Meshack Moseti (NYUAD ‘29) will work in the Space Exploration Lab at NYUAD under the guidance of Principal Investigator Dimitra Atri, studying how space conditions affect astronauts and their equipment.
By using materials on Earth that replicate the Moon’s surface, known as lunar simulants, Moseti will test tools before they are sent into space. Through computation tools, this research work supports preparation for future missions, such as NASA’s Artemis Program, which is being used as a step towards human exploration of Mars, Moseti explains.
AI in everyday learning
Drawn to the relevance of AI in everyday learning especially for students and her recent J-Term course where she studied the effects of AI on the fashion industry, Zena Muqattash’s research focus as a Laidlaw scholar will be on how students are using tools like generative AI to learn new languages more effectively.
“As an economics student, I’m interested in how people adapt their behavior when new technologies are introduced, and this project explores that in a very practical way,” Muqattash (NYUAD ‘29) says.
Guided by Visiting Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities Professor Eduardo Lage-Otero, Muqattash will help identify what works best for language learning through surveys and analysis.
Leadership development sessions
Throughout the program, students will take part in leadership development sessions at NYU Abu Dhabi, complete ethical leadership training through the University of Oxford, and join a global network of Laidlaw Scholars across partner universities. They will also have opportunities to present their work at the international Laidlaw Scholars Conference. As the first Laidlaw partner institution in the MENA region, NYU Abu Dhabi’s inaugural cohort marks the beginning of a broader effort to connect research, leadership, and real-world engagement.
