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Honors and Awards

First-Year Students from NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai Named Future Global Leaders Fellows

Internationally competitive three-year fellowship provides top-quality programming for aspiring leaders committed to building a better world

Press Release

NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Class of 2019 student Munachiso Nwadike and NYU Shanghai (NYUSH) Class of 2019 student Haiyan Zhang have been accepted into the Future Global Leaders Fellowship. The fellowship is an accelerator for top first-year students who want to become members of the Fortis Society - the world’s first private network of diverse leaders committed to one another’s success and to building a better world.

Nwadike and Zhang will be joined by 18 students selected from around the world who were selected for their resilience, passion, leadership abilities, commitment to empowering others, and global ambition. Successful fellows are evaluated against a number of criteria and priority is given to students who come from humble backgrounds and meet all requirements.

NYUAD Class of 2019 student Munachiso Nwadike said: “Having a network of motivated individuals who are committed to one another's success is often a great contributor to one's own success. This Fellowship will be a wonderful opportunity, and an interesting addition to what NYUAD already has to offer."

NYUSH Class of 2019 student Haiyan Zhang said: “I hold a firm believe that the process of actualizing oneself and others are not separated. I see the fellowship as a great opportunity to communicate with others from diverse cultures and to bond with talented students from throughout the world.”

NYUAD Director of Global Awards, Doug Cutchins said: “We're exceptionally proud of and excited for Munachiso to have this fantastic opportunity. Munachiso has already made a substantial impact on our campus in his first year, and has set himself up to be an important leader in his remaining years here. I am sure that being a part of the Future Global Leaders program will help Munachiso continue to develop as a leader and scholar, and that he will benefit greatly from the leadership activities, internships, and professional mentoring that this program includes. Munachiso is emblematic of the exceptional international education that NYUAD students receive, and I look forward to many future NYUAD students following in his footsteps.”

NYU Shanghai Director of Global Awards Anna Kathryn Kendrick said: “The Future Global Leaders Foundation recognizes that innovative leadership must draw from all strata and sectors of society, all disciplines and ways of thinking. We are extremely proud to have Haiyan represent the liberal arts at NYU Shanghai. Learning to question, draw connections, and develop her own academic expertise, Haiyan is well on her way to forging a new path. We wish her all the best in this transformative three-year experience.”

The Foundation provides Fellows with a mentor to serve as their first professional contact, kick start their global network, and give personal insights into what it takes to reach the highest levels of success. For more information visit: http://www.futureleaders.org/

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.