Abu Dhabi, September 25, 2018:   NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has announced the 2018-2019 class of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program (SMSP), which enhances existing skills of outstanding students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and provides them with special academic and leadership opportunities.

 

The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, established by NYUAD in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), draws on students in their third and fourth years of study in the UAE’s national institutions of higher learning—United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Zayed University (ZU), and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). 60 students were nominated by the three institutions to be considered for the Scholars program. Of these, 38 were selected as finalists and were interviewed, and 24 were selected as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars by a distinguished panel of judges from NYUAD, NYU New York, and leaders from the local community.

 

The 2018-2019 scholars will select one of two specialized classes. The first option is a course entitled “Challenges of the New Political Economy,” taught by the former US Ambassador to the UAE, Ambassador 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, Critical Thinking, and Persuasive Writing. During the year, the program participants will travel to the US to visit government sites in Washington, D.C., and hold classes at the Washington Square campus in New York while also touring major cultural attractions in the two cities.

 

Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, co-chair of the Scholars Program Steering Committee, 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.

 

Diane C. Yu, Executive Director of the Scholars Program and Counselor to NYUAD Leadership 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 2018-2019 Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars are:

The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program is one of two Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Community Programs operated by NYUAD. 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 eleventh year.