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Artists Find Inspiration Through Inaugural Residency Programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai

Nester kneels with headphones on on the edge of a boat. A dolphin fin can be seen in the water in the distance.

Nester recording dolphins in the Arabian Gulf

Artists in residence enrich a university community by bringing new ideas and inspiring new questions, and that’s exactly what the inaugural artists in residence at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai did this past year in the sites’ programs.    

NYU has long hosted artists in residence, but a global expansion allows the community to flourish in unexpected ways. “It’s understanding what people do, what their work involves, and then hopefully coming up with something together that we can explore that opens up both of our minds,” Sam Nester, the inaugural artist in residence at NYU Abu Dhabi, says. Nester, a trumpet player, composer, and sound artist who grew up in Australia, didn’t come in with a scientific background—but that was the point. As an artist he could learn from the scientists and vice versa. “The creative process is just like the scientific process,” he says. “There’s lots of learning and questions.”  

Sam Nester playing a trumpet

Sam Nester

During Nester’s residency, he worked with the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology to turn human genomes into sound, and partnered with scientists like Dr. John Burt, PhD, to place microphones in the Arabian Gulf—one of the warmest bodies of water in the world—to record the sounds of dying coral reefs onto plastic “vinyl” plucked from the ocean. “We’re tracking the changes of those sounds,” he says, explaining that “changes in acoustic properties might help us understand what happens with biodiversity with heat stress.”

Not only do artists in residence foster a sense of innovation and creativity on campus, but they work in various roles, and can also help students think outside the box. Lei, a Shanghai native, was NYU Shanghai’s inaugural artist in residence, along with Dennis de Bel, an artistic researcher, educator, and radio amateur.

Wooden instruments mounted on a wallLei taught for the first time during his residency, and while the University had originally proposed he complete a project by himself, Lei decided to slowly involve his students. He created a wall installation of wooden musical instruments that experimented with how we experience sound, and he let his students join in the performance when he exhibited them. He also curated exhibitions for his students to display their own work. “We need this kind of courage to do something new,” says Lei, who has a background in music, engineering, and the visual arts. “So I played that kind of role [to encourage students], but they also supported me because it was the first time I’ve taught.”

A group of people holding and looking at Lei's wooden instruments

The NYU Shanghai community got to engage with Lei’s wooden musical instruments at the final exhibition.

Lei says ultimately, the final project was less important than the relationships he cultivated with his colleagues, students, and the Shanghai community—especially everyone who came out for the final exhibition. “We shared that moment together, and I think that was the most beautiful part,” he says. Nester echoes those sentiments. “One of the things that was very special about this residency…is that I’ve also made some really wonderful friends and colleagues that I never would have had the opportunity to unless I was there,” Nester concludes. “I feel like part of my heart is left there as well, which is a beautiful and wonderful thing.” 

Written by Marti Trgovich

NYU London Opens New Academic Center

This fall NYU London moved to its new location at 265 Strand. About a mile southeast from its former location and a short distance from the Temple London Underground Station, the new center offers students studying away an experience unique from other sites in the NYU global network.

The Best Location in London

The new building, in the heart of central London, is “truly one of the best locations in London,” says Mojtaba Moatamedi, executive director of the site. “We’re about 10 minutes away from Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament and just down the street from the Royal Courts of Justice. It’s also a central location for music and the arts, with numerous theatres and art galleries within walking distance.”

Additionally, the new site shares a courtyard with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which offers NYU students ample opportunity to socialize with LSE students and students from other schools in the area, including King’s College London. “This should enhance the NYU student experience and offer them a real community of students studying in the UK,” says Moatamedi.

A Building Specially Suited for NYU London

Staff and faculty at NYU London worked closely with a team of architects to ensure the new center would meet student needs for space and technology. The spirit of NYU London’s previous intimate classrooms remains at the heart of the design, allowing students and faculty to build connections in small classes. However, doubling the building’s square footage means there is now room for much-needed community spaces. On-site student spaces include a cafeteria, student lounges, and an office space for the student affairs team. This means that student life is nested in the academic building, seamlessly integrating two aspects of the student experience. Moreover, 265 Strand contains larger lecture halls, allowing the site to invite renowned academics from across the United Kingdom for discussions and events.

Students Get Inspired at NYU Washington, DC

Learn from students who were transformed by their experience at NYU Washington, DC, as they share the inspiration they drew from their proximity to history in the nation’s capital as well as the opportunities they seized to get involved in real-time politics.

Rogan Kersh Is the New Academic Director of NYU Florence

Portrait of Rogan Kersh

For Professor Rogan Kersh, becoming the academic director of NYU Florence and the vice chancellor for Global Programs is the culmination of a lifelong interest in world cultures—and a full-circle moment in his history with NYU.

From 2006 to 2012, Kersh was the associate dean of the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. There, among his other responsibilities, he was involved in the early planning stages of NYU Abu Dhabi, which fueled his passion for enhancing students’ global outlooks. For the next decade, Kersh served as provost at his alma mater, Wake Forest University, where he helped expand overseas study programs and global cultural opportunities on campus. In the fall of 2022, he spent a semester at DIS Copenhagen, teaching a course and engaging closely with their leadership to better understand the changing state of global education.

Now that he’s back at NYU, Global Dimensions caught up with Kersh to discuss his return to the University and his goals for NYU Florence.

What drew you back to NYU and specifically to NYU Florence?

I’ve remained close to many cherished NYU colleagues, and it will be wonderful to renew those relationships. For an organization this large and multinational, it’s remarkable how important personal connections are. As for NYU Florence: if you’ve visited, you know.

A group of students with their instructor walk through La Piazza della Signorina

In your new role, what are your key goals for the site?

NYU Florence is at once a first-class study away program and a convening site important to NYU and to the city of Florence. Sustaining that balance, attending both to academic excellence and community engagement, feels essential.

I plan on learning as fully as I can about existing curricula, courses, and programs, and hearing from faculty and staff about the opportunities they see to enhance this wonderful site. Then, I will focus on working with them to help realize those opportunities.

What do you recommend students studying away at NYU Florence take advantage of while they are there? 

I’ve always been impressed with how well Florence wears its extraordinary historyso many remarkable figures and movements and moments, most superbly preserved—while remaining a dynamic modern ecosystem that is a global leader in sustainability and has developed a thriving start-up culture. Villa La Pietra

Students can exercise their passion in virtually any direction and take advantage of so much: superb dining, from haute cuisine to street food; natural beauty in an urban setting; engagement with local public service organizations; and cultural treasures both ancient and newly imagined. And of course there are architectural gems everywhere you wander. 

Many NYU Florence students find themselves spending fewer weekends city-hopping and more immersed in their fascinating immediate surroundings, which speaks to the power of the experience they have. 

Written by Kristin Maffei

NYU Tulsa Kicks Off with Alternative Spring Break

Select NYU community members became the first to experience the University’s newest global site at NYU Tulsa through the Alternative Breaks program earlier this year.

A group of students and staff smile at a person speaking to them

NYU students and staff learn about Gathering Place before volunteering begins.

NYU Alternative Breaks emphasize exploring the integration of service, education, and reflection to create meaningful change in communities. The Tulsa trip focused on community development and outdoor recreation while providing opportunities for students to learn more about the area’s rich history and culture. 

A group of 12 students as well as two staff advisers spent one week volunteering at Gathering Place, a world-class riverfront park. Like its name suggests, Gathering Place functions as a space for the Tulsa community to experience nature together. Volunteers connected with guests through play, engagement, and surveying; performed horticulture duties; and learned about the park, its vision, and its goals. “It is not your typical park,” says Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development sophomore Amanda Wang. “It truly serves as a place for people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities to come together.” For Amanda that often involved using the park’s unique resources to interact with children—playing instruments with them at the outdoor music stage or making arts and crafts in the makerspace.

A person stands in front of a screen with a map and key of Gathering Place and talks to a table of students and staff

A Gathering Place representative introduces the NYU alternative spring break cohort to the geography and offerings of the park.

“By engaging in volunteering, students immerse themselves in a new community, broadening their perspectives,” explains Casey Duffy, the manager for domestic study away career development. Duffy accompanied the students to Tulsa as a staff adviser. “These hands-on experiences offer practical learning outside the classroom, providing them with valuable skills and a deeper understanding of real-world issues.”

Tulsa is an area with rich history, reflected in upcoming classes that focus on Native arts, Black economic freedom, subnational policymaking, and clean energy. During their trip, students got a taste of the city’s complex past and colorful present with excursions to historic sites and cultural centers.

They visited the historic Greenwood District and Black Wall Street, spending hours at the Greenwood Rising history center, which tells the story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The Woody Guthrie Center building with a mural of Woody Guthrie that says, "This Land is Your Land"

The Woody Guthrie Center

Additionally, they traveled to Pawhuska, home to the Osage Nation, one of Oklahoma’s 39 tribes. They rounded out the trip with visits to cultural sites, including the Bob Dylan Center, Woody Guthrie Center, Philbrook Museum of Art, and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship and Arts District. “The arts and writing scene is incredibly rich in Tulsa, and we had the opportunity to see what local artists were working on,” Amanda shares. “Their work has a meaningful purpose, touching upon identity, race, and gender.”

NYU Tulsa officially launches in spring 2025, providing a range of unique opportunities. “No matter what you’re studying, Tulsa can offer so many opportunities for you to dive deeper into your passions and interests. The community there is really what makes the city so special,” Amanda concludes.

Written by Sarah Bender

Exploring Local Culture to Inform a Career

Julia Antwi-Boasiako poses from rocky terrain in front of a green field of trees with hills in the background

Julia Antwi-Boasiako

For College of Arts and Science student Julia Antwi-Boasiako, the opportunity to study at NYU Accra was a chance to revisit Ghana, the country where she was raised, and explore new possibilities for her future. The senior, who is majoring in Global Public Health and Sociology and minoring in Chemistry, immersed herself in local culture and professional experiences through impactful courses and an intensive internship.

To learn more about the history of Ghana from the 15th century through the rise of slavery in the Americas, Julia signed up for the class The Black Atlantic. Students explored a range of genres, including film, fiction, and formal scholarship, to examine how African communities were shaped during this time. She also took City As Text, which focused on Ghana’s modern society. In this course, Julia had the chance to tour two different areas within Accra, an affluent neighborhood and an impoverished one. She drew on the city as a primary resource for academic research and critical inquiry, completing formal interviews with locals to help her construct her final project.

“I have always dreamed of installing health resources back in Ghana. City As Text gave me an understanding of the needs of the population and resources that can help improve their circumstances,” Julia says. “I hope to further my education in the health and medical field in order to accomplish this objective, and these courses have given me a boost in my motivation.”

A small group of people standing in front of Black Star Gate in Accra

Black Star Gate in Accra, a photo from Julia’s time there

It took Julia some time to adjust to the culture of the city—though she spent a large portion of her childhood in Ghana, she’s lived in the United States since she was 12. At first, there were times when it was difficult for her to understand the locals’ perspectives. “Despite all this, the culture in Accra was amazing,” Julia remembers. “The locals are very amiable, funny, and always eager to strike a conversation and get to know you. I made many friends with local shop employees and even security personnel.”

In addition to classes and exploring, Julia also interned for the African Social Research Lab, working with the Eban Centre for Human Trafficking Studies. The internship was more research-intensive than she initially expected, but that wasn’t a problem. In fact, it made her realize how much she enjoys doing research, helping her understand her ideal future work environment.

“I wanted to be involved with a human services organization, and the internship made me aware of wanting to be in a field that was more hands-on and interactive,” Julia says. “Being able to listen to the stories of others and try to understand their backgrounds and perspectives was something I really enjoyed doing.”

Repurposed with permission from the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development’s blog

A New Policy Promotes Public Health and Faith Leaders to Jointly Prepare for Future Health Crises

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy poses significant challenges to public health efforts worldwide, continuing to put people at risk of contracting preventable diseases like polio, HPV, measles, and influenza. At this critical juncture, based on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has endorsed a new policy. Acknowledging the vital role faith leaders play in influencing their communities, this policy, developed and coauthored by eight experts including Dr. Inon Schenker, an NYU Tel Aviv lecturer, calls for wider engagement of public health leaders with faith-based organizations to improve public health and vaccine equity. The authors studied instances of collaboration between public health and religious leaders and found positive results, particularly in underserved, marginalized, and hard-to-reach populations.

Dr. Schenker, a public health specialist with over 20 years of experience in research and practice in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, explains, “The policy reflects a fresh perspective on connecting faith and public health. Faith leadership—priests, rabbis, imams—are highly respected in their respective communities. The trust and influencing power over large cadres of people they wield can make a difference in pandemic preparedness and response.” Dr. Schenker’s diverse background in public health, with experience working with the World Health Organization, civil society organizations, and the private sector, underscores the importance of combining practical experience with academic insights—a philosophy deeply embedded in the NYU ethos. This is also the third time he is leading APHA teams to develop endorsed global health policies.

Two women and four men seated, in discussion. Signage in the background includes various religious symbols.

Jewish, Muslim, and Christian participants in a panel on interfaith collaboration with public health experts held in Karlsruhe, Germany, underscore the important roles religious leaders have in promoting vaccination and supporting community health.
Photo Credit: Julia M/JIVI

Turning Recommendations into Results

Dr. Schenker emphasizes the importance of spreading awareness about the new policy and translating its recommendations into action items. He urges prompt implementation to address pressing health challenges, better prepare for future pandemics, and improve overall health equity. Some of the policy’s recommendations include engaging in ongoing dialogue with religious organizations to develop strategies for the local and global levels; identifying areas where public health and religious leaders can collaborate to protect life and prevent disease; investing in faith-based vaccination initiatives and culturally appropriate messaging; launching religious organization–led programs to reach those who are vaccine hesitant; and training faith leaders to work with public health leaders and vice versa.

Drawing on real-life examples, Dr. Schenker shares past success stories, like a recent initiative in Jerusalem where religious leaders came together to endorse collaboration between faith communities and public health agencies. He also participates in ongoing research efforts in Israel, such as using mosques as hubs for community centers for older adults and for health-promotion interventions.

Inspiring Better Outcomes

Overall, the new policy underscores the potential for pragmatic collaboration between faith-based organizations and public health authorities to tackle vaccine hesitancy, bolster emergency preparedness, and respond to urban health issues. Through mutual respect and a shared vision, these partnerships have the power to drive meaningful change and promote better health outcomes for all.

Sixteen men wearing masks and religious garb standing together

The President of Israel convened a meeting of faith leaders in Jerusalem to cosign a declaration calling for faith communities worldwide to collaborate with the medical profession on public health issues. Pictured above: The Latin Patriarch, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa; The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III; The Anglican Archbishop, Dr. Hossam Na’um; The President of the Muslim Shari’a Court of Appeals, Sheikh Abed Elhakim Samara; The Druze Community Leader, Sheikh Mouwafaq Tarrif; The Secretary General of the Baha’i Movement in Israel, Dr. David Rutstein; The Rishon LeZion, Chief (Sephardi) Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef; The Chief (Ashkenazi) Rabbi of Israel, President of the Supreme Rabbinical Court, Rabbi David Lau
Photo Credit: Koby Gideon/GPO

Written by Kelsey Rexroat

Toward Health Equity Across the Globe: NYU Shanghai’s Brian Hall Named Highly Cited Researcher in the Field of Psychiatry and Psychology

Portrait of Professor Brian Hall Professor Brian Hall has always kept a busy schedule. The global health researcher and clinical psychologist began his career providing triage services at a free medical clinic in Ohio, then he took his work to a post-tsunami Japan in 2011. With a dedication to supporting underserved and disadvantaged populations, he’s worked with refugees in Jijiga, Ethiopia, and migrant domestic workers in Macao, China. Today, he’s the director of NYU Shanghai’s Center for Global Health Equity and a professor of global public health. He’s also coauthored more than 320 peer-reviewed publications, commentaries, and chapters on the most pressing global health issues of our time, leading to his distinctions as a 2022 and 2023 Highly Cited Researcher in the field of Psychiatry and Psychology by Clarivate’s Web of Science. “It really highlights that our work is timely, focused on key issues of global priority that demonstrate a real impact on the field,” he says. “It is an honor.”
 
Hall joined NYU Shanghai in 2020 to lead the development of the global public health curriculum and ultimately the Center for Global Health Equity, at a time when public health reentered the spotlight. Since then, he’s also developed and taught a student-driven NYU seminar course on global mental health, which, to the best of his knowledge, is the first of its kind in Asia. Today, he oversees the center in three core areas: education, training, and mentoring; service to the community; and research. “Global health is a convening discipline, bringing diverse scholars and students together to address issues related to population health and well-being. Our goal is to continue to cultivate this interdisciplinary research atmosphere and include learners at all levels,” Hall explains. “This is a field in which we can make a real difference in the lives of diverse populations in China, regionally, and around the world.”
 
A group of individuals stand in front of a decorative poster.

Hall and colleagues celebrate the successful trial of Step-by-Step, a digital mental health intervention, on Chinese university students.

At the center, Hall says, We focus our efforts on finding opportunities to make the greatest public health impact.” Currently, that includes noncommunicable diseases, like cancer and mental health, urban health, climate change, and migration. Now Hall is focusing on digital mental health interventions. Working with the World Health Organization, he recently published an implementation trial to address the mental health of Chinese university students—a population of more than 9 million. Going forward, the center is coleading a 1.3 million euro grant to study the barriers of accessing mental health care that migrant populations in five countries experience.

Jin Han, Yang Feng, and Brian Hall seated in chairs in discussion

Jin Han, Yang Feng, and Hall in discussion at the inaugural Summit in Global Public Health held by NYU’s New York City and Shanghai campuses

Because the center is based at NYU Shanghai, Hall and his colleagues have access to a wealth of resources. “Shanghai is a living laboratory, and NYU Shanghai is a vibrant interdisciplinary research university,” he affirms. “So we can find world-leading researchers and promising pretenure faculty and fellows with whom we can discuss opportunities for collaboration across fields. I think this makes NYU Shanghai unique, as we think outside of our own narrow fields to find intersections where innovation can take place.”

Written by Dana Guterman