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Explore the Unique Course Offerings of NYU Shanghai

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Maxine P

Students at NYU Shanghai live and study in one of the most innovative cities in the world. Shanghai, China’s largest city, is a global hub for business, technology, and art. Faculty at the top of their fields teach unique and varied courses across NYU Shanghai’s 19 majors and 23 minors, offering students numerous opportunities to engage with the city as they expand their knowledge and perspective.

The Future of Fashion and Technology

In the innovative NYU Shanghai course Interactive Fashion, Professor Marcela Godoy immerses students in the future of fashion and technology. Specifically, students learn to use computational design, digital fabrication, and soft robotics to create a garment that reflects societal issues. “Historically, what we wear has been used to express our identity and complex issues related to class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality,” says Godoy. “Now, technology allows us to see our clothing as an extension of our bodies.”

Outside the classroom, students engage with the fashion-forward city of Shanghai during trips to unique locations like the 3D Printing Culture Museum of China. At the end of each semester, students showcase their unique creations during a lively runway show.

Service Learning with Impact

Another dynamic course offered at NYU Shanghai is Language and Power with Professor Marcel Daniels. In this course students travel to centers across Shanghai to teach English to migrant communities. Through experiential learning, they explore the social, cultural, and political factors influencing language usage. At the same time, they use their own cultural and linguistic lenses to contextualize their experience. “This course allows students to perform meaningful service to an underserved population while immediately applying insights from the course content,” says Daniels.

Margaret Czarnik, a Social Science major at NYU Shanghai in the Class of 2026, describes Language and Power as her “most extraordinary educational experience.” The course pushed her outside her comfort zone and cultivated a tight-knit community among her classmates. “After a few lessons, I already felt like I was a part of something bigger,” Margaret says. “We were exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, and giving each other advice.” In addition, Margaret uncovered her love of applied linguistics through this experience. “I became so passionate about this field that I presented my final project from the class at the Undergraduate Research Symposium,” she explains.

Movement as a Tool for Exploration, Creativity, and Expression

Students of all experience levels explore the craft of dance creation in Professor Yuting Zhao’s course Choreography and Performance. Throughout the semester, they practice dance combinations and improvisation while creating their own solo and collective works. “Students are invited to think beyond their intellectual world and use their body and movement as a way of understanding and exploring the world,” says Zhao.

For Tate Pan, an NYU Shanghai Class of 2024 graduate who double-majored in Neural Science and Social Science, the Choreography and Performance course was transformative. “Creating art often requires spaces—physical, emotional, and supportive—to move, express vulnerability, and transform it into strength,” says Tate. “This class offers all of that, organically. Despite never considering myself a dancer, this course welcomed me into the world of dance and choreography. It equipped me with tools to express myself creatively through movement.”

Shanghai as the Classroom

In Shanghai Architecture for Chinese Language Learners, Professor Beilei Gu uses Shanghai’s rich architectural heritage as a tool to improve students’ Chinese language skills. Through the class’s innovative integration of language learning and exploration, the vibrant city of Shanghai becomes the classroom.

“During biweekly city walks, students immerse themselves in the city’s architectural landscape,” Gu says. “Our explorations range from the historic elegance of the international area and the quaint old lanes of Yuyuan Road to the iconic skyscrapers of Qiantan and the architectural marvels of the Bund,” she continues. As a result, these experiences allow students to immerse themselves in the local culture and architecture, fostering a deeper connection with the city.

Look behind the scenes at these and several more innovative courses at NYU Shanghai in the video linked above.

Written by Olivia Richter

Taste and Place: Food, Culture, and Globalization at NYU Berlin

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Katie L

Berlin is a city shaped by movement—of people, ideas, and flavors. From bustling street markets to late-night döner kebab stands, Berlin’s food culture tells a story of migration, adaptation, and identity. Students explore these connections on the ground at NYU Berlin in Food, Culture, and Globalization, a course taught by Burcu Serdar Köknar. With a background in architecture and landscape design, Serdar Köknar offers a unique perspective on how food not only nourishes communities but also transforms urban spaces, creating a dynamic dialogue between culture and place.

Food as Culture

Serdar Köknar’s interest in food started as an architecture student in Istanbul. While conducting her studies, she worked in professional kitchens and became fascinated by the way food shaped communities. Now based in Berlin, she continues to investigate how food production and consumption define a city’s character.

“This course puts food at the center of the conversation, using it as a lens to explore culture and globalization,” Serdar Köknar explains. “Berlin offers an incredible opportunity to experience the city through taste, smell, and atmosphere. Its diverse food scene—shaped by history, migration, and globalization—offers a unique environment to explore the connections between food, space, and identity.”

Students document their experiences in the course with a sensory urban food diary, recording their personal food experiences and analyzing how food shapes the city’s social and physical environment.

Berlin’s Culinary Identity

A hand holding a paper-wrapped sandwich with veggies and meat between bread

Döner kebab—a Berlin icon.

Berlin’s most famous street food, the döner kebab, is one of the course’s focal points. Believed to be brought to Germany by a Turkish Gastarbeiter or ‘guest worker’ in 1972, the döner has become an essential part of Berlin’s identity, reflecting the city’s multicultural character.

“Berlin’s food culture thrives on diversity, with immigrant influences shaping not just restaurant menus but also the city’s urban identity,” says Serdar Köknar. “The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is döner kebab—a Berlin icon. But there’s so much more!”

The course also explores other immigrant-influenced foods, such as Levantine manakish, Vietnamese phở and bánh mì, and hummus and falafel from Lebanese, Syrian, Israeli, and Palestinian cuisines. These dishes, once considered foreign, have become local favorites and are now integral to the city’s food culture.

Berlin as a Living Classroom

The city itself is a key part of the learning experience. “Berlin is at the heart of this course,” she emphasizes. “It serves as both a case study and a living laboratory.”

Students visit various food spaces—street markets, community kitchens, and immigrant-owned restaurants—to analyze how food fosters community and reclaims public space. A key field visit takes students to Prinzessinnengärten, a well-known urban garden and social space where students explore community-driven food initiatives.

For Serdar Köknar, food is more than sustenance. It’s an experience that layers memory, identity, and place. “Food has the power to bring people together and shape spaces,” she says. With its rich and diverse culinary scene, Berlin offers an unparalleled opportunity to study food not just as a cultural product, but as a force that shapes the urban landscape.

Written by Kristin Maffei

NYU Washington, DC, Program Director Kari Miller Leads Students on a Journey Through Time and Space

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Katie L

Kari Miller

When Kari Miller, program director for NYU Washington, DC, and affiliated faculty with NYU’s Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, sees the city, she finds a reservoir of public memory sites that speak to African American history and an unfinished story chronicling resilience over time. These observations are what she aims to share with NYU students from near and far in her class Black Lives Writing Washington, DC.

Each spring semester Miller begins the course with an exploration of the abolitionist movement. She then moves in chronological order through two other major movements in African American history: the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter.

“Through novels, poetry, visual arts, and in-person site visits to a variety of sites in Washington, DC, the course explores the connections between these three historical movements that have all been shaped by Washington, DC,” Miller says. “We explore the complexity of American and Washington, DC, history through the eyes of writers who, at some point in their lives, have called the city home.”

City Connections

To Miller, making real-world connections with topics discussed in the classroom is a vital part of learning—and of studying away at NYU Washington, DC. “We visit sites around the city in order to connect directly with historical neighborhoods and areas that relate back to the books that we read,” she explains.

After reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the first site visit is the National Park Service site of the abolitionist’s home. They visit Georgetown University as they read Rachel Swarns’ The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved to Build the American Catholic Church. They visit the city’s Shaw neighborhood, home to Howard University, when they read Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. They even visit the mansions of Logan Circle, a few blocks from the site’s academic center after reading Dinaw Mengestu’s The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, a novel that focuses on the Ethiopian-American community in Washington, DC.

“Excursions are very immersive, and student responses have been overwhelmingly positive,” Miller reflects. “Everyone especially enjoys our visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.”

: Students from Miller’s Black Lives Writing Washington, DC, course visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture

: Black Lives Writing Washington, DC, students visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

A Work in Progress

The course site visits, readings, and assignments don’t just encourage students to reflect on the past, but they celebrate the present as well. “I enjoy using all of the city’s art galleries and museums to make connections to our work through the visual arts,” she explains. “There is always a nearby or local exhibit in Washington, DC, that our students are able to go to, not only to appreciate Harlem Renaissance artists, but to learn about expressions of contemporary artists who are creating great works of art today.” Regardless of where in space and time Miller leads her students, the continuing story of African Americans and their impact on our nation remains at the center.

“In comparison to other nations that are thousands of years old, the United States is relatively very, very young. It is truly a work in progress,” Miller adds. “Through the history shaped and created in Washington, DC, I hope our students take away inspiration, motivation, and the desire to continue to build a better world, based on what we’ve learned and what we know is possible through movements, people, and progress.”

Written by Sarah Bender

Exploring Local Culture to Inform a Career

Posted on May 13, 2024, modified on May 13, 2024 by Maxine P

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

The Global Liberal Studies Course Taught Around the World

Posted on April 1, 2024, modified on April 1, 2024 by Maxine P

A group of students smile at the camera on a city sidewalk

Students in Cecilia Palmeiro’s “City as Text” class in Buenos Aires’ La Boca neighborhood. The class studies its traditional tenements—painted in different colors—in reading the history of Buenos Aires through its architecture. Photo credit: Daniel Espinoza

Global Liberal Studies (GLS) majors have the unique opportunity to take the course City As Text during the fall semester at most locations in NYU’s global network. The course, part of the GLS junior-year learning sequence, selects location-specific texts to immerse students in the setting where they’re living and learning. “Across all City As Text courses, emphasis is placed on the importance of primary sources. Students academically investigate their present geographic setting but also experience its profound intricacies on-site. The classroom work, alongside the field trips, is designed to facilitate the framing and contextualization of the study away experience,” says Philip Kain, the director of academic engagement and experiential learning and a clinical professor at Liberal Studies.

For example, at NYU Buenos Aires, readings and lectures are enhanced with visits from local government officials and activists. And, of course, excursions throughout the city to places like the Palace of the Argentine National Congress, Plaza de Mayo, and La Boca neighborhood, an artists’ haven that many 19th- and 20th-century European immigrants called home, provide further insight for students. “We produce a kind of knowledge that fosters reflection and analysis that exceeds the singularity of Buenos Aires and inspires their approach to other places,” says NYU Buenos Aires course instructor Cecelia Palmeiro, an expert on Argentine and Brazilian literature and gender issues, a researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council, and the coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies and Policies at the National University of Tres de Febrero.

A group of students stand in front of a street mural featuring Argentinian soccer player Diego Maradona

Students in Cecilia Palmeiro’s “City as Text” in front of a mural of Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona in Buenos Aries’ La Boca neighborhood. Photo credit: Daniel Espinoza.

This fall in Palmeiro’s class, students considered the past and present of Buenos Aires through the lenses of immigration, environmental concerns, art and its role in political protest, and reproductive health. “In order to obtain the critical tools necessary to make sense and produce academic knowledge out of this experience, students read ‘Neoliberal Reform and Landscape Change in Buenos Aires, Argentina’ by David Keeling and the classic ‘The Right to the City’ by David Harvey,” explains Palmeiro.

This approach is not singular to NYU Buenos Aires, however, as students at NYU London traveled to the city’s Brixton district to learn about the area’s musical history and shifting racial makeup. And at NYU Accra, students focused on how migration and religion shaped the Ghanaian capital, visiting places of worship to learn in context.

Architect Cecilia Alvis points to a colorful mural

Architect Cecilia Alvis with “City as Text” students in front of a mural on the Nicolás Avellaneda Bridge. Photo credit: Daniel Espinoza

NYU Paris students studied the potential impacts of the 2024 Summer Olympics, learning about the social and environmental impacts of the upcoming event, and in NYU Berlin, students contextualized their learning with the history and landmarks of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the Cold War. “City As Text has played a significant role in the GLS curriculum since its inception. Our aim was to create a course centered on active engagement at the study away locations with a global perspective as its foundation,” concludes Kain.

Repurposed from NYU News

Global Dimensions