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10 Years in Two Dynamic Cities

Posted on April 25, 2023, modified on April 25, 2023 by Maxine P

During this academic year, two NYU global locations arrived at an important milestone: 10 years as part of the NYU global community. NYU Shanghai and NYU Washington, DC, celebrate their accomplishments of the last decade.

NYU Shanghai

Last month, NYU Shanghai, one of NYU’s three degree-granting campuses, celebrated its 10th anniversary, beginning with a ceremony held on the school’s newly opened New Bund campus. Guests included founding partners from NYU’s New York City campus and East China Normal University as well as local government officials. NYU’s President Andrew Hamilton took the opportunity to reflect on the important role academic research plays in cultural democracy:

NYU Shanghai has blossomed into a thriving, remarkable university whose international faculty and student body epitomize NYU’s innovation and ambition. It is not only an important part of NYU, but the research and learnings that faculty and students take part in contribute enormously to cultural understanding across the globe. (NYU Shanghai News and Publications)

(pictured from left to right) Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai Jeffrey Lehman, NYU President Andy Hamilton, NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun

The ceremony was the first in a series of events celebrating the momentous anniversary. For example, Visiting Professor of Music and Composition and Distinguished Artist in Residence Bright Sheng conducted the concert, The Friendship of Two Cities: Shanghai–New York, featuring pianist Ming Xie and violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Two pieces were carefully curated for the program, “Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto” and “Rhapsody in Blue,” to represent Shanghai and New York City. The weekend also marked NYU Shanghai’s first-ever alumni reunion, and over 200 alumni attended celebratory and networking events including an alumni panel discussion and the Dean’s Open House and Faculty Salon.

NYU Shanghai’s student body president Stephanie Anderson ’23 and vice president Peirong Li ’24 gave inspiring remarks at the opening ceremony, encouraging students to bring positive change to the world: “Let us in true NYU Shanghai fashion, rise to meet the challenges of our new, post-pandemic world and contribute to empower our community.”

NYU Washington, DC

Andy Hamilton talking to smiling people in suits

President Hamilton speaks with alumni at the NYU Washington, DC, 10-year reception.

Celebrations for the 10th anniversary of NYU Washington, DC, one of the University’s global academic centers, began last fall with a reception for over 200 DC-based alumni. President Hamilton provided the keynote address and current students studying at NYU Washington, DC, joined the celebratory reception. The site also launched an inaugural film series with the theme Empire. Each month, a film related to the theme is screened at the Abramson Family Auditorium, followed by a discussion with a faculty moderator. The theme and related films provide an opportunity for students to reflect on the complexities inherent in history as well as international relations and politics today, taking advantage of the site’s location on the doorstep of international diplomacy.

Kari Miller speaking at a podium that says "NYUDC at 10"

NYU Washington, DC, Program Director Kari Miller speaks at the 10-year reception.

Director Kari Miller attributes the site’s success to several factors, including the Constance Milstein and Family Global Academic Center’s incredible facility and its central location downtown. Offering students the chance to take courses near the White House and the National Mall, the center’s proximity to a multitude of government agencies and organizations provides ample opportunities for students to gain practical experience through internships.

And what does Miller hope the next 10 years bring to NYU Washington, DC? “We hope to elevate the visibility of NYU Washington, DC, among our faculty and students at all degree-granting campuses, so that the site provides access to all of the teaching, learning, meeting, and research opportunities available in Washington, DC.”

Faculty Spotlight: Justin Randolph Thompson

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Maxine P

Three students of color talking with the Florence Duomo in the distance.

NYU Florence students enjoying the view of the Duomo from Piazzale Michelangelo

One marker of success when spending extended time in a new place (especially as a student) is how comprehensively one engages with the local culture. At NYU Florence, students are immersed in Italian and, specifically, Florentine culture through a range of courses and activities. And for over six years, Global Lecturer Justin Randolph Thompson has worked to ensure that experience includes the rich history of Black people in Italy.

In addition to his role as a lecturer at NYU Florence, Thompson, an artist, cultural facilitator, and educator, is the cofounder and director of Black History Month Florence, a multifaceted exploration of Black histories and cultures in the context of Italy. He also works with faculty and students to provide support for study abroad programs, offer internships and workshops, and share a space to connect with Black culture abroad. As a young man living in Italy, Thompson, who has lived between the United States and Italy since 1999, found that his relationship to Blackness was very much shaped by his environment.

Black History Month Florence

The first Black History Month Florence was created in 2016 to inspire much-needed connection—as a way to link Thompson’s projects to institutions in Florence and elevate his message. “Blackness extends into antiquity; there has never been a time in Italian history when there were not Black people here. But the country needed a framework to engage in more expansive conversations about Blackness.” Therefore, Thompson and cofounder Andre Thomas Halyard worked to build a network of like-minded people, artists, and writers to engage people with this history.

“In 1926 historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Month because there was a need to tell a more complete story about the United States. And 90 years later, there was a need to tell a more complete story about Italy,” Thompson explains. This year’s celebration, which began on February 1, has expanded to include about 50 events, and its network now stretches across Italy and beyond. “It’s a huge cultural moment,” Thompson says. “Every single time we’re able to pull this together thanks to a range of partners, it is an incredible demonstration of what’s possible.”

The Recovery Plan

Now that Thompson’s work has grown, Black History Month Florence is but one piece of a much more comprehensive puzzle. The Recovery Plan, which developed from the success of Black History Month Florence, is a Black cultural center that examines the history and contemporary legacy of Blackness in a global context. The center hosts a range of exhibitions, performances, lectures, seminars, workshops, and residencies designed to reflect upon Italy as a historic site for cultural exchange.

The Recovery Plan collaborates with organizations and institutions throughout and beyond Italy, supporting young Black Italian artists. The center also nourishes an archive and library for the study of Afrodescendent cultures while helping to provide training and support to its partners.

“This is the work that really needs to happen in order to safeguard layers of history that have been consistently excluded,” Thompson says. “These absences impact all of society.”

The Work Together Is the Reward

Thompson has exhibited and performed at institutions all over the world, including the Contemporary at Blue Star art institution in San Antonio, Texas; Villa Romana in Florence, Italy; the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, New York; and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain. He has also won a number of awards, including a 2022 Creative Capital Award, a 2020 Italian Council Research Fellowship, and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Competition award.

These awards have given Thompson the freedom to experiment and push the boundaries of his work, beginning projects and bringing on new partners even if he doesn’t know the outcome from the start. As an educator, he follows a similar philosophy: “My teaching—and the way I live my life—is about developing a relationship where we can question everything and exchange what it is that we do know,” he says. “Together, we create a more complete picture. Every one of us can contribute such important things to this world.”

Written by Sarah Bender

The Mission for Mental Health

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Katie L

Brian Hall is a world-renowned expert in global mental health, and he’s also the director of the Center for Global Health Equity and a professor of global public health at NYU Shanghai. According to Hall, the mission of the Center for Global Health Equity is to develop evidence around interventions that improve public mental health services and, in particular, respond to populations who experience adversities, including complex emergencies and disasters.

How does it fulfill its mission? “NYU Shanghai has given its full support to develop a leading center in global public health, and that commitment has already led to the center’s publication of more than 30 papers within 2022,” Hall says. Among its admirable output of work this year is a study on China’s existing literature in English and Chinese on mental health and psychological support (MHPSS) during calamities in the country from 2000 to 2021. The paper, “Mental health and psychosocial interventions to limit the adverse psychological effects of disasters and emergencies in China: A scoping review,” aims to understand the country’s MHPSS intervention research, policies for disasters and emergencies, and the efficacy of these interventions.

Hall’s research reveals that China’s experience in postcrisis psychosocial support was limited prior to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Since then, China has rapidly mobilized trained professionals to provide psychiatric and psychosocial services in affected communities, as demonstrated in the responses to the 2008 earthquake in the Sichuan Province and the COVID-19 outbreak in the Hubei Province in early 2020. In spite of these improvements, however, the study shows that critical gaps remain. For example, a lack of integration of MHPSS responses into the current national and local emergency response system, missing supervision and rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of mental health services, and regional imbalance in the quality and coverage of these services persist.

“It is critical to understand how China responds to disasters as this sets the stage for future development in the field domestically and provides the world a key vantage point to learn from successful implementation of MHPSS in our country,” says Hall. As senior author of the research and a commissioner of the Lancet Commission on Mental Health in China, Hall worked closely with notable scholars from Shanghai Mental Health Center, Sichuan University’s Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Columbia University for over a year to complete the project. The paper is part of the preparatory work for the Lancet Commission of Mental Health in China, cochaired by Central South University professor Xiao Shuiyuan and Columbia University professor Michael Phillips. The paper was recently published in The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific, a leading journal dedicated to advancing clinical practices and health policies in the Western Pacific region.

Repurposed with permission from NYU Shanghai News and Publications

Visions for the Future

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Maxine P

At NYU Abu Dhabi, Thani AlMheiri imagines the United Arab Emirates that could be

Thani AlMheiri

Nobody can forecast the future. But NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2023 student Thani AlMheiri is trying his best. And he’s excited to be part of it. In fact, he points to his education at NYU Abu Dhabi for preparing him for his current work as a participant in a new United Arab Emirates (UAE) government initiative and beyond.

Thani is a member of the Futureneers program, run by the UAE’s Government Development and the Future Office, designed to bring “together young Emirati talents from various strategic fields to design ideas and solutions aiming to enhance the UAE’s readiness for the future.”

“Futureneers is an unpaid part-time position. It is more about being a board member and leading projects that prepare the country for the future,” Thani explains. A Philosophy major, Thani credits NYU Abu Dhabi with helping him dream big and develop his ambitions. After coming to NYU Abu Dhabi, he says, “My educational scope expanded dramatically thanks to the diverse and deep range of disciplines offered in its liberal arts curriculum.” Thani took part in the Academic Enrichment Program, which helps prepare Emirati students to succeed at NYU. The program focuses on developing qualitative, linguistic, and argumentation skills through three thematically integrated courses. Additionally, it provides robust mentorship for students as they transition to the University. “The team of professors and educators were the best, and I owe them a very special thank you. Without them, I wouldn’t have learned to think across disciplines and see the world from multiple perspectives,” says Thani. “The program was the first step in my Futureneers journey. It encouraged me to start reading about government and philosophy.”

Then Professor Matthew Silverstein’s Tolerance course cemented Thani’s newfound interest in ethics and politics. “The course taught me about the many views of religious toleration and how government involvement affects religious practice,” he says. He was hooked: “It really solidified my interest in government and philosophy, which ultimately led to my role as a Futureneer. Today, I hope to become a lawyer or philosophy professor and turn my education into practical service to better my growing country.”

As a Futureneer, Thani is doing just that. Working with others in his cohort, he confidently envisions a vivid and optimistic future for the UAE. “I believe the UAE can become an innovative green hub and, eventually, a carbon-free society. Education will be available to everyone, and everyone will contribute what they learn back to society,” he affirms. “I want this to be a place where pioneers can come and try out their craziest ideas, ones that would never be possible anywhere else.”

Repurposed and updated with permission from Meet NYU

Staff Spotlight: Kari Miller, Program Director of NYU Washington, DC

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Katie L

Kari Miller

NYU Washington, DC, is a prime location for students to study and gain experience in public policy, politics, and international relations. Kari Miller, the center’s program director, has lived in Washington, DC, for over 20 years, bringing passion for both the city and international education to her leadership. Read on for Miller’s thoughts on her career, the importance of studying away, and the gem that is NYU Washington, DC.

Why do you think it’s important for students to study away?

Studying away gives you a platform to have a second home, away from home. It’s not expected that you will learn everything about a place in a few months, but when you study somewhere extraordinary, you will stay connected with that place your whole life. You will stay in touch with friends, you will make colleagues and connections, and you will continue to study and be part of the place.

What inspired your career in international education?

Growing up, my father was in the Air Force. When he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, my family was fortunate enough to go with him. We left when I was 3 and returned when I was 6, so my first vision of the United States was that of somebody who was coming from the outside in. Later, when I attended Spelman College, I studied abroad in South Africa, which later led me to earn my PhD in African Studies at Howard University. After having the incredible experience of studying abroad, I knew I wanted a career in international education.

What makes Washington, DC, such a special place to study?

Beyond the incredible opportunities to interact with various government organizations, cultural institutions, and nonprofit organizations, I think its geographic location makes Washington, DC, special. We are surrounded by water and farmlands in Maryland and Virginia. Within the city, it’s easy to find public spaces that you love. We have building height restrictions and well-organized streets so it’s easy to know where you are and where you are going.

A Setting for Study

Students are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the city. They could be studying dance and interning at the Kennedy Center or majoring in History and conducting research at the Library of Congress.

Even within the curriculum, students utilize Washington, DC, as a resource for its location and as a nexus of intellectual life. For example, the course Black Lives Writing Washington, DC, was launched in spring 2020 and continues to be offered to study away students. Coursework examines writings from 1845 to the present, beginning with the writings of Frederick Douglass and Harlem Renaissance writers, Zora Neale Hurston and Alain Locke, who studied at Howard University, also located in Washington, DC. Sites within Washington, DC, serve as an extension of the classroom: the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Howard University, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

Content repurposed and updated with permission from NYU Global Notebook

NYU and KAIST Celebrate New Partnership

Posted on November 3, 2022, modified on November 3, 2022 by Maxine P

A visit by South Korea’s president and the New York City mayor to NYU marks an important global academic partnership

KAIST President Lee Kwang Hyung with NYU President Andrew Hamilton

KAIST President Lee Kwang Hyung and NYU President Andrew Hamilton celebrate the NYU-KAIST partnership. ©Chandler: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau

New York University and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) recently celebrated their new partnership at an event that included South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, New York City mayor Eric Adams, NYU board of trustees chair William R. Berkley, NYU president Andrew Hamilton, and KAIST president Lee Kwang Hyung. The event included the City of New York and the KAIST delegation signing a cooperation agreement as well as unveiling signage for the anticipated joint New York City campus.

Collaboration Through Research

The partnership will focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, humanities, and mathematics, commencing with a series of research collaborations involving some 50 faculty members from the two institutions in areas such as biomedical engineering, AI convergence, neuroscience, next-generation wireless communications, cybersecurity, and sustainability, among other areas. In addition, discussions have begun between faculty of the two institutions regarding the possibility of establishing a joint undergraduate engineering degree program, as well as a study away program that would include intensive practical learning and industry experience in both countries.

Joint Programs and Student Exchange

The two universities have already identified dedicated space on each campus for their nascent joint collaborations. In New York City, the NYU-KAIST offices will be located at One MetroTech Center, at the heart of NYU’s Downtown Brooklyn campus specializing in engineering, tech, new media, and arts. KAIST will provide space for NYU personnel on their campus. With the goal of establishing a campus in New York City by 2025, KAIST has also been in discussion with New York City officials about its plans.

A Beneficial Partnership

“We’re proud to have helped facilitate this partnership between KAIST and New York University, which will be a real win for students and help drive continued innovation in our city,” said New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams. “From the time that senior members of our administration learned about this opportunity during a recent trip to South Korea, we have worked closely with KAIST to develop strategies for increasing their presence and investments in New York City. This is the start of a relationship that I am confident will bring even more academic, business, and technological opportunities to the five boroughs.”

“We’re delighted by our newly established partnership with KAIST,” said NYU’s President Andrew Hamilton. “We see great potential in the opportunities to collaborate on the development of courses, research, cutting-edge technologies, entrepreneurship initiatives and industrial partnerships, and exchanges. We believe this partnership is very much in line with NYU’s commitment to global engagement and will make important contributions to New York’s tech sector. It’s exciting to think how much NYU and KAIST have to learn from one another, and how much we may accomplish together.”

“We are very excited to have our institution come together with NYU to begin pursuing a common vision: joining forces to advance technology-based research and education; playing a leading role in addressing global challenges and problems through science and technology; and building stronger ties between Korea and the United States,” said KAIST’s President Kwang Hyung Lee. “This partnership with an institution that shares our sense of cutting-edge research and global social responsibility recalls the spirit of international partnership and assistance that led to the creation of KAIST in 1971.”

Content repurposed with permission from NYU News.

Minds and Machines at NYU Paris

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Maxine P

In this philosophy course, students learn the art and science of debate

A Twist on a Traditional Philosophy Course

Dr. Frédérique de Vignemont

In her philosophy course called Minds and Machines at NYU Paris, Dr. Frédérique de Vignemont merges concepts from the humanities and the sciences to offer a unique and interactive experience for her students. “I’m a philosopher who likes to talk about science,” she says. “I’m not just hard-core humanities. In my class I try to get the two sides talking, which can sometimes be a challenge. My class is open to all majors, and that makes it interesting because each student brings a unique perspective to the table.”

Philosophy in Practice

Dr. de Vignemont’s course is a series of lectures on philosophical concepts coupled with interactive debates about thought-provoking questions like: Can machines think like humans? Do all animals feel pain? Are humans different from machines?

“I choose debate topics that students can feel deeply about,” Dr. de Vignemont says. “This class is all about practicing philosophy, not just reading or listening to lectures about it. During debates, I help students find their way of thinking and formulate their objections.”

According to Dr. de Vignemont, the ability to debate is an important skill for students to have regardless of their major. “Students need to learn how to listen to each other, even when they disagree. They also need to learn how to present their arguments in a way that the other side can understand.”

For Xichen Li, a College of Arts and Science Class of 2023 Philosophy major, the course’s weekly debates were her favorite part because they exposed her to different perspectives and allowed her to recognize the flaws in her own arguments.

“During the debates, I was able to broaden and diversify my perspectives on philosophical issues and life in general,” says Xichen. “As the class went on, we learned how to think and debate in more creative, rigorous, and nuanced ways. The habit of debating continues to benefit me to this day.”

Beyond the lectures and debates, Dr. de Vignemont teaches students more general skills like how to analyze a paper, how to defend a viewpoint, and how to synthesize their findings.

Two students seated in the foreground in discussion with Dr. de Vignemont seated in the background

Dr. de Vignemont listens to students debate in her NYU Paris course, Minds and Machines.

Gaining Unexpected Life Skills

When students complete the Minds and Machines course at NYU Paris, they leave with an appreciation for life’s quiet complexities. They know how to think critically about topics, ask probing questions, and find comfort in the unknown. “As an undergraduate, I was told the ability to be surprised is the main philosophical skill,” says Dr. de Vignemont. “We take so many things for granted. It’s the philosopher’s job to be picky and ask questions. While I’m not sure students will get many answers from this class, I’m certain they’ll learn how to ask new questions.”

And that’s exactly what happened for Xichen Li—she felt the power and beauty of questioning for the very first time.

“I realized questioning existing answers can open up new possibilities,” says Xichen. “Sometimes asking questions can point out flaws in our past understanding and push our mindsets forward. But even when our mindsets don’t move forward (because many philosophical questions seem to have no clear answers), asking questions can reveal how ignorant and finite we are. In this class I learned that questioning is a fantastic way to explore the world and feel the depth of the unknown.”

Written by Samantha Jamison

NYU London Professor Valerie Wells Published in Cancer Gene Therapy

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Katie L

βGBP cytokine, a naturally occurring molecule in the human body, has the ability to induce cell death in cancer cells, finds a new study from NYU London professor Valerie Wells and King’s College London professor Livio Mallucci. Published in Cancer Gene Therapy, their coauthored paper on the mechanisms of cell signaling and gene expression reports that the molecule can regulate cell proliferation by either controlling an intrinsic S phase (DNA replication) checkpoint in normal cells or inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Their findings provide a rationale for understanding how a process that naturally controls cell proliferation has extended anticancer potentials.

Collaboration with King’s College London

According to Wells, her research has progressed over many years while working with Professor Mallucci and the King’s College London Cell Signalling and Growth Laboratory. Their recent paper is an extension of previous work, including their 2019 publication in the British Journal of Cancer, where they report that the βGBP cytokine is a “physiological inducer of procedures that lead to immunogenic cell death.” Unlike chemotherapy treatments, which carry associated toxicity, Wells and her team showed that the βGBP cytokine is a safe immune molecule that acts as a tumor suppressor with the potential for long-term protection against cancer. This paper provides “direct experimental evidence for a rationale to explore the potential of a strategy based on the use of a natural immunomolecule with no innate toxicity.”

Professor Valerie Wells, a Brief Biography

Professor Valerie Wells

Professor Valerie Wells is a research scientist and lecturer at NYU London who studies the operation of signaling pathways in different cell types. After the βGBP cytokine was found to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, Wells continued her research by investigating the molecular signaling pathways the βGBP cytokine controls to regulate the normal cell cycle and cause programmed cell death and immunogenic cell death in tumor cells.

During her time at NYU, Wells has fused her passion for research and teaching into one meaningful career. “The combination of research and teaching is both enjoyable and valuable,” she says. “NYU students’ commitment to their studies, their ideas, and their discussions and their interest in relating their studies to the wider context provide an interesting and stimulating atmosphere for the teaching aspect of my career.”

To read the full paper by Wells and Mallucci, titled “Intrinsic S phase checkpoint enforced by an antiproliferative oncosuppressor cytokine,” visit Cancer Gene Therapy. To read their 2019 paper, titled “Sourcing the immune system to induce immunogenic cell death in Kras-colorectal cancer cells,” visit the British Journal of Cancer.

Written by Samantha Jamison

Bilingualism Comes Naturally to Our Brains

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Katie L

The brain uses a shared mechanism for combining words from a single language as well as ones from two different languages, a team of neuroscientists has discovered. The findings indicate that switching languages comes naturally to those who are bilingual because the brain has a mechanism that does not detect that the language has switched, allowing for a seamless transition in the comprehension of more than one language at once.

“Our brains are capable of engaging in multiple languages,” explains Sarah Phillips, an NYU linguistics doctoral candidate and the lead author of the paper, “Composition within and between Languages in the Bilingual Mind,” which appears in the journal eNeuro. “Languages may differ in what sounds they use and how they organize words to form sentences. However, all languages involve the process of combining words to express complex thoughts.”

“Bilinguals show a fascinating version of this process—their brains readily combine words from different languages, much like when combining words from the same language,” adds Liina Pylkkänen, the codirector of the Neuroscience of Language Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi, a professor in NYU’s linguistics and psychology departments, and the paper’s senior author.

A teacher instructs a student writing letters on a whiteboard

An estimated 60 million people in the United States use at least two languages, according to the US Census. Across the globe, the majority of people know more than one language. Indeed, many countries have more than one official national language.

Unsurprisingly, in today’s highly globalized world, bilingualism provides a variety of meaningful social and practical advantages. People using multiple languages can converse with a wider array of people, and they can also more readily connect across cultures and adjust to new situations. At NYU, students studying away benefit from exploring new places and having new experiences as members of the University’s global network. But they also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different language, deepening their experience and sharpening their minds.

Yet, despite the domestic and international widespread nature and evident benefits of bi- and multilingualism, the neurological mechanisms used to understand and produce more than one language are not well understood. This terrain is an intriguing one; bilinguals often mix their two languages together as they converse with one another, raising questions about how the brain functions in such exchanges.

Phillips and Pylkkänen sought to better understand these processes. They explored whether bilinguals interpret these mixed-language expressions using the same mechanisms as when comprehending single-language expressions or, alternatively, if understanding mixed-language expressions engages the brain in a unique way.

To test this, the scientists measured the neural activity of Korean and English bilinguals. The study’s subjects viewed a series of word combinations and pictures on a computer screen. Then, they indicated whether or not the picture matched the preceding words. The words either formed a two-word sentence or were simply a pair of verbs that did not combine into a meaningful phrase (such as, “icicles melt” versus “jump melt”). In some instances, the two words came from a single language (Korean or English) while others used both languages, with the latter mimicking mixed-language conversations.

In order to measure the study subjects’ brain activity during these experiments, the researchers deployed magnetoencephalography. The technique maps neural activity by recording magnetic fields generated by the electrical currents produced by our brains.

The recordings showed that Korean and English bilinguals, in interpreting mixed-language expressions, used the same neural mechanism as they did while interpreting single-language expressions. Specifically, the brain’s left anterior temporal lobe, a brain region well studied for its role in combining the meanings of multiple words, was insensitive to whether the words it received were from the same language or from different languages. This region, then, proceeded to assign complex meaning to two related words regardless of whether they shared a language.

These findings suggest that language switching is natural for bilinguals because the brain has a combinatory mechanism that does not “sense” the language has switched. “Earlier studies have examined how our brains can interpret an infinite number of expressions within a single language,” Phillips observes. “This research shows bilingual brains can, with striking ease, interpret complex expressions containing words from different languages.”

You can watch Phillips discussing her research on bilingual speakers in this NYU-produced video (credit: NYU, courtesy of Kate Lord).

Content repurposed with permission from NYU News

In Conversation with Lecturer Anna Kazumi Stahl: Finding Your Voice Abroad

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Katie L

Growing up in a Japanese German American family, Anna Kazumi Stahl enjoyed playing word games, savoring the subtle but culturally precise differences in meaning across languages. It’s no surprise then that writing came to play a significant role in her life.

Anna Kazumi Stahl

When Stahl decided to study abroad in Argentina as a college student, she’d never visited the country before. But there, she discovered an unexpected creative energy in its literary culture—and she found it inspiring. “Studying abroad can open up more opportunities than you can rationally know beforehand,” Stahl reflects. “Especially when you are traveling to a culture that is new, unfamiliar, and potentially full of revelations.” Today, Stahl has lived in Argentina for 20 years, where she serves as NYU Buenos Aires’ program director and teaches the course Creative Writing: Argentina.

NYU: In your view, what can studying creative writing teach us about ourselves and the world?

Stahl: Words are a very special instrument for transmitting experience. They can communicate a message clearly to a broad, diverse audience and yet also preserve and highlight the individual voice, mood, and moment. Moreover, communicating effectively with your words and your storytelling is a key skill today, more relevant than ever in this fast-paced, multimedia, and multicultural age. In my class students work on expanding their knowledge about styles and techniques for writing. In the process they become more empowered to apply those tools to their own purposes.

NYU: What is unique about studying creative writing in Buenos Aires?

Stahl: Being in a foreign environment heightens your perceptions; you are exploring and adapting to new local realities. At the same time, because reflection and inner processing are also part of writing as an art, you hone your self-awareness. You strengthen your own voice and its range; you stretch it to be able to encompass the new experiences you’re having abroad.

My course provides a structure for each student to begin and sustain a personal writing practice and find their own style and interests. In general, everyone is putting words to the experience of living abroad. So everyone is creating stories or poetic pieces and sometimes even multimedia narratives around what they are seeing, hearing, tasting, and experiencing every day. Whether going about their new routines or heading out to travel, writing becomes part of completing any given experience: it captures the moment, delves below the surface, and makes more sense of the ephemeral first impressions.

Plus, there’s another dimension in the course: I want my students to meet people who can connect them to the profession of being a writer. So we meet with published authors, publishers, and agents. They demythologize some aspects and also give their personal perspectives and advice. Every spring is special because our Creative Writing: Argentina course often gets a slot at the International Book Fair of Buenos Aires, where students read a piece of their own original work to a local audience.

NYU: When it comes to studying away, what one piece of advice would you give students?

Stahl: Be open-minded.

NYU: As a lecturer, what goal do you hope all your students achieve as a result of studying with you?

Stahl: My core goal is for all students to find and strengthen their voice—and to do so in an environment that values difference and respects spaces of dialogue and exchange.

NYU: What three things do you encourage your students to do to deepen their understanding of Buenos Aires?

Stahl: Try the shared ritual of drinking maté. Learn to recognize the terms from Indigenous languages that are woven into the Spanish of Argentina—maybe even take up one of the 15 Indigenous languages still spoken here. Ride a bus, any bus, on its whole route, and let the city as it rolls by show you its incredible diversity, contrasting neighborhoods, wide-ranging socioeconomic realities, and vibrantly unique cultural enclaves, all flowing together as you ride end-to-end through this massive, major Latin American megacity.

Content repurposed with permission from NYU Global Notebook