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NYU Shanghai Launches New Partnership with NYU Wagner’s Public Administration PhD Program

Posted on October 24, 2022, modified on October 24, 2022 by Kristin Law

NYU Shanghai and the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service partnered to launch a new research and study abroad opportunity for those pursuing a PhD in Public Administration. The new program brings NYU Shanghai’s total number of PhD offerings to 11. The application cycle for the class arriving in the fall of 2023 is now closed, but the NYU Wagner application portal will reopen next fall for fall 2024 candidates.

The new program is especially attractive to students with a special interest in urban planning and policy, according to NYU Shanghai assistant professor of urban science and policy ChengHe Guan, the program’s supervising faculty member.

“Urban digitalization has become an irresistible trend around the world for its significant role in accelerating economic growth, improving urban governance, promoting sustainable urban growth, and facilitating many aspects of our lives,” Guan says. “China is now at the forefront of urban digitalization. I hope we can tackle China’s new urban challenges from a global perspective and share our experience in building digital smart cities with the world,” Guan adds.

A Lab for the Cities of Tomorrow

“At our new state-level NYU Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science, students will use advanced technology, such as big data and artificial intelligence, to undertake a multidisciplinary exploration of this digital urban transformation through urban studies, data science, urban planning, urban ecology, urban geography, urban economics, and real estate development,” Guan says. It’s a great platform for PhD students, with three main research areas:

Planning for sustainable postpandemic cities
Planning for the growth of climate-responsive low-carbon cities in the context of greenhouse gas mitigation
Planning for environmentally sensitive urban green and blue infrastructure using social sensing techniques

The NYU Advantage

Like many of NYU Shanghai’s master’s and PhD offerings, the PhD in Public Administration builds upon the academic resources and research communities within NYU’s global network. Admitted students pursue their coursework at NYU Wagner in New York City for one to two years before relocating to Shanghai for research under the supervision of NYU Shanghai faculty. Students mostly spend summer terms, especially during their first two years, in Shanghai as well. All PhD candidates earn an NYU doctoral degree upon graduation.

NYU Wagner is among the top-ranking public policy schools in the United States, especially in urban planning and policy, where the school ranks first in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Admitted students have many opportunities to study and conduct research with some of the world’s top faculty in the field.

In Shanghai students can participate in research conducted at the NYU Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science, the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research, and the Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence as well as access the abundant resources at the Center for Global Asia.

“Faculty across NYU Shanghai are researching the intelligent design of cities. Our emerging interdisciplinary strength in this area made establishing a doctoral program in partnership with NYU Wagner perfectly apt. Students in the program analyze how urban centers around the world like Shanghai are shaped in today’s era from scientific and policy perspectives, all while gaining a unique, global, two-campus experience that only a university like NYU can offer,” says Eric H. Mao, the NYU Shanghai dean of graduate and advanced education.

All admitted students are fully funded under the NYU Shanghai Doctoral Fellowship, which covers tuition and fees and provides students with international health insurance, travel funds, and an annual stipend. Since fall 2015, 50 students have enrolled in NYU Shanghai PhD programs.

Story repurposed (and updated) with permission from NYU Shanghai News and Publications.

Professor Li Li Unpacks the Mysteries of the Brain

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Katie L

Professor Li Li’s career has taken her across the globe, from Lanzhou to Beijing and Rhode Island to Hong Kong. As a professor of neural science and psychology at NYU Shanghai, she’s worked in academia, at NASA, and in the private sector all while raising two daughters. Recently, she met with the NYU Shanghai News team to reflect on her journey across continents and industries—and share how she found her way back to academia in Shanghai.

You started your academic career as a Psychology major at Peking University (PKU). How did you settle on neuroscience as your field of study?

I followed a very typical growth path of a good Chinese student back in high school in Lanzhou, Gansu. I was good at taking exams and got a good grade on the gaokao [the national college entrance exams] to get into PKU. When deciding on my major, I picked Psychology because it seemed the most interesting and could provide me with opportunities to interact with people.

Psychology has many subareas, and I felt most interested in using experimental and computational methods to study rules and mechanisms underlying our cognition, which is also known as cognitive psychology. I still remember the shock I experienced when I entered the Perception, Action and Cognition Lab at Brown University for the first time about 20 years ago. Researchers in the lab were using these visual displays and virtual reality techniques to conduct scientific experiments and expand the boundaries of knowledge with so much passion. It made me say, “Wow, this is so cool!”

As a typical “science person,” the most attractive aspect of scientific research for me is that it allows data to speak for itself. I initially focused on memory and representation, but later on, I found that it was not strongly driven by data in many ways. So I shifted my focus to perception and action. I enjoy using scientific methodologies to study brains, and I am obsessed with the beauty of the logic, precision, and scientificity of research. I’m always searching for the keys to unaddressed questions through research.

Li Li smiling in a cap a gown surrounded by other graduates

You’ve worked in both academia and industry. How did you finally settle on university research and teaching as your life’s work?

After obtaining my PhD from Brown University and working as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School, I gradually lost confidence in my career as an academic. I foresaw the entire career path, which lacked surprises and dampened my enthusiasm. I wanted to explore more possibilities, so I went into industry.

I worked as a human factors scientist at an engineering and scientific consulting firm in the Bay Area of California. But I soon became bored with the simple and repetitive procedural work I was assigned to do every day. More importantly, I felt I was wasting my graduate and postdoctoral training. Though the university salary was not as competitive as that in industry, I realized my true joy comes from figuring out the essence of the world and deciphering the mystery of the brain.

While making all these job shifts, I constantly asked myself what on earth I was working for. Did I work for intellectual challenges or monetary reward? The majority of people will choose to go into industry, leaving only a small group of people who can endure loneliness and stick to research. I eventually realized that the “lonely” research path fits me better.

Since joining NYU Shanghai, you’ve spent a lot of time and effort on building three different labs. Could you tell us more about them?

The first lab, the Perception and Action Virtual Reality Lab, focuses on using virtual reality techniques to study perception, control of self-motion, and eye–hand coordination. The second lab is the Perception and Action Neural Mechanism Lab, which focuses on examining the related underlying neural mechanisms. The third lab is the Neuropsychology Lab at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. We study visuomotor and locomotion control in patients with neurodegenerative motor deficits, such as Parkinson’s disease.

Recently, we conducted a series of fMRI experiments and identified the areas of the brain where motion and form information are integrated for the perception of self-motion. We also examined baseball players’ basic visuomotor abilities and found that their basic eye-tracking ability could predict their potential to hit baseballs. Moreover, we discovered that visuomotor control ability becomes impaired and brain structure changes during the incubation period of neurodegenerative diseases.

As a teacher, what particular skills and traits do you encourage your students to cultivate to become more successful in the classroom or lab?

I’d like to share two things. First, the details are of paramount importance and play a decisive role in yielding extraordinary results in scientific experiments. As rigor and credibility lay the foundation for scientific research, I always ask students to pay more attention to the details, put more effort into the experimental design and the comprehension of logic, take the initiative to explore the reasons behind each step in the experiment, and prevent themselves from forgetfulness, carelessness, and taking anything for granted.

Second, long-term development in research should be supported by proficient academic writing skills. I urge my students to read more and practice their writing as much as possible so they can strengthen their sensitivity in using the English language and improve the logic and organization of their writing.

Lastly, what advice do you give to aspiring neuroscientists?

I think students who aim to study neuroscience should have intrinsic curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the nature of the brain. Thinking critically about the relationship between experiments and theory is also necessary. I suggest all students who want to make a career in science never give up or give in. In all areas of life, a successful person is not always the smartest person, but they are certainly the one who can stick it out until the end. As a perfectionist myself, I always hold an “excelsior” attitude toward work and research, and I hope that students will not be satisfied with their current situation. Only excellence can make endless progress.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Content repurposed with permission from NYU Shanghai News and Publications

NYU Shanghai Faculty Ranks Boosted by 34 New Members and 28 ‘Go Local’ Instructors

Posted on October 21, 2020, modified on September 29, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

As classes began on September 14 – live for students in Shanghai and online for students around the world still waiting for visas to enter China – NYU Shanghai welcomed 34 new full-time faculty members from 10 countries for the 2020-2021 academic year. The new members span 20 academic fields from Finance to Art History to Journalism, including the university’s first faculty member in the field of Global Public Health.

An additional 28 new faculty have joined the university this fall to help deliver in-person courses to the NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi students taking part in the NYU Global Network’s “Go Local” program at NYU Shanghai.

“We are thrilled that NYU Shanghai continues to attract a remarkable group of faculty across the disciplines, people whose research is stellar and whose dedication to teaching is exemplary,” says Provost and Julius Silver Professor of History Joanna Waley-Cohen. “I know they will greatly enrich our expanded academic community, and am very much looking forward to getting to know them all over the next few weeks.”

NYU Shanghai’s full-time faculty has more than doubled from just 102 members in 2014 to 226 members this year, representing 25 nationalities.

Among this year’s newcomers is Yufeng Professor of Social Science Wu Xiaogang, who will serve as the founding director of NYU Shanghai’s newest research center, the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER). Wu, whose scholarship examines inequality and social stratification in China, most recently led a team of researchers investigating how family and community ties supported individuals’ well-being under anti-coronavirus quarantine restrictions in Wuhan. “NYU Shanghai offers a perfect environment for scholars to conduct first-rate China research that can have both local reach and global impact,” Wu says.

This fall, the university also welcomes Brian J. Hall as Associate Professor of Global Public Health. Hall, who leads the Global and Community Mental Health Research Group, focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to population health challenges, particularly among migrant worker groups in the Asia-Pacific region.

“My work in China has been ongoing for more than eight years, and I view NYU Shanghai as an excellent home and platform for this work to continue and expand,” Hall says. “I am excited about the university’s intimate scholarly community, the exceptional students, and the emphasis on interdisciplinary research, which I believe is absolutely essential to address even the most protracted public health challenges.”

Hall says he is looking forward to teaching several courses for undergraduate students this academic year, including a global mental health course and a capstone seminar for seniors producing original scholarship.

Despite the unique challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic and closure of national borders, many new faculty members, including Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program Marcos Martínez, expressed enthusiasm about their students’ and colleagues’ flexibility and adaptability.

“The university’s Writing Program has been so supportive and willing to explore new modes of teaching and ways of building connections with our students,” Martinez says. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and learning from their experiences.”

Visiting Associate Professor of History Jacqueline Armijo, who will take part in NYU Shanghai’s “Go Local” program, says she appreciates the program’s ability to confront some of the problems caused by the pandemic.

“When the opportunity arose to teach students face to face in Shanghai, I could not resist,” Armijo says. “I have been very impressed with NYU Shanghai’s conscientious COVID precaution policies, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to be able to teach safely in a classroom with students face to face, or at least masked-face to masked-face.”

New faculty are also looking forward to connecting with the campus and the city’s uniquely dynamic international community. “I’ve been living in Shanghai for a few years now, and I really love the city’s cosmopolitan energy,” says Clinical Assistant Professor of Spanish Allen Young. “At NYU Shanghai, that energy is more palpable than almost anywhere else.”

Sun Wenting, who joins NYU Shanghai as Assistant Arts Professor of Dance, concurred. “I think the campus reflects the city with its international broad spectrum of nationalities and its drive towards success,” says Sun. “I was fortunate to previously guest teach at NYU Shanghai and was instantly exposed to the positive and engaging environment and the up-beat community, so I already have a really clear vision that this will be a great place to work.”

Others are eager to explore the city’s potential as a hub of research and innovation, including Instructor of Operations Management Zhang Jiding.

“Shanghai is one of the most dynamic cities around the globe, and it is a place where some of the most innovative business practices have been born. As a researcher, I am eager to learn from these practices and study the drivers of such innovations,” says Zhang. “As an educator, I am thrilled to convey what I have learned to my students, and to prepare them for their future leadership in the fast-changing world.”

The new faculty members in 2020-2021 are:

Daniel Jin Blum	Research Assistant Professor of Psychology
Joshua Dy Borja	Lecturer, Writing Program
Denis Butkus	Visiting Assistant Arts Professor of Theater Art
John Tseh-han Chen	Visiting Assistant Professor of History
Kelly Donovan	Lecturer, English for Academic Purposes
Bassam Fayad	Visiting Professor of Mathematics
Cori L. Gabbard	Lecturer, Writing Program
Andy Garcia	Clinical Instructor of IMA
Gong Jin	Clinical Assistant Professor of Chinese
Brian J. Hall	Associate Professor of Global Public Health
Jinzi Mac Huang	Assistant Professor Faculty Fellow of Mathematics
Catherine Journeaux	Senior Lecturer, English for Academic Purposes
Li Chen	Visiting Assistant Professor of Accounting
Li Siran	Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
David Maguire	Visiting Professor of Practice in Journalism
Marcos L. Martínez	Senior Lecturer, Writing Program
Laurent Ménard	Visiting Associate Professor of Mathematics
Miao Jia	Assistant Professor Faculty Fellow of Sociology
Zee Perry	Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Philosophy
Alejandro Francisco Ramirez Chuaqui	Visiting Professor of Mathematics
Bruno Schapira	Visiting Professor of Mathematics
Sun Wenting	Assistant Arts Professor of Dance
Yik-Cheung Tam	Professor of Practice in Computer Science
Yuan Tanya Tian	Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations
Leandro Vendramin	Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Wen Shuang	Visiting Assistant Professor of History
Daniel Woody	Lecturer, Writing Program
Wu Wei	Associate Professor of Mathematics
Wu Xiaogang	Yufeng Global Professor of Social Science
Xia Ku	Senior Language Lecturer, Chinese Language Program
Allen Young	Clinical Assistant Professor of Spanish
Zhang Jiding	Instructor of Operations Management
Geoffery Xin Zheng	Assistant Professor of Finance
Zuo Lala	Assistant Professor of Art History

This story comes to us from NYU Shanghai. You can find the original here

NYU Shanghai Chancellor Yu Lizhong Retires and Is Succeeded by Educator and Scholar Tong Shijun

Posted on July 1, 2020, modified on June 30, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

NYU Shanghai Chancellor Yu Lizhong stepped down in June as Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NYU Shanghai. At the final board meeting of the academic year this morning, the board accepted his resignation and appointed Tong Shijun, professor of philosophy at East China Normal University (ECNU), as the second Chancellor of NYU Shanghai and the Chairman of the Board.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to the university leadership, with whom I’ve enjoyed working closely over the years; to the faculty and staff, who have devoted themselves to making NYU Shanghai a model of Sino-US cooperation in higher education; to every class of students who have made us proud; and to everyone who has supported the university’s development,” Yu said. “NYU Shanghai’s value and significance have only become stronger since its establishment. Its spirit of exploration, reform, and innovation has taken root here. I truly hope that everyone cherishes it. My dearest wish is for NYU Shanghai to thrive and keep flourishing.”

“When the history of NYU Shanghai is written, one name will be on almost every page: Yu Lizhong,” said Andrew Hamilton, president of New York University. “Over his tenure as chancellor, Chancellor Yu’s leadership has enabled NYU Shanghai to blossom into a vibrant success, with award-winning faculty and students, research centers and curricular innovations that benefit the entire NYU ecosystem, and an atmosphere of dynamism and inclusion that blends the best attributes of China, the United States, and all of the nations represented on its campus into a true community. We will be forever grateful for his wisdom and leadership.”

Yu, 71, was appointed NYU Shanghai’s first Chancellor in April 2012, soon after the Chinese Ministry of Education gave its preliminary approval to allow ECNU and New York University to establish the world’s first Sino-US research university. Yu was a natural choice for the position, since as president of ECNU, a position he held for six years until he became NYU Shanghai chancellor, he was deeply involved in negotiations between ECNU, NYU, and government officials to create the university. Yu’s relationship with NYU dates back to 2006, when NYU opened its first study away center in China on the ECNU campus. As Chancellor, Yu shepherded NYU Shanghai from its earliest days in the ECNU Geography building with a single of freshman class of fewer than 300 students to a thriving university on Century Avenue with over 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students from some 70 countries poised to move to a brand new 114,000 square meter campus in Pudong’s Qiantan District in 2022. Yu retires after a more than 40-year career in higher education, having served as a professor of geography, Vice President, and President of ECNU. From 2003 to 2006, Yu also served as President of Shanghai Normal University.

Upon stepping down, Yu immediately takes on the title of Chancellor Emeritus of NYU Shanghai.

“I have cherished the partnership of Yu Lizhong in the building of NYU Shanghai,” said Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman. “Tong Shijun is a most worthy successor, and I look forward to our work together in the years ahead.”

Tong Shijun, a well-recognized professor of philosophy and former Party Secretary of ECNU, said he was honored to have the trust of ECNU and the board.

“I was born in a working-class family and spent my childhood in the countryside. … I began to learn English after President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. And I was among the first group of college graduates after the Cultural Revolution,” Tong said. “All my experiences have taught me the importance of education — especially higher education, as well as the significance of world peace and Sino-US friendship.”

“I will, together with Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen, and all other colleagues of the university, work dutifully to move the university even further by carrying on the fine traditions of higher education both of China and the USA, contributing to the progresses of the host region of the university, and strengthening the cooperations between its two founding partners, ECNU and NYU,” he added.

A Shanghai native, 62-year-old Tong helped lead ECNU from 2011 to 2019, while also teaching philosophy at the university. Before that he first served as the Vice Secretary at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences from 2004 to 2011 and then also as Director of its Institute of Philosophy. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in philosophy at ECNU and joined ECNU’s philosophy department in 1984, becoming an associate professor and a full professor respectively in 1991 and 1994. Tong earned his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Bergen, Norway, where he delved into the works of contemporary German philosopher Jürgen Habermas. In 2000, Tong spent a year at Columbia University in New York City as a Fulbright Scholar. He has published more than 10 books and over 100 papers on epistemology, practical philosophy, and social theory in Chinese, English, and other languages.

“In Chancellor Tong, NYU Shanghai has found an individual who embodies the power and promise of a global education, as well as the importance of ensuring broad accessibility to higher learning in order to develop the best and brightest within every generation. We’re honored to have him steward NYU Shanghai as it embarks on this next exciting chapter,” said President Hamilton.

This story comes to us from NYU Shanghai and you can read more here.

Virtual Commencements for New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai

Posted on June 1, 2020, modified on June 30, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

NYU celebrated its graduates in virtual commencements involving students, faculty, staff, and families joining from across the globe. Having to postpone the Commencement Exercises in Yankee Stadium due to COVID-19, the virtual commencement for New York took place on May 20. NYU Abu Dhabi’s commencement, celebrating all its seniors have accomplished, followed on May 27. NYU Shanghai’s commencement celebrated both its students and the importance of China-US cooperation on May 29. Congratulations graduates!

Jack Ma to Deliver Commencement Address to the NYU Shanghai Class of 2020

Posted on May 25, 2020, modified on May 22, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

Philanthropist, entrepreneur, and teacher Jack Ma will deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2020 at NYU Shanghai’s Fourth Commencement on May 29.

Ma, the founder of the global technology company Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation, recorded his message to the Class of 2020 from his offices in Hangzhou. “It is a pleasure and honor, during this extraordinary time and through this unique way, to join this important moment for the graduates of NYU Shanghai,” Ma said.

Ma’s remarks will be delivered at NYU Shanghai’s virtual commencement ceremonies, which will be livestreamed beginning at 20:20 (8:20 p.m.) China Standard Time.

“Jack Ma’s words to this class will no doubt serve as inspiration to our graduates as they pursue their careers and dreams in the future,” said NYU Shanghai Chancellor Yu Lizhong.

For his innovative and inspiring achievements in business and philanthropy, particularly his recent leadership in helping communities and countries around the world fight COVID-19, Chancellor Yu Lizhong, Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman, Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen and Associate Vice Chancellor Ding Shuzhe also presented Ma with the NYU Shanghai Chancellor’s Medal of Honor.

“The Chancellor’s Medal recognizes Jack Ma’s cosmopolitan spirit and his sustained efforts in the domains of education, sustainability, and philanthropy. We are especially grateful for the support he has provided to New York during the pandemic crisis.” said Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman.

In 1999, with 17 colleagues working in his Hangzhou apartment, Ma launched Alibaba.com, an English-language website to help Chinese small businesses reach the global marketplace. That single website grew into the Alibaba Group, a global leader in e-commerce, logistics, big data, cloud computing, and entertainment that is transforming the way people live and work.

Ma stepped down as Alibaba’s Executive Chairman in 2019 to dedicate his time to philanthropic endeavors. He currently serves as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, president of the General Association of Zhejiang Entrepreneurs and chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club. He was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres as co-chair of the UN High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation in 2018.

Ma graduated from Hangzhou Normal University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English education and worked for six years as an English teacher before becoming an entrepreneur.

NYU’s Shanghai Community Sends Supplies to Help NYC’s Fight Against COVID-19

Posted on April 13, 2020, modified on April 16, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

As New York City’s hospitals fill with coronavirus patients and medical staff struggle with shortages of personal protective equipment, NYU’s Shanghai community has pulled together to support New Yorker’s in their fight against the pandemic, sending some 17,000 masks to NYU New York.

Last week, a group of NYU New York parents who are based in Shanghai purchased some 10,000 N95 masks to help protect medical workers on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 at NYU Langone Medical Center. NYU Shanghai, with the help of a school donor who paid shipping costs, arranged for those masks to be delivered to New York City. NYU Shanghai also shipped separately some 4,000 N95 masks from its own stockpile to colleagues in New York.

“Even if we are thousands of miles away, we still feel anxious and want to do something to help,” said one of the parent donors, who wished to remain anonymous. “As members of the NYU family, we hope that New York University will be alright, New York will be alright, and America will be alright.”

Vice Chancellor Lehman said he was moved by the parents’ generosity. “The bonds of affection between China and the US can produce tremendous benefits for the world,” he said. “We are proud of and grateful to these devoted members of the NYU community for stepping forward to help NYU Langone’s healthcare workers in this hour of need.”

10,000 N95 masks donated by Shanghai-based parents of NYU New York students arrives at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City on April 7.

Tuesday’s delivery was the latest in a series of protective equipment donations that has streamed across the Pacific from Shanghai. As the “hot zones” of the coronavirus pandemic have shifted away from China to New York and elsewhere, NYU Shanghai has drawn from its own resources to help fellow NYU Global Network members in Washington Square.

Over the past several weeks, in addition to the N95 masks, NYU Shanghai staff in Student Health, Finance, Public Safety, and the office of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor have sent a combined total of 3,000 medical and disposable masks to colleagues at NYU New York.

NYU Shanghai is paying forward the generosity that flowed to the campus during the height of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. The university received 850 disposable masks from NYU New York in early February, in addition to several hundred pairs of gloves, 20 protective suits, and thermometers. Corporate donors and NYU Shanghai faculty members also donated another 21,000 masks and other monitoring and protective equipment to the campus throughout February and March. The community also came together quickly in the Light a Lantern project in February to raise more than U$50,000 to assist the people of Wuhan in their fight against the virus.

This post comes to us from NYU Shanghai. You can find the original here.

NYU Shanghai Stays Connected in the Time of Coronavirus

Posted on March 3, 2020, modified on March 9, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

NYU Shanghai’s Century Avenue campus is quiet these days, but that doesn’t mean that university life has ground to a halt in the wake of COVID-19. Digital learning began February 17 – and many parts of university life – from athletics to tutoring to just hanging out with classmates have gone digital as well. Until students and faculty can reconvene in Shanghai later this spring, here are some of the innovative ways our community has been staying connected.

24-hour digital tutoring support in real-time

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) has been offering support 24-hours a day to the entire NYU Shanghai student population. Fourteen Global Writing & Speaking Fellows have set up their hours to cover different time zones around the world so that they can conduct real-time sessions on writing, speaking, reading and academic coaching. ARC is also hosting six online academic skills workshops to help students adapt to the distance learning model, including overcoming writer’s block, generating ideas, and how to create captivating PPTs. For support on specific courses and for individual or group tutoring sessions, students can work with Learning Assistants via Zoom and NYU Classes.

Log onto WCOnline to make appointments with either a Global Writing & Speaking Fellow or Learning Assistant. Students can also sign up for workshops on Orgsync.

The ARC’s Academic Accommodations Team will also be implementing appropriate and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities by working with the NYU Moses Center for Students with Disabilities. Learn about student resources for academic accessibility and accommodations HERE.

Live at-home workouts for the entire community

Anyone who has a yoga mat and a bit of floor space can join the home workout program launched by the NYU Shanghai Athletics team, hosting 12 sessions a week until we get back on campus. Professional instructors from the Athletics team have set up a series of live and pre-recorded classes such as yoga, pilates, resistance band training, and full-body workouts. So far, nearly 130 people have joined 24 sessions.

“It has been a good experience for everyone, students, faculty, and staff,” says Athletic Director Luis Wang. “And we do not push a high-intensity workout, so anyone can join.”

“Star Chef of NYU Shanghai” — putting culinary skills to the test

Biology instructor Lü Xiaoai’s spicy chicken pot dish

A popular phrase on Chinese social media these days goes, “everyone is becoming a professional chef while stuck at home.” In light of this trend, the NYU Shanghai Youth League is hosting a community-wide cooking contest. The Youth League is calling for community members to submit photos, videos, and recipes that express their culture, have a unique history or even come from a secret family recipe.

“Though we are temporarily separated, we hope to connect with each other across the world through cultural and personal stories behind the dishes,” says Vivian Chen, Secretary of the Youth League Committee.

Each participant will receive a Starbucks voucher, but the top three winning chefs can choose one of the following prizes: a blender, waffle iron, electric kettle, fruit tea kit.

Those who wish to participate in “Star Chef of NYU Shanghai” have until March 5 to submit a photo of their dish taken from above, and a 150-word intro about the dish and the story behind it. Contest participants can also submit an optional selfie with their dish and a short (one-minute) demonstration video. See a sample video here. Please send your entry to shanghai.youthleague@nyu.edu.

Self-expression as therapy

Artist: Jiara Sha ’23

This week, the Health & Wellness Center kicked off its Creativity Challenge, a digital art workshop where members of the NYU Shanghai community can create and share their art on WeChat. The Health and Wellness Center issued daily prompts over the course of the week, such as “connection” and “space.” Participants created works of art based on how their home and work environments made them feel, and challenged themselves to re-examine their personal spaces with an artistic eye.

“I think art is very powerful,” says Wellness Counselor Yang Lu. “It’s very touching and beautiful to see the group start to reflect on their own childhood experience after someone shared a sketch of the terrace at their grandparent’s house. You can see connections building.”

“I am inspired by how students recognize and appreciate the positive aspects of their lives and environments during this time, such as spending more time with family members and pets,” says Carly Suita, Senior Specialist of Health Promotion and Student Well-being. “I am also impressed by students’ adaptability, resilience and imagination while they are setting up new homes and study spaces.”

The Health and Wellness team currently hosts a weekly Community Discussion Hour using Zoom. This is an open space to connect with others, share feelings and experiences, and provide support during these uncertain times. Throughout March, the team will be launching more interactive programs and educational resources through WeChat and Zoom, covering a variety of health and wellness topics.

Language practice with peers

NYU Shanghai’s Office of Student Life has kicked off a language exchange program for students to practice Chinese or English. The program is available to all NYU Shanghai students, including short-term study away students. Topics for conversation include food, entertainment, politics, and social justice.

This semester, 11 pairs of students–located everywhere from Shanghai, New York, and Washington to Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, and Florence–will “meet” at least once a week, and switch off from week to week between Chinese and English. Participants have been using a side range of digital tools, such as NYU Zoom, WeChat, Snapchat, and Douyin. Some student pairs even “share meals” with each other, with students in the US having dinner while students in China have breakfast.

Video auditions for the 2020 NYU Shanghai Reality Show

The show must go on, and so must the decade-old NYU tradition. Each year, upperclassmen from each of NYU’s three global campuses stage “The Reality Show” for incoming freshmen, and this year is no exception.

This year, NYU Shanghai students auditioned by creating 3-minute videos featuring a song and an original monologue, scene, or dance segment. Topics covered in the audition clips include stress, roommates, city life, homesickness, and of course, the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A place to share stories and experiences

To give NYU Shanghai students a space to share their stories with one another, Dagla Rodriguez ’23, with support from Craig Protzel, director of the Low Res MA in IMA, created a blog on Medium titled NYUSH: We’re Going on An Adventure. All contributing authors must have an NYU email address to post.

Rodriguez writes, “students who chose NYU Shanghai as their school are curious. We are individuals who wanted to engage with unfamiliarity, expanding our world beyond what we have always known [and…] our desire to shape and share our stories with one another has not dissipated.”

Workstations from around the world

Charlotte San Juan, Marketing, NYU Shanghai
Working from Shanghai

University Communications is calling for members of the community to share photos of their workstations away from Century Avenue. We want photos of the spaces that have become your gateway to NYU Shanghai. Show us where you go to class, hold meetings, plan lessons and work to keep life at NYU Shanghai virtually vibrant. Send your submissions to nyushanghai.uc@nyu.edu.

This post comes to us from NYU Shanghai, you can find the original and read more here.

Jazz and Pop Courses Add New Dimension to Music at NYU Shanghai

Posted on November 26, 2019, modified on November 20, 2019 by Martha J Bekink

Three new jazz and pop music courses have joined NYU Shanghai’s music lineup this year, giving students new avenues to pursue creative expression and engage with Shanghai’s vibrant and global contemporary music scene.

The courses in songwriting, jazz performance, and 20th century music history – all taught by new Clinical Assistant Professor of Arts Murray James Morrison – are open to students with a variety of musical backgrounds and talents. Morrison’s “Jazz Ensemble” course includes a flute player and a violinist alongside more traditional jazz instruments like piano, saxophone and bass. Meanwhile, his songwriting students range from musicians formally trained in classical conservatories to self-taught electronica enthusiasts who learned their musical skills by watching YouTube videos.

“Creative environments thrive on people from different backgrounds all being in one place, and the story of the most important kinds of popular music that developed in the 20th century – including in Shanghai – happened because of collisions of this type,” Morrison explains.

“Our music classes here bring people from different artistic backgrounds and cultures together to experience how the very musical development processes we’re studying are things that they’re experiencing in their daily lives in Shanghai.”

Morrison (center on saxophone) plays along with ensemble members Johnny Hu ’23 on guitar, Gavin Qin ’23 and Alex Wang ’22 on drums, Maya Wang ’20 on bass, and Ingrid He ’23 on piano.

In “20th Century Music and Its Meanings,” students use both texts and music recordings to study the musical impacts of technological developments from the phonograph to commercial air travel to online music streaming services like Spotify. The course examines not only how these technologies shaped musical styles throughout the 1900s, but also how social change and technology continue to intertwine to transform the way that human societies interact and share knowledge.

Students in Morrison’s “Songwriting” course build on similar foundations, diving deeply into music theory and structure that they apply to weekly music writing exercises in their individual preferred genres of popular music. The budding songwriters are encouraged to collaborate on long-term writing projects that will culminate in the Songwriters’ Coffeehouse showcase on November 27 (held in the Academic Building’s 2nd floor cafe), where special guest keyboardist Huang Jianyi (黄健怡) will join several of the students as an accompanist.

Shanghai-based fusion keyboardist Huang Jianyi will join students from Morrison’s “Songwriting” and “Jazz Ensemble” classes in performances of new original works at the Songwriters’ Coffeehouse on November 27.

“I really appreciate the merging of musical worlds in this class that let me see even simple pop songs with a new perspective,” says Songwriting student Nathalie Jarman ’23 of Costa Rica, who trained as a classical harpist for nearly 6 years.

“I love being on the stage and sharing with people what I’ve felt and what I’ve written, and that’s why I took this songwriting class even though I don’t want to pursue a music-related career,” Jarman says. “This class gives me a little breathing space to just share with people, and to try to hear about their own experiences through their songwriting.”

Although NYU Shanghai doesn’t offer a music major, around one in five students take music courses each year, says Affiliated Associate Professor of Arts Dianna Heldman, who leads the university’s music programming. Many students take music classes simply for the joy of pursuing a lifelong interest or for the unique combination of discipline and creativity that the study of music requires, but “there are also a lot of aspects of NYU Shanghai’s philosophy that the arts facilitate in a unique and special way,” Heldman says.

“Music is in every single culture in the world, and it has an amazing way of breaking down all kinds of physical and social barriers. Music has the capacity to resonate with all peoples, and this inclusive and global discipline has an integral role to play in fulfilling the university’s mission to create global citizens and active learners.”

Alex Wang ’22, a New Jersey native who grew up primarily in Shanghai and who plays drums and percussion in Morrison’s “Jazz Ensemble” course, says that ability to break down barriers and move beyond individual incentives is what he enjoys most about playing and studying music at NYU Shanghai.

“So much of music is just about the joy of people coming together and interacting, and interacting is such a big part of jazz,” says Wang. “It’s really magical when so many different people and different instruments are able to be in the same spot and just play and react to each other.”

“Once everyone is in that zone, the music just sounds different – it sounds so good.”

Morrison directs the full Jazz Ensemble during Thursday evening’s class.

Morrison’s Jazz Ensemble has 10 members, several of whom have never formally studied jazz. That can be challenging, Morrison says, but with a little creative arrangement, a dash of historical context, and a lot of practice playing with and responding to their fellow ensemble members, the students are able to build something both original and true to the foundations of jazz. Every class meeting also includes a round of improvisation, something that many ensemble members had never tried before.

With trips to major local jazz venues and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Jazz Ensemble is also taking their musical practice outside the classroom. Their first public show will be at the Songwriters’ Coffeehouse, where together with Huang Jianyi and Morrison, they will perform one of Morrison’s new original songs. They’ll also perform at the university’s annual arts showcase in December.

According to Wang, there’s a lot that a project like the Jazz Ensemble can teach to the NYU Shanghai community. “The beauty of jazz is that it’s really inclusive and diverse. Jazz is really for everyone, whatever your background is, whatever your instrument of choice is,” he says.

“It’s pretty crazy that all of these things that are blocking us from being a good band – or a good community – could all be broken down by the power of how music adapts to each of us.”

NYU Shanghai Students Give the Scoop on Summer Internships

Posted on September 20, 2019, modified on September 11, 2019 by Martha J Bekink

From Shanghai to New York to the Netherlands, NYU Shanghai students were busy this summer filling internships in everything from fintech, marketing, robotics/AI, environmental conservation, international relations, law and connecting charities with local businesses. The Career Development Center Summer Service Grant supported several students who chose to work for non-for-profit organizations.

Shanghai: Yiming, Arjun, Josh, Daisy, and Justin offer a glimpse of what they’ve been doing here in Shanghai to jumpstart their futures.

Yiming Huang ’21
Major: Math
Internship at: SUNTECH, a Shanghai-based robotics and AI start-up.

What she does:

“I am currently working on app and web development for our newest product, which means I spend most of the day coding according to a project timeline. Our team’s UX/UI designer will send me an initial design and discussions about the project are dotted throughout the day, as well as snack breaks and bubble tea treats. Development strategies, marketing ideas, funny cat videos, anything that comes to mind is welcome as a topic for discussion.”

Arjun Tisseverasinghe ’21
Major: Finance
Internship at: VCREDIT, a micro-loan fintech company

What he does:

“As soon as I get in around 8:30AM, I make a cup of coffee and I practice Python—I’m learning the syntax and how the risk team creates their models. I help process data that helps the company’s AI system (Hummingbird) learn what to look for to accept or decline people applying for a loan. Sometimes my team and I end up staying till after 10PM to finish a report, but I don’t mind because I love the working environment—it feels like working with friends.”

Josh Jensen ’21
Major: Global China Studies, Summer Service Grant Recipient
Internship at: Alliance for Water Stewardship Asia-Pacific; promotes water conservation and transparent water practices with companies throughout the world.

What he does:

“From 10AM to 6PM, we can work from the office, from home, or wherever we are most productive. I work on proposals and am assisting in the creation of a water management module that can be attached to college courses and increase awareness of water conservation. We are all passionate about the social impact that our work has and its critical importance, and that has been truly inspiring to see and makes me want to continue the work as best I can.”

Daisy Bugarin ’21
Major: Economics
Internship at: WeChatNINJA, a marketing company that helps cross-cultural companies analyze their social media platforms and audience to create a specialized branding strategy.

What she does:

“I help organize events and write and publish articles on Official WeChat accounts for clients as well as on our own social media. I work on ideas to promote WeChatNINJA to potential clients, and I’ve been learning a lot of marketing skills—digital advertising strategies, basic spreadsheet skills, event planning, and fluency in contemporary digital tools. I think my Writing as Inquiry course really prepared me for this specific position. It taught me how grueling the process of creating SEVERAL written drafts really is, weeks before your final deadline.”

Justin Zotos ’21

Major: Marketing, Global China Studies
Internship at: consumer product F&B brand “Baozza!” in Jing’an.

What he does:

“The cool part of this marketing internship at Baozza is that there is no such thing as a ‘normal day.’ Some amazing experiences I’ve been able to have are: taste testing potential new products or ingredients, joining my bosses in meetings with some of Shanghai’s biggest F&B players, designing our Taobao page and Eleme store, taking charge of planning events, building a sampling program for Shanghai grocery stores, receiving a sponsored trip to Beijing for a product release party, and getting chicken wings every Wednesday while shooting pool with my bosses.”

Around the World: Frank, Viktorija, Clare, Adele, and Matthew share their experiences in NGOs around the world.

Frank Mattimoe ’22
Major: Social Sciences (International Relations) with a minor in Chinese, Summer Service Grant Recipient
Internship at: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi, Kenya.

What he did:

“At UNEP, I was responsible for conducting research on the environmental impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on developing countries in Asia and Africa. I compiled news articles and drafted research papers about environmental factors. Professor Dan Guttman’s class, Law, Culture and Politics in China, inspired my interest in this topic, and was the foundation for my research. The best part of working at UNEP was connecting with the talented team of co-workers and mentors in the field. They made my internship such a rewarding experience.”

Viktorija Ruzelyte ’20
Major: Social Science (Political Science), Summer Service Grant Recipient
Internship at: Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations, New York

What she did:

“I learned a lot in a short period of time–from assisting with writing memos and doing translation work, to sitting in on the Security Council General Assembly meetings and events at the European Union delegation. The environment at the UN is stimulating and ever-changing, so adapting quickly is key in order to have a successful experience. It was important to establish trust, which may take a while but being diligent and hardworking will get you there eventually. NYU Shanghai really honed my ability to talk to people from different backgrounds and find common ground.”

Clare Ren Yixin ’19
Major: Social Sciences, Summer Service Grant Recipient
Internship at: International Development Law Organization – IDLO, The Netherlands

What she did:

“I worked as a research intern at IDLO in The Hague to assist the team on various projects, such as promoting the popularity of electronic legal assistants in Somalia and training legal staff in Tunisia. The work we do is more than theoretical research, it’s closely connected with field work. The team at IDLO is quite diverse, with colleagues from the Netherlands, France, Canada, Austria and Indonesia, and we got along very well. IDLO is the only international organization in the world that focuses on promoting the development of the rule of law with a goal of ‘Creating a Culture of Justice,’ which resonated with me. I owe this internship opportunity to my four years’ experience at NYU Shanghai and support from the Career Development Center. ”

Adele Kramber ’20
Major: Social Science (Environmental Studies)
Internships at: Institute of Documentary Films in Prague, WILD Film Festival in New York

What she did:

“While I was in Prague I helped with the International Documentary Film Festival, which highlights creative documentary cinema. At the end of my internship, I was able to attend the festival in the Czech highlands and organize filmmaker panels. In New York, I volunteered for my third year with the New York WILD Film Festival. I watched some fantastic documentaries and aided in the general organization. This summer, I worked as a pre-screener for films that are being submitted to next year’s festival. I had the amazing opportunity of watching and providing comments on a handful of environmental documentaries. I also have been writing pieces based off of recently published academic texts for earth.org–a growing media source based in Hong Kong that was searching for volunteer contributing writers.”

Read Adele’s article on climate change.

Matthew Fertig ’22
Major: Interactive Media and Business, with a minor in Global China Studies
Internship at: Pennywell, a Jerusalem-based start-up that connects national Israeli charities with local businesses

What he did:

“Through the TAMID group (a business club at NYU Shanghai), I landed an internship with Pennywell, a company that provides exclusive discounts to volunteers and donors to encourage repeat donations to charities. I planned and executed proofs of concept for one local and one international NGO. Jerusalem receives tailored to the 4,000,000+ tourists annually, and I designed and implemented new discount cards and offers aimed at them.This project led me to build connections with local hostels and business owners, which meant I was also creating relationships for Pennywell, and enhancing my understanding of Israeli business culture.”

This post comes to us courtesy of NYU Shanghai. You can find the original here.