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NYU London Opens New Academic Center

Posted on by Katie L

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

The Best Location in London

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

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

A Building Specially Suited for NYU London

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

NYU Paris Staff Spotlight: Martina Faltova

Posted on by Katie L
Martina Faltova in a coat and hat stands in front of a flower stand

Martina Faltova at Paris’ Bastille Market

In 2001 Martina Faltova was a study abroad student in Cambridge, England, when a chance encounter with an NYU professor led her to becoming his family’s au pair in New York City. Since her visa required a language course, she enrolled in Intermediate French at NYU. She loved the University so much that, when she returned home to the Czech Republic, she applied to work at NYU Prague. Now, more than 20 years later, she’s the assistant director for student life at NYU Paris.

Your job starts before students even arrive: organizing events, arranging housing, and prioritizing everyone’s safety and wellness. What inspired you to work with study away students?
I was a guest in another culture, and when I was leaving New York City, the family I lived with told me there was an NYU site in Prague and I should apply to it. And I loved that because I just came out of New York, I knew who the students were, and I felt like I could give back. Also, I love traveling, languages, meeting new people, and helping people learn more about Czech culture.

What role does language have in a student’s success at NYU Paris and NYU Prague?
In Paris the language course is required, so everyone has to take French. And it really makes your life easier. It’s a wonderful feeling when you can communicate, and it’s a really big sense of accomplishment. In Prague, though language courses are not required, learning Czech helps you make connections with the local people and understand the culture better too. Other language courses are offered at NYU Prague as well.

What are additional ways students can connect to local communities?
In Paris students can take courses at partner universities and hold internships. I also see students who choose to stay in a homestay, where they meet local families and become more connected to the place. In Prague I saw a lot of connections for the music students because they were performing in local places like pubs and would practice at other schools around Prague.

Three people seated at a table

An NYU Paris student interning at a nonprofit organization

What attracts students to each site?
In Prague there’s centuries and centuries of history around you. It’s also very affordable. You really can do anything: easily buy tickets to the opera, go to nice restaurants, or live on a budget. In Paris the arts scene is incredible for anyone taking art or film courses. Here, students leave the classroom and see the paintings they discussed, and they wander the streets featured in famous movies.

You mentioned that NYU Paris is also branching out from the arts.
NYU Paris has changed a lot in the past six years. When I arrived, the majority of our courses were in the humanities. Now we have more and more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. So we see a lot of students studying computer science and mathematics.

Which initiative are you most proud of?
At the beginning of the semester, we bring in people from local communities like nongovernmental and volunteer organizations and promote our cultural activities and trips. We invite all of our student and club leaders to promote their work. Students just mingle and learn about these opportunities, then they sign up for clubs. They talk to organizations about volunteering and helping. I just love that day.

Written by Marti Trgovich