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Fast Facts of the NYU Global Network

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Maxine P

While it is impossible to fully capture the breadth of the NYU global network, we rounded up some fast facts about the academic sites and cities where NYU students can study away. Whether they land at one of our three degree-granting campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai or at our sites in Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Washington, DC, NYU students will have a rich academic experience supported by the University. Our newest site, NYU Tulsa, will officially open in spring 2025. Select students went to NYU Tulsa in spring 2024 for Alternative Breaks as well as during the summer for internship experiences.

The following information is accurate at the time of publication in fall 2024, but it is representative of a moment in time, so some information may change.

NYU Abu Dhabi

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 123*
Average class size: 16*
Number of courses available: 600+*
Number of residence halls: 3°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $4.90†
City population: ~600,000‡

NYU Accra

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 14*
Average class size: 5*
Number of courses available: 12*
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $1.90†
City population: ~1.9 million‡

NYU Berlin

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 77*
Average class size: 11*
Number of courses available: 30*
Number of residence halls: 2°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.06†
City population: ~3.5 million‡

NYU Buenos Aires

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 47*
Average class size: 7*
Number of courses available: 27*
Number of residence halls: 1, however, most students live in a homestay°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $1.76†
City population: ~13.1 million‡

NYU Florence

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 351*
Average class size: 24*
Number of courses available: 60*
Number of residence halls: 4, plus the option to live in a homestay°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $1.54†
City population: ~350,000‡

NYU Londonˣ

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 495*
Average class size: 22*
Number of courses available: 97*
Number of residence halls: 5°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.36†
City population: ~8.9 million‡

NYU Los Angeles

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 35*
Average class size: 11*
Number of courses available: 13*
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $4.69†
City population: ~3.8 million§

NYU Madrid

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 284*
Average class size: 23*
Number of courses available: 51*
Number of residence halls: 3°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $1.92†
City population: ~3.2 million‡

NYU in New York City

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 535*
Average class size: <30*
Number of courses available: 2,500+*
Number of residence halls: 11°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $4.69†
City population: ~8.3 million§

NYU Paris

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 257*
Average class size: 15*
Number of courses available: 68*
Number of residence halls: 3, plus the option to live in a homestay°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.13†
City population: ~2.1 million‡

NYU Prague

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 88*
Average class size: 8*
Number of courses available: 50*
Number of residence halls: 2°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $2.46†
City population: ~1.1 million‡

NYU Shanghai

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 95*
Average class size: 7*
Number of courses available: 250+*
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.95†
City population: ~22.3 million‡

NYU Sydney

Students in front of the Sydney Opera House

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 38*
Average class size: 7*
Number of courses available: 13* (Access to dozens of University of Sydney courses also available through direct enrollment.)
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.24†
City population: ~4.6 million‡

NYU Tel Aviv

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 16*
Average class size: 7*
Number of courses available: 14*
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $3.82†
City population: ~430,000‡

NYU Washington, DC

Average number of students studying away here each semester: 68*
Average class size: 17*
Number of courses available: 17*
Number of residence halls: 1°
Average cost of a cup of coffee: $4.69†
City population: ~680,000‡

°Additional student housing facilities are obtained as enrollment demands.

†Based on coffee prices in each country as of February 6, 2024 (Coffeestics.com)

‡Based on city population numbers (PopulationStat.com)

United States Census Bureau

ˣNYU London’s average number of students is anticipated to grow next semester due to the global site’s move to a larger academic center in the fall 2024 semester.

Repurposed with permission from NYU Global Notebook

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

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Katie L

Kari Miller

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

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

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

City Connections

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

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

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

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

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

A Work in Progress

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

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

Written by Sarah Bender

Students Get Inspired at NYU Washington, DC

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Katie L

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

Global Programs Booklist

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Katie L

Inspired by the first NYU Bookstore display collaboration between the Office of Marketing Communications and the Office of Global Programs, this list of books representing NYU’s global locations promises to broaden your perspective and enrich your knowledge.

NYU Abu Dhabi

Temporary People
By Deepak Unnikrishnan

The skylines of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are recognizable around the world by their resplendent glittering towers—but how did they get there? Deepak Unnikrishnan, an Indian-born writer raised in the United Arab Emirates and associate arts professor of literature and creative writing at NYU Abu Dhabi, knows the answer: a foreign labor force was brought in to construct them. Using a series of clever and surreal linked stories, Unnikrishnan gives voice to a humanitarian crisis that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

NYU Accra

The Hundred Wells of Salaga
By Ayesha Harruna Attah

Based on a true story, The Hundred Wells of Salaga tells the tale of two women from very different backgrounds whose lives converge in an unexpected way. It’s a novel that will entangle you emotionally, while offering you crucial insight into precolonial Ghana, particularly the slave trade and its impact on a people.

NYU Berlin

No Photos on the Dance Floor! Berlin 1989–Today
Edited by Heiko Hoffmann and Felix Hoffmann

History books offer what we think is a full story, but this photography book provides a peek into the city’s after-hours culture through the club scene that blossomed in 1989 after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It’s not only a delightful visual romp but also a history book in its own right, telling the story of a city in transformation, one party at a time.

NYU Buenos Aires

The Aleph and Other Stories
By Jorge Luis Borges

Jorge Luis Borges might seem like an obvious choice for Argentina—for a country that produced so many famous writers, he is arguably the most famous. Still, who can deny this selection? The brilliant, inventive tales of The Aleph and Other Stories will surprise and stimulate, and they are must-reads for diving into Argentine culture. Borges, after all, makes magic happen in the most unexpected ways.

NYU Florence

The Monster of Florence book cover featuring a close-up image of Giambologna's The Rape of the Sabine sculpture

The Monster of Florence: A True Story
By Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi

The Monster of Florence has developed a bit of a cult following in recent years, and for good reason—it’s a wild ride. American Douglas Preston moved to Florence with his family and quickly discovered that their olive grove was the site of one of Italy’s most infamous double murders. As he works with investigative journalist Mario Spezi, a Florentine, to get closer to the truth, things really begin to spiral. The Monster of Florence is a propulsive thriller that offers valuable, and often shocking, insight into the Italian justice system.

NYU London

White Teeth
By Zadie Smith

White Teeth is a rare novel that is entertaining while simultaneously layered with so much richness, one might want to read it all over again as soon as it’s over. Starting with two unlikely friends whose stories blossom into a poignant yet funny family saga, Zadie Smith’s debut novel keenly witnesses the immigrant experience in London, traveling to other continents as well while navigating the relationship between tradition and change.

NYU Los Angeles

Slow Days, Fast Company book cover featuring a distorted image of a woman

Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A.
By Eve Babitz

This slim book offers stories as wild and wanton as Los Angeles itself. Unapologetically hedonistic, Slow Days, Fast Company is also a clever, windy ride through the Los Angeles of the 1960s and 1970s. It has all the usual Angeleno archetypes, but Eve Babitz elevates them with her incisive and acerbic insights into life in Hollywood. Isn’t it funny that, decades later, so much has changed but so much remains the same?

NYU Madrid

Ghosts of Spain book cover featuring images of Spain

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past
By Giles Tremlett

Worth a read to understand a post-Franco Spain, Ghosts of Spain is a well-rounded, curious, and admittedly fun romp through the country, albeit prompted by the author’s questions about its devastating civil war. British author Giles Tremlett combines keen cultural reporting with memoir and quirky sidebars that add levity to what begins as a serious interrogation. While it’s intellectually critical, it’s also a love letter to Spain. After all, there’s a reason Spain is Tremlett’s adopted country.

NYU Paris

The Years book cover featuring an image of a woman looking at the viewer with the silhouette of a person looking down a hallway

The Years
By Annie Ernaux

Annie Ernaux’s whole oeuvre is masterful, but many critics cite The Years, first published in 2008, as her magnum opus. In this brilliant collage of a memoir, Nobel Prize winner Ernaux examines her life and the generation that she grew up in, favoring “we” over “I.” The result is a personal history tied to the collective experience of a generation in France during the 20th century. Ernaux weaves her memories into a story that offers cultural notes on topics from consumerism and immigration to unemployment and the threat of nuclear war.

NYU Prague

Havel: A Life book cover featuring an image of Václev Havel with his hand atop his head

Havel: A Life
By Michael Žantovský

In many ways, Václav Havel’s life mirrors the zeitgeist of Prague: it’s political, literary, antiauthoritarian, surreal, and somehow, even at its most serious moments, darkly humorous. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because Havel, like the city itself, was a complex figure. Michael Žantovský was a trusted friend, so this biography reads as an intimate and true portrait (faults and all) of a man loyal to his people, his values, and his art. Žantovský succeeds in showing the many dimensions of the iconoclast—playwright, political dissident, prisoner, president—who, in the end, was just as human as the rest of us.

NYU Shanghai

Shanghai Future: Modernity Remade
By Anna Greenspan

This brilliant book contextualizes China’s largest and most cosmopolitan city through the lens of modernity. Author Anna Greenspan, an associate professor of contemporary global media at NYU Shanghai, reexamines the changing landscape of the city as it steps well into the 21st century and takes its place on the world stage.

NYU Sydney

Mirror Sydney: An Atlas of Reflections
By Vanessa Berry

A fun and unexpected romp, Mirror Sydney takes us on a tour of the harborside city via engaging essays and clever hand-illustrated maps. Based on a blog Vanessa Berry started more than a decade ago, Mirror Sydney is clearly more than a mere guidebook—it’s too much fun to be that typical. Moreover, it tends to direct the reader to the kinds of places the average tourist wouldn’t care to know about or explore anyway.

NYU Tel Aviv

The Bibliomaniacs: Tales from a Tel Aviv Bookseller
By J.C. Halper

On Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, J.C. Halper—originally from New Jersey but now an Israeli for four-plus decades—runs the city’s most popular secondhand bookshop, containing a dazzling 60,000 books. And in 2022 he published this book of clever, often funny short stories from the point of view of a shop owner. While the stories are allegedly fiction, one can’t help but wonder if we’re learning more about real locals than the author lets on.

NYU Washington, DC

Lost in the City
By Edward P. Jones

It’s a joy to read anything by Edward P. Jones, the gifted, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer. His debut collection of short stories, Lost in the City, is no exception and first cemented his literary reputation. These 14 tales tell the everyday encounters and struggles of Black citizens in Washington, DC. But Jones has a gift for making even the most mundane situation meaningful, and his rich, textured stories give weight to life’s most quotidian moments as viewed through the lens of the Black experience in the nation’s capital.

Written by Marti Trgovich

The Global Leadership Program at NYU Washington, DC, Prepares Students to Become Ethical and Inclusive Change-Makers

Posted on November 6, 2023, modified on November 13, 2023 by Kristin Law

Each semester, the Global Leadership Program at NYU Washington, DC, welcomes select undergraduates for an intensive course designed to cultivate their strengths as leaders. “We provide students the ability to recognize not only how their strengths fit into an organization or a career field but also how the strengths of others are critical to their own success,” says Kari Miller, the program director of NYU Washington, DC. “The concept of global leadership has evolved to recognize diverse talents from different backgrounds, countries, and disciplines.”

A Semester of Theory, Application, and Growth

The Meaning of Leadership course is the heart of the program, and it is often a catalyst for students’ experiences. Lindani Zungu, an NYU Abu Dhabi senior studying political science and government, recalls one pivotal moment: “We discussed how to facilitate collaboration through psychological safety, meaning an open exchange of ideas, free from the fear of retribution or embarrassment,” he explains. “The discussion deepened our sense of community and underscored the immense value of this program.” In addition to academics, students engage in collaborative group projects; individual and group mentoring; special events like lectures, networking opportunities, trips, and workshops; and internships.

For Stefan Mitikj, an NYU Abu Dhabi senior double-majoring in Political Science and Social Research and Public Policy, the program clarified his career aspirations. “I bridged the gap between theory and real-world application and gained a practical and nuanced understanding of leadership and fields such as communications, education, international relations, and journalism,” he says.

An Ideal Place to Learn to Lead

Victoria Kiechel serves as a student and program adviser at NYU Washington, DC, and notes how the city adds considerable depth to the curriculum. “Leadership examples of all styles, and in all disciplines and scales of action—international, national, and local—are here. How power and leadership relate to one another is a constant theme in this town, which provides daily opportunities as well as cautionary tales to learn best practices.”

Avery Farino, a senior double-majoring in History and Politics at the College of Arts and Science (CAS), recognized the opportunity to explore her interests alongside public service. “The Global Leadership Program helped me understand the value of hands-on experience and networking in formulating leadership skills,” she remarks. Enzo Repetto, also a senior CAS Politics major, adds, “The program’s support network means you find yourself on the cutting edge of new developments happening across the country in a variety of fields.”

Nominate a Future Scholar

Matthew S. Santirocco, faculty director at NYU Washington, DC, and one of the program’s creators, has great aspirations for the Global Leadership Program and is proud of what it’s accomplished thus far. “Since its inception, the program has attracted bright and ambitious change-makers. Our hope is to attract even more students with diverse interests and leadership potential.”

If you would like to suggest an exceptional student, please fill out the nomination form. Students are also welcome to apply without recommendations.

Written by Auzelle Epeneter

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.”

The NYU Washington, DC, Music Club: Where There’s No Judgment

Posted on February 6, 2023, modified on February 6, 2023 by Kristin Law

An NYU Liberal Studies student describes the value a new music club brings to NYU Washington, DC, students

Written by Saylee Nemade, Liberal Studies (LS), Class of 2026

On a spectacular fall Sunday, the NYU Washington, DC, Chamber Music Collective gathered downtown at the Church of the Epiphany to watch Mina Smith, LS Class of 2026, perform with the DC Concert Orchestra Society (DCCOS) in a program full of classical pieces by composers ranging from Mozart to Holmès. Mina began playing the violin when she was 6 years old. Since then, music has been an integral part of her life. During her time at NYU, she wanted to keep it a focal point. So she auditioned for DCCOS, where she says she’s enjoyed interacting with new people of all ages in a musical environment.

Interior of the Church of the Epiphany. Stained glass windows and people sitting in pews.

The DC Concert Orchestra Society performing at the Church of the Epiphany in downtown Washington, DC

Mina is also a founding member of the NYU Washington, DC, Chamber Music Collective, a student-run club for music lovers of all kinds that launched in fall 2022. Her Sunday concert was one of several events and gatherings the club has organized with support from faculty adviser and violinist Dr. Sydney Boyd. Every Friday, the club holds ShowcaseHour, an open mic, for any NYU Washington, DC, student to share their musical talents. Under Boyd’s direction, the club has also attended events around the DC area (like Mina’s concert) as well as solo performances and guest lectures with pianists such as Dr. Yvonne Chen. There’s a diverse set of talents within the club. Students play myriad instruments from the violin, piano, and guitar to the xiao (a vertical end-blown flute) and the melodica. In turn, the club’s activities involve a variety of genres, styles, and musical affinities. For example, one week ShowcaseHour became KaraokeHour. Students also have plans to invite a variety of musical guests to share their own musical journeys. In everything it does, the club focuses on inclusion and community: no criticism, just applause for a shared passion.

Two masked students pose for the camera in the Church of the Epiphany

Saylee Nemade (left) and a friend attend the DC Concert Orchestra Society’s performance at the Church of the Epiphany

When I chose NYU Washington, DC, as my LS First Year Study Away site, I was elated to have the opportunity to join the Chamber Music Collective. It is a very open, nonjudgmental club. As a musician and dancer myself, music plays an influential part in my life. I have been dancing since I was 3, and I’ve been singing, writing, and composing since I was 8. In addition, I have played a variety of instruments since a young age and continue to play and compose on the piano. As the Chamber Music Collective’s administrative secretary, I enjoy proposing and organizing new events. I love watching and listening to the club members’ varied talents because each person is unique. We’re all from diverse backgrounds, and that brings new perspectives to the club.

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

Fall 2022 Orientation Week in Images

Posted on September 19, 2022, modified on September 19, 2022 by Kristin Law

Orientation Week at NYU global locations introduces students to the history and culture of their new home through exciting programming. Additionally, students receive important academic information to set them up for success during their time away.

NYU Abu Dhabi

A student surfing down a hill of sand as other students wait for their turn.

NYU Abu Dhabi welcomes more than 120 study away students from New York City and Shanghai. Staff members love to introduce them to the Emirates with a weekend trip to Dubai and a cultural day in Abu Dhabi.

NYU Florence

Students sitting in the amphitheater as they learn from an authority figure.

New students at NYU Florence attend a session about community values in the amphitheater on the beautiful 57-acre estate of Villa La Pietra.

NYU Madrid

A group of students gathering with a professor on the street in Madrid.

NYU Madrid orientation week features great academic activities like Mapping Madrid, a series of five tours in five city locations led by five NYU Madrid professors. This location is Tetuán, a barrio of contrasts where many cultures mix.

NYU Paris

Four students posing for the camera with the Eiffel Tower visible in the background.

Fall 2022 students enjoy Paris on a boat cruise along the Seine during Welcome Week.

NYU Prague

A trio of students surveying the front of the Municipal House.

Students admire the Municipal House, where the independent Czechoslovakia was established in 1918. During orientation at NYU Prague, they walk around the historical center of Prague while asking questions about Czech history.

NYU Sydney

A student role playing at parliament, while other students are sitting in rows behind them.

At NYU Sydney, students visit the New South Wales Parliament House, the oldest house of parliament in Australia. Students role play as speaker of the house, government members, or opposition members.

NYU Tel Aviv

Students, staff, and faculty convene at the traditional faculty panel and welcome dinner during orientation week at NYU Tel Aviv.

NYU Washington, D.C.

A professor lecturing in front of a projection screen.

Professor Vicky Kiechel leads a Washington 101 session for students during orientation week at NYU Washington, DC.

NYU Washington DC student Brianna Hall Hosts Dialogue on Inequity in Education

Posted on June 4, 2020, modified on May 31, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

Inequality in the education system is often debated and increasingly in the media due to COVID-19 and the global transition to remote learning. NYU Washington, DC recently hosted a virtual discussion to participate in the conversation on inequity in education and education reform, with special attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled The Education Divide: Inequity in the Age of COVID-19, this event was conceived of by former DC Dialogues Executive Board Student Member Brianna Hall, a rising Steinhardt sophomore. The dialogue aimed to bring attention to the inequalities in the United States K-12 education system that hinder higher education being an opportunity for all.

Finding that the COVID-19 crisis made existing inequalities, such as access to technology and the uneven distribution of resources, even more apparent, Hall explains that she wanted to organize this dialogue “because educational equality is the cornerstone to social equality.” Hall believes that a quality education is a crucial “building block to a brighter future” regardless of background. And further believes that those fortunate enough to obtain a higher education have a responsibility to have discussions about and consider solutions to the enduring inequalities in the education system. “We must never stop talking about those that the education system leaves behind,” says Hall, “and those future children the education system will continue to leave behind unless reform is implemented.”

One reform that Hall believes is “critical” to improving the education system is “educating the whole child.” This includes teaching children practical life and personal skills alongside the academic curriculum so that students leave school with the tools necessary to move forward in all areas of life. Hall also believes that it is important to “emphasize the value of each student’s individual culture and identity” from an early age to foster confidence and self-acceptance. Another reform that Hall sees as key is “increased public school funding and increased teacher pay.” With this increased funding, she would like to see “high standards of dedication, quality and professionalism” and believes teachers should receive summer training on how to support students emotionally and socially as well as academically.

The discussion naturally focused on possible solutions to mitigate inequalities and also ideas to better prepare school systems for future, similar extenuating circumstances. The panel included notable experts including Dr. Martha Kanter, Executive Director of the College Promise Campaign and a Senior Fellow at NYU Steinhardt’s Institute for Higher Education Policy; Dr. Tiffany Jones, Senior Director of Higher Education Policy, The Education Trust; Dr. David Kirkland, Executive Director, NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, Associate Professor of English and Urban Education, NYU Steinhardt; and Dr. Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, Associate Professor, International Education, NYU Steinhardt. Hall moderated the discussion.

Hall found moderating the event a meaningful experience and was impressed with the passion and knowledge of the panelists. One aspect of the discussion that she considered “illuminating” related to the COVID-19 pandemic because “people largely view the transition to remote learning and the closure of schools as the crisis, however, there has always been a crisis of inequality in education – COVID-19 just makes this crisis impossible to ignore.” In exploring this theme, Dr. Kirkland emphasized the structure of vulnerabilities that create what we often call “marginalized children.” These vulnerabilities can be related to a child’s socio-economic status – living in poverty, food or housing insecurity, insufficient adult support at home, coming to school hungry or with inadequate clothing, needing to work before and after school. Prejudice is another common structural vulnerability. Students facing assumptions or bias at school must study in a hostile environment, which compromises their abilities to learn or grow successfully. Discussing these vulnerabilities and the obstacles children face was “not an easy discussion to have,” according to Hall, but she believes it is important not to shy away from those difficult or uncomfortable conversations.

Hall was pleased with the discussion, saying, “It was everything that I anticipated and hoped for.” She hopes that this dialogue will continue to spur conversations generating ideas and solutions about how to improve the education system.