Global Dimensions

News and notes from across NYU's Campuses and Sites

Alumni Spotlight: In Conversation with Johileny Meran about Facilitating Study Abroad Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Posted on September 23, 2020, modified on September 1, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

When Johileny Meran went to study at NYU London in the fall of 2018, she knew the experience would change her life. But she did not anticipate that her experiences there would directly lead to a meaningful career opportunity. Meran, a global public health major who graduated in 2019, is now working with Mobility International USA (MIUSA) to support students with disabilities who are considering studying abroad or other forms of international exchange. Meran served as NYU London’s Global Equity Fellow (GEF) while there and bolstered NYU’s commitment to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion abroad by creating an access guide for NYU London.

According to Meran, “Student life experiences on campus can differ based on disability. In the fall of 2018, as a GEF, I created a guide to London’s accessibility culture in an effort to help future students understand what to expect from a student perspective. It is all-encompassing in terms of including a diverse group of resources. I was committed to being a resource and helping improve diversity resources at NYU. Through my role, I learned that my experience informs my work rather than limits the scope to which I can do it.”

Meran not only made a lasting contribution to NYU London during her time at NYU by creating the NYU London Access Guide, but also to issues of disability awareness and accessibility abroad more generally. We had the chance to catch up with Meran and ask about her experiences at NYU London and her current work.

Can you tell me about your NYU career? How did you decide on your study plans?

One of the things that had me most excited about NYU was the fact that it was a global network and I wanted to know about the world and I thought being at NYU would offer a great start. The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program also provided me with a support system from the start.

I entered NYU undecided about my major. At the time, I was still holding onto a life-long dream of becoming a doctor. During my first and second years, I realized that there was so much more that I could learn. I am a first generation college student, and college really opened doors for me in terms of learning what else was possible in the world. When I took one of my first classes in global public health, I immediately fell in love with the entire concept. I also thought it was important to think about the various influences on public health globally. Additionally, I noticed that there was not a lot of conversation around people with disabilities in public health and believed I could make a contribution there.I got hooked on global public health, and I just went for it.

Why did you decide to study abroad and why NYU London?

I knew I wanted to study abroad from my first year. I came to the United States from the Dominican Republic at a young age and I wanted to know more about what the world looked like and I thought studying abroad would be a great way to do that. I also knew that an NYU study abroad experience would provide a great environment to learn via studying rather than just traveling. I was also interested in exploring disability rights in different places and access in general.

I studied abroad very late in my NYU career compared to my peers. I traveled as a senior, rather than as a junior or sophomore. The reason for that was that, having come from a different country myself, I knew that access and disability rights are very different from one country to another. I did a lot of research because I wanted to know that not only would I be in a new place, but that I could do more than just go from my dorm to the academic center. NYU London was a great choice partly because of the accessibility of London as a city and partly because I was curious to explore the differences between British and American English. I already speak two languages so learning a new language was not a priority for me. But I knew London offered a chance to learn more about language in a different context.

You were the NYU London Global Equity Fellow in Fall 2018. Can you share what inspired you to participate in the GEF program? What were your priorities in that role?

I applied to be a Global Equity Fellow because of my experience as a student at NYU in New York. In a sense, I stumbled into disability advocacy on campus. I personally found that the best way to find community was to participate in NYU clubs and student life. Without a community, it can sometimes seem like a very big and vast place. I immediately started participating in and going to events organized by NYU clubs that aligned with my identity – the Latino Student Union LUCHA (Latinos Club), the Black Student Union, the First Generation Club. In those clubs and in those meetings, there was something missing for me because disability was never part of the conversation. So I decided to start bringing disability to the conversation and got a positive response from my peers. They wanted to know more and asked how they could help me tofounda disability community.

By the time I was studying away, I was already president of the NYU Disability Student Union. I was also one of the chairs of an accessibility committee, along with faculty and administrators at NYU. I had established a great relationship with the Moses Center – it was an important source of support for me. The GEF program was a great opportunity to continue that work while in London. It was not just about disability, but diversity and equity and inclusion in general. I was inspired to apply to be a GEF so that I could further explore these issues and discover what more I could bring to the table.

One of your many contributions as a GEF was the NYU Access Culture Guide. Can you talk about working on that and what making that lasting contribution to NYU meant to you?

In the beginning, I was very hesitant to do a disability-focused project. I considered taking a more general approach to diversity issues and not focus on disability. I had a few conversations with the GEF Student Advisor in NY about why I was holding back about bringing disability into the work and it dawned on me that this was something I could bring to the table. One of the nice things about arriving at NYU London was that there were so many pamphlets to orient students to the city. I realized that I could bring an accessibility lens to the information that is available to incoming students. One of the things that I really enjoyed about the project was that not only were the staff excited, but the students as well. When I shared that I was looking to put information together about what access was like in London, there were so many contributions. I also reached out to Emely Recinos, another student with a disability who was studying in NYU Buenos Aires at the time, to get her perspective about what access issues she wished she knew about before going to Argentina. The guide is not meant to be definitive; students are welcome to change it in later years.

I appreciated being able to give future NYU students something that I didn’t have. I relied on information from the Moses Center and the NYU London staff before I traveled, but there was still more I wish I knew in advance. So it felt good to know that I was giving future students more information to go in with. Much of the information in the guide elaborates on topics, like transportation, that were already covered in the existing student guide. I put it all together because I wanted more people to realize that the accessibility information for disability is so similar to the information that students already get. It actually does not need to be separate, but just included as an extra layer to the information already provided. After I finished the project, I felt really accomplished in the sense that another student interested in studying abroad would have this great information.

I understand that you are now working with Mobility International USA as a Program Coordinator for the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE). As I understand it, NCDE is a project focused on increasing the participation of people with disabilities in all types of travel with a purpose. What is your focus?

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) is a project under the organization I work for, MIUSA, and it is sponsored by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. When I learned about this project, I was just so excited – beyond excited – because there is so much information available to anyone through the website. NCDE provides detailed information about preparing to go abroad, including creative ways to get around, and information about attitudes on disability that you may encounter during your exchange.

One of my favorite aspects of the project is also the personal stories. We collect and share personal stories from students with disabilities who have studied abroad in a range of places around the world. I love reading about their experiences. Sometimes you have moments of thinking that access is so hard in a particular country, why would someone go? But in reality it is a lot about the challenge you want to put on yourself as a student. I realized that the information shared via NCDE was a lot like the information I included in the access culture guide.

In my role, I focus on a variety of projects as part of the NCDE team of four, including the Inquiry and Referral Service. Anyone with a disability or any international exchange professional can submit a question and we do research to answer it. After receiving an inquiry, I immediately consider what the best resources are that I can offer this person – tip sheets, personal stories, etc – and then I also consider whether there are country-specific resources that I can offer. We provide meaningful support for both professionals trying to support a student with a disability or students with disability looking for information.

I also conduct interviews with students about their experiences and compile resources for the NCDE newsletter, Access to Exchange. It includes personal stories about experiences abroad, stories about disability access, and funding opportunities, among other things.

Finally, I regularly speak on panels or in other contexts to provide information about the services and opportunities we offer. The intent of this outreach is to encourage more students with disabilities to study abroad and participate in international exchange in general. Similarly, we also offer information and support to international students looking to come to the United States. We hope to see a more inclusive approach to exchange with disabled students participating along with their non-disabled peers.

How did your time at NYU London inform your decision to work with Mobility International on NCDE?

I met someone from Mobility International right after I returned from London. During the spring semester of my senior year, I was recruited by a summer camp I used to attend to come work for them for the summer. I went for my training during my last semester at NYU and it happened to be family day at the camp and one of the organizations presenting was Mobility International. I introduced myself and shared that I had just come back from London and that I wanted to learn more about their work.

After finishing my summer job, I was invited to by Mobility International USA to present with them at the 2019 Council on International Educational Exchange Conference. Actually, I later repurposed that presentation in my first blog post for Mobility International, 4 Takeaways from my Study Abroad Experience for Exchange Professionals.

While I was still looking for work, I learned that a position had opened up with MIUSA. I was in awe of the work that they have done and the NCDE project, I thought it could be a great place to start my career. I immediately saw so many connections between what I had done at NYU London and what I could do and learn at Mobility International that I just knew it was right.

What would you say to other students with disabilities, whether at NYU or elsewhere, who might be hesitant about studying abroad?

I think it is important for students with disabilities to participate in international exchanges. Doing so is a life-changing experience. To see a different part of the world and learn from a different culture, offers so much to you personally and to your career. Even though there may be challenges, it is a great opportunity to learn.

As a student with a disability, you are not just learning through the experience yourself, but you are also allowing others to learn from you through your experience – peers, future students, educators.

There is a great article on our website, 20 Truths that Every Exchange Participant Should Know, that addresses common concerns and highlights the benefits of study abroad.

What would you say to administrators or coordinators of international exchange programs, whether at NYU or elsewhere, about how to encourage and ensure access for all students?

I think it is important to note that at Mobility International we have a culture and a thought process of “challenge by choice.” This is the idea that you go to a place and you know that you will be challenged there, but you know that it is a challenge you can take on. Individuals in student advising positions may have preconceived notions about accessibility issues in particular countries. MI believes that students should be prepared to make informed decisions about study abroad opportunities by understanding the realities of accessibility and knowing how they might navigate challenges while abroad. You might think that a country is too inaccessible for a student but the only person to really decide that is the student. Your job is offering and support so that they know what access challenges they might be facing and whether they are willing to navigate those challenges.

It is important to be intentional about encouraging students with disabilities. If, for example, you are recruiting students to participate in a short-term exchange program, consider including language such as“students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.” Not including disability or access information in recruitment materials creates an additional barrier for students.

Is there anything else you would like to share or add?

My time as a GEF really solidified the benefit of student engagement. I would encourage students with disabilities to take on student leadership roles to inform educators and professionals about the information students need. Disability and accessibility are part of diversity. I mean this not just in terms of reasonable accommodations, but in terms of what student life is like.

Arlie Petters Selected as Provost of NYU Abu Dhabi

Posted on September 9, 2020, modified on September 1, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

Over the summer, NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann announced the appointment of Dr. Arlie O. Petters – Benjamin Powell Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Duke University, and former Dean of Academic Affairs for Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at Duke – as the Provost of NYU Abu Dhabi, effective September 1, 2020.

The selection follows a comprehensive, wide-ranging, nine-month global search that sought input from across the NYU community to identify a strategic academic leader who would nurture and advance the educational and research mission and build on NYU Abu Dhabi’s bedrock of excellence. The University’s trajectory of academic success was established by Provost Fabio Piano, who will return to genomics research at the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology in Abu Dhabi and in New York after serving as NYU Abu Dhabi’s provost for the past decade.

According to NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann, “Arlie’s distinguished scholarly qualifications, leadership experience, knowledge of international education, research breadth, commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, focus on students, deep understanding of academic excellence, and integrity and energy give me great confidence that he will serve the University well in his role as Provost. He will provide outstanding academic leadership as we embark on NYUAD’s second decade of growth and accomplishment. It will be inspiring and rewarding to work with Arlie as we advance our resolutely international model of liberal arts education and address the complex challenges we face today.”

Petters’ principal research interests include mathematical physics and scientific methods in business administration, with a focus on mathematical finance and entrepreneurship and innovation in STEM fields in developing nations. He is the Benjamin Powell Professor of Mathematics and a Professor of Physics and Economics at Duke University, where he has been on the faculty since 1998.

Before joining Duke, Petters served as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and an Instructor of Pure Mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received his PhD in mathematics from MIT, and has a BA and MA in mathematics and physics from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

Petters’ research explores how gravity acts on light. He pioneered the mathematical theory of weak-deflection gravitational lensing, which brought powerful methods from pure mathematics to bear on astronomy. He also advanced applications of gravitational lensing, which included predicting effects that probe the nature of spacetime around black holes and developing tests of Einstein’s general relativity and modified gravity models. He has published fifty articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as five books, including the monograph Singularity Theory and Gravitational Lensing, the textbook An Introduction to Mathematical Finance with Applications, and three problem-solving books on mathematics and scientific reasoning.

“Within a ten-year span,” says Provost Petters, “NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a world-class, innovative liberal arts and sciences undergraduate program and premier interdisciplinary research environment. It has created a collaborative culture of global citizenry among its excellent students, faculty, and staff. It has fostered diversity, inclusion, cultural competency, empathy, and openness. It has become a university in and of the city of Abu Dhabi. This gravitational pull of NYU Abu Dhabi was simply irresistible. I am delighted to serve under Mariët’s amazing leadership driving NYU Abu Dhabi onwards and upwards, to take its place among the world’s great universities.”

Among his many awards and honors are an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, a National Science Foundation Career Award, and the first Blackwell-Tapia Prize in the Mathematical Sciences. He was selected in 2006 by the National Academy of Sciences to be part of a Portrait Collection of Outstanding African Americans in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. In addition to his research, Petters has mentored numerous students, faculty, and professionals, and has consequently received many community-service awards.

In his native Belize, he founded the Petters Research Institute to help develop human capital in STEM fields and foster national development through environmentally sustainable applications of STEM tools in entrepreneurship. In recognition of these contributions, he was made a member in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2008, and appointed in 2010 as the inaugural Chairman of the Council of Science Advisers to the Prime Minister of Belize. In 2009, his birthplace, Dangriga, Belize, honored him with a street in his name.

NYU LA’s Program Director Nina Sadowsky Launches New Book

Posted on August 26, 2020, modified on August 31, 2020 by Chelsea Robles

“The book was fueled by my rage about a post-truth society, in which facts are no longer facts, science is under attack, and behaving with honesty and integrity seems downright quaint,” said Nina Sadowsky — author, film producer, and program director of NYU Los Angeles — about the inspiration for her latest book, Convince Me.

Examining a man’s death, Convince Me reveals the deeply-held secrets that are intrinsic to the psychosis of an unrepentant pathological liar. An author of psychological thrillers, Sadowsky noted that she uses writing to process her own “fears and furies about the world.” It was the current political context that sparked her interest in exploring “what makes a sociopath in the age of untruth?”

She explained that once she began pondering the construction of sociopathy and proliferation of untruth, “the plot for the book came into my head like an arrow, right down to the final twist! Trust me, this is unusual; my normal process involves plodding along like a mule, as I outline, revise, and revise yet again and again. But with Convince Me, I felt clear with purpose and feverish with the need to write. And I did so, in explosive bursts whenever I could scratch out even a few minutes. It felt like I pulled that arrow right out of my forehead and into my computer one inch at a time. I realized that through the writing I was exorcising my rage.”

Preparing to write Convince Me involved extensive research. Sadowsky explained that “research is always one of the best parts of writing a book, because I get to take a deep dive into new arenas.” To develop the background knowledge for particular aspects of the storyline, Sadowsky examined “Virtual Reality technologies and their implications for both gaming and medicine, as that tech is important to the plot.” Creating the main character’s psychological profile required extensive study of a range of mental illnesses. Probing the symptoms and outward expressions of psychological disturbances enabled her to flesh out the “narcissistic pathological liar whose funeral opens the book. Which is not a spoiler! As soon as I created the character of Justin Childs I knew I wanted to kill him before the story began so he would be unable to deflect or defend himself as the truth about him is exposed.”

Launching Convince Me during a pandemic required Sadowsky to adapt the way she would typically publicize a new book. “Normally a book launch includes talks at bookstores (I launched The Empty Bed at the NYU bookstore in New York last February) and speaking at libraries or conferences.” While the live events she had planned in connection with Convince Me were cancelled due to COVID-19, she worked with her publisher to quickly pivot to online platforms.

“I’m doing virtual events hosted out of New York, Rhode Island, San Diego and Indiannapolis. I’m appearing on podcasts and writing articles for appropriate publications (all of which is the norm, but all of which also takes on special significance now). When the Killer Nashville conference was cancelled I recorded a special video for Nashville’s Parnassus Books, the city’s preeminent Indie bookstore. Social media has played a big role in all book sales since it came on the scene and that is truer than ever now. Book people are fierce! They love books and they love to promote them on social channels; the blogger community is key. The release of a book is much like everything else these days; we have our assumptions about how things work upended and then we try to be flexible and adapt.”

As an educator, Sadowsky said that she hopes her work will spark discussion. “I recognize that there is often not one absolute truth in any situation as perspective is always a factor, but there is absolute value in honesty, integrity, and respect for facts.”

Find Convince Me here. And learn more by reading the Book Club Kit which includes questions that readers may ask themselves about their own relationship to lying and liars (as well as recipes, cocktails, and Sadowsky’s Top Ten Songs about Liars and Lying Spotify Playlist).

Global TIES for Children’s Researchers Relate Learnings from Study with Refugee Children to Global Post-COVID School Reopening

Posted on July 29, 2020, modified on July 20, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

Researchers at Global TIES for Children, an international research center based at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU New York, examined a variety of post-migration risks faced by Syrian refugee children enrolled in Lebanese public schools and found that students being older than expected for the grade in which they were placed was most consistently and strongly associated with developmental and learning difficulties. As many schools around the world prepare to reopen in 2020 and beyond, the study provides critical insights that can help inform efforts to reintegrate children into schools after significant disruption and time away.

The findings of the study are detailed in a paper published in the Journal for Applied Developmental Psychology and corresponding policy brief released on July 1, 2020. The study collected and analyzed assessment data from 448 Syrian refugee children in November 2016 through March 2017. Researchers found that children who were older than expected for their grade level – so-called “age-for-grade” – had poorer cognitive executive functioning and behavioral regulation skills than children who were placed in a typical grade level for their age. Being overage-for-grade also forecasted decrements in literacy and math skills.

Dolan added: “As of today, over a billion children worldwide have faced numerous personal and academic adversities and disruptions. This type of research can help inform the design, implementation, and funding of evidence-based programs and policies to ensure children’s holistic learning during crisis situations.”

School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have left nearly 1.6 billion children and youth out of school around the world, while the cascading economic impacts are anticipated to force millions more to drop out. Recent research indicates that even short-term, 14-week school closures can have significant long-term repercussions on children’s academic outcomes.

Kim added: “Our research suggests that such cumulative experiences of adversity can have repercussions for both children’s academic performance and their social and emotional skills.”

In this study, grade level may be associated with cognitive, behavioral, and academic difficulties for several possible reasons. First, being older than expected for a grade can be a marker that a child has faced numerous and cumulative risks earlier in childhood that interrupted schooling or impaired learning. Second, studying in a classroom without same-age peers or developmentally appropriate teaching practices, routines, and learning materials may itself result in cognitive and behavioral challenges. Third, and conversely, there may be a tendency to place older children with lower cognitive, behavioral, and socio-emotional skills in lower grades.

Global TIES for Children designs, evaluates, and advises on programs and policies to improve the lives of children and youth in the most vulnerable regions across the globe. The study was recently conducted as part of a larger collaboration with the International Rescue Committee and supported by Dubai Cares, the E-Cubed Research Envelope, and NYU Abu Dhabi.

This post comes to us from NYU Abu Dhabi. You can learn more here.

41 Shots

Posted on July 15, 2020, modified on July 20, 2020 by Chelsea Robles

“As the world is getting smaller, it’s a story about people who come to America with an idea of what could be,” said NYU Accra Director Frankie Edozien. “We may be seen by some as people who sell on the street or work in car washes, but beneath all of that there is a long line of Africans who came here as a way to get a higher education — to get that American degree.”

“You do what you need to do,” he went on to explain, “and what you have to do to get into higher education. And then you do what you have to do to stay in. When you see Africans graduating, there is a lot of jubilation. The joy is not just that you’ve gotten this wonderful degree. You’ve had to do so many things, take on so many jobs. The journey that we take to get there may have many twists, turns, and diversions, but as Africans we think it’s a journey worth taking. The end of our dreams are not the jobs that we have at the moment, those are only the beginning. We return home to build up our communities. That was cut short for Amadou.”

The recently released Netflix series, Trial by Media, focuses on six true crime stories and the role of the media in their narratives. The third Episode, 41 Shots, examines the journey of Amadou Diallo, a 23-year old young man who immigrated to the US from Guinea to pursue a college education. Instead, Diallo was tragically shot to death outside of his home by police officers who claimed Diallo drew a weapon when asked to produce his ID. Set within the context of the stop-and-frisk program that emerged under former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, the episode looks at the case from a range of perspectives — including Kadiatou Diallo, Amadou’s mother; police officers and other city officials; and Edozien’s thoughtful narration of his experience as a reporter covering the case.

Working on the case as a reporter “took years of my life,” said Edozien, “from the day Diallo was shot, to the day his family received the settlement from New York City.” While there were many journalists covering the story, Edozien’s work on the case began right from the moment Madam Diallo arrived in New York from Guinea.“I was there when she arrived in the Bronx right after she disembarked from the plane. I remember when she came out, grabbing onto her, looking at her and saying, ‘my name is Frankie, remember me.’ I also remember reading about that moment in her book, My Heart will Cross this Ocean: My Story, My Son, Amadou. In her book, she talks about how awful the experience was and how a reporter approached her and gave her his name.” That moment of human interaction coupled with “the fact that I was constant, that I was there to tell a story, not to tell a story and move on” said Edozien, led to the development of trust.

Looking back over twenty years later, Edozien explained that seeing the story made available to a wide audience on Netflix “was a joy.” Initially, however, Edozien had no expectation that his contribution to the documentary, as an advisor to the producers, would result in his own appearance in 41 Shots. He was contacted at first because, as a reporter who had covered the case extensively, the producers frequently came across his name during the process of conducting background research for the show.

When Edozien was first contacted by the Netflix series producers about the episode, he was initially hesitant because he did not want to take part in a project that might cause Diallo’s family to relive the painful memories related to his death. However, upon talking with them, he found that the producers “wanted to do this right, to tell the truth, to create an honest portrayal of what led to Amadou’s killing.” He discovered that they wanted to provide a sense of what actually happened and to spark a conversation about the role of the media in a high profile case. Edozien notes that,“in telling viewers about the role of the media, you have to tell the story.”

When meeting with the producers to provide insight about the case, Edozien expected to serve as only an advisor, though he later agreed to appear in the show as a narrator of particular events. He was also committed to ensuring Madam Diallo’s views were included in the documentary. “Even though she had been very public and had spoken a lot about her son, she never had the opportunity to tell her story. My big goal was that one day we were going to do it, and convince Madam Diallo to do it. She is a very private person, and she’s focused on her foundation. But I made a case for why she should sit down with the producers. I knew they would talk to lawyers, and talk to everyone [in New York who had been] involved. But once they got Madam Diallo to speak, I knew this wouldn’t be a one sided thing. I thought ‘my work is done here.’ Ultimately, that was all that I wanted.”

Reflecting on his connection to the case, on a personal level, Edozien noted that he “understood Diallo’s journey, even though the police just saw him as a street peddler.” “If you are any kind of ‘other,’ explained Edozien, “you are judged by the way you look or speak. If you are somebody who is vending on the street, as he was selling hats and gloves, the assumption is that you don’t have any formal education. But that was far from the truth, he was on his way to becoming a student studying computer science. But he was also a black man studying in the vestibule of his house. And he was also a black man confronted by a police man. The gun they thought he was pulling out was actually his wallet and ID — exactly what anyone would pull out to provide to police when being stopped.”

Considering the recent shootings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, among other headlines detailing racial injustices, said Edozien, “it’s sad to see that so many years later a certain type of body provokes fear. You can have a black man simply standing, and this evokes fear.”

“What was great for me,” said Edozien about the release of the documentary, “was that people saw Diallo. The thought that he was there only to sell on the streets is not right. He had a plan — to get a degree and return to Guinea.” In fact, said Edozien, “the last words Diallo said to his mother were, ‘mom, I’m going to college.’ He was going to register, to make her proud one day, and that sentiment stays with Madam Diallo.”

The experience of living through the death of her son became the impetus for creating the Amadou Diallo Foundation. Edozien explained that while her son didn’t make it, Madam Diallo wanted someone else to be able to make it into higher education. “The Diallo family has not stopped in its commitment to tertiary education for people who might otherwise not go.”

“Ultimately,” says Edozien, “this kind of storytelling is in service of educating people. We are still trying to learn to see everybody as just people. We are still trying.”

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.

NYU Prague Instructor on Travel Writing in the Time of No Travel

Posted on June 24, 2020, modified on June 16, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

NYU Prague Instructor Veronika Bednářová, who teaches the Travel Writing course, shares her thoughts on remotely teaching her course during a time when no one can travel.

Paris. Shanghai. Oklahoma. Toronto. Vienna. Students from around the world used to meet in our Travel Writing class in Prague, the Czech Republic. For the past 14 years, I have found great comfort in seeing the students leave Prague every weekend in starfish-like directions. I enjoyed reading their passionately written articles from the various European destinations they visited and found so cool.

Now I see them in their pajamas. In the background, there are posters from the high school years before they left home. We share the mood swings of our Wifi networks together. I sometimes hear a dog barking, a younger sibling giggling in the next room. We chucked our syllabus: the Travel Trends 2020 section became completely irrelevant, and one student’s planned trip to Brno, the second biggest city in the Czech Republic, was left behind at the NYU Prague dormitory as a totally unachievable dream.

The world closed, but not our creative writing class.

We Zoom thru our non-existent travels together. I appreciate how much the students have taught me about virtual platforms. Not only do we dream about traveling, we live for traveling. Thanks to Zoom, we constantly plan our future travels, and we take advantage of our past travel experiences.

More than before, we feel we don’t have to travel in style but with good intentions for the planet in mind. The whole tourist industry is asking the same questions at the same time as our class is; it is easy to keep up with those questions thanks to new embedded videos about the travel industry and the newly-recorded interviews with travel specialists. We see a lot of professional travelers in their rooms, in their hometowns.

My TW students still keep their travel journals even though their physical travel is from the bathroom to the living room. They keep writing travel pieces. They just finished profiles, conducted via phone/Skype/Zoom interviews, and it has been an honor to get to know their family members through this forum: an 86-year old grandmother who cant wait to be taken on a tour of Greenwich Village by her grandchild after the quarantine. An 11-year-old sibling who is, like Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye, the moral compass of the whole extended family.

We might have learned less about foreign destinations during our class, which I have re-named Travel Writing in the Time of No Travel. But we have learned much more about ourselves. For a creative writing course, I can´t imagine a better device.

NYU Buenos Aires Students Combat Stereotypes in Argentine Football

Posted on June 10, 2020, modified on June 7, 2020 by Martha J Bekink

In Argentina, football is sacred. The beautiful game is widely watched — and worshiped — often with deep passion. Unfortunately, descriptions of the passionate Argentine fan can at times veer toward stereotype, and two NYU Buenos Aires students decided to contribute to a local project trying to address the negative stereotypes of football fans, which they viewed as unfair representations.

Leila Al Dzheref, a sophomore at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Arik Rosenstein, a junior at the School of Professional Studies, thought sharing stories about “regular” Argentine football fans would go a long way in dispelling the notion that the country’s football fans’ passion somehow by definition violent or barbaric. They developed a project, El Mismo Amor in Passion FC, provides a different perspective by sharing stories about “regular” Argentine football fans. Al Dzeref and Rosenstein recently became involved in the Passion FC movement, hoping to highlight the real mindsets and beliefs of Argentine football supporters because they believe it is important to share these stories. Passion FC existed as a social movement before the students arrived in Buenos Aires, but they were able to make a contribution and remain active.

Passion FC was founded in Buenos Aires 2018 by local football fans hoping to engage others by creating a space for conversations around football. They have a website and social media presence, and sometimes organise events. The NYU Buenos Aires students’ El Miso Amor project was a series of Instagram stories. Passion FC released these stories to raise awareness about the misconceptions of Argentine football supporters.

Although it was Al Dzheref’s interest in learning Spanish that led her to study at NYU Buenos Aires, she is a huge football fan, so saw this also as a great opportunity to explore the culture of Argentine football. Rosenstein’s passion for sport has inspired him to pursue a BS in Sports Management, Media, and Business at SPS’ Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. He said he chose to study at NYU Buenos Aires in part because his experience studying at NYU Accra in fall 2016 was so positive that he knew he “needed to have another unique and different experience.” Rosenstein immediately started attending football games and, like Al Dzheref, was keen to experience Argentine football culture.

Together Al Dzheref and Rosenstein started working with Passion FC, focusing on using football to facilitate conversations around contemporary social issues in Argentina. They developed their project, El Mismo Amor or “the same love,” after becoming acquainted with enthusiastic and kind fans of Argentine football. Despite being advised to be wary of certain clubs or neighborhoods because the football supporters were “animals” or “barbarians,” the two went to many matches and engaged the Argentine fans they met in conversation. According to Rosenstein, they “asked Argentinian supporters about their love of football and also about the common negative stereotypes of fans.” They found people eager to talk and after “moments of pure and authentic connection,” they realized that although football may be supported in different ways, the love of the game is the same.

The stories highlighted in El Miso Amori illustrated the vibrancy of Argentine football cultures and fans. One story focuses on Naza, whom Al Dzheref and Rosenstein met at a match in Lanus, a city just south of Buenos Aires. After asking him where they might purchase a Lanus team scarf, Naza invited the students to sit with him and explained what it means to be from Lanus. Bonding through football, they learned so much more about his life than they would have without that common interest.

Another story features Camilla, whom they met at a Velez Sarsfield match, the very first match Al Dzheref and Rosenstein attended in Buenos Aires. She was with her high school friends, and they bonded over being pushed and pulled by the other supporters. According to Rosenstein, “We had in-depth discussions about why Camila comes with her friends, her viewpoints of the team, the experience and of course her love of the game. Being welcomed by a group of highschoolers with no need to talk to us, shows just how many connections and social differences this game has.” The students found that Camilla and her friends valued showing them what it means to be from Velez. They left knowing that the next time they would go back, they would have friends at the stadium.

Al Dzheref and Rosenstein are quick to emphasize that they do not mean to imply that are not serious issues in Argentinian football or that all stadiums are safe. Rather, they say, “El Mismo Amor is about having a conversation.” They explain that it is about considering another culture, respectfully challenging other views or opinions. According to Al Dazheref, seeing the passionate commitment of the Argentinian football fans inspired her to “want to change their representation for the better.” Through El Mismo Amor they are “showing another side of football, not the side of fights and violence that is usually reported in the media.”

The El Mismo Amor project, via the Passion FC website and social media channels, has reached over 90,000 people, according to Rosenstein. He and Al Dzheref collaborated on sharing seven individual stories on Instagram, painting a picture of the different football cultures. The responses and the ensuing conversations have been positive and resulted in dialogues and debates about the public perceptions of violence in football and football fans, something Rosenstein believes demonstrates effective advocacy online. Al Dzheref finds that the move to remote learning because of COVID-19 has allowed them to think strategically about future campaigns and effectively sharing content.

Both students remain active with Passion FC and Rosenstein emphasizes they only “met because of NYU’s global commitment, so it’s a testament to NYU.” Al Dzheref is enthusiastic about her time at NYU Buenos Aires saying, “My experience in Argentina was one of the best in my life.” She was grateful for the opportunity “to see Argentina through my own eyes, without the distortions of others.” She and Rosenstein are similarly trying to open eyes through this project and encourage us to engage in dialogues about stereotypes and assumptions in Argentine football.

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.

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!