Global Dimensions

News and notes from across NYU's Campuses and Sites

NYU Steinhardt in Hong Kong: Forging Pathways to Sustainability

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This spring, a graduate class from NYU Steinhardt traveled to Hong Kong to collaborate in visionary plans to protect Hong Kong’s ecological heritage. The class is taught by Prof. Raul Lejano, who integrates the international field studies workshop with his ongoing research on urban resilience in Asia.

Over two weeks in January, the students collaborated with nonprofits and others in Hong Kong to craft strategies for integrating the urban and the ecological. They were even joined by Dom Brewer, Dean of the Steinhardt School, for a day or trekking in the field.

The rest of the semester was then spent analyzing data and preparing deliverables which are then presented to stakeholders in Hong Kong for actual implementation. This year, students sorted themselves into four projects.

  1. Hoi Ha Nature Trail and Masterplan

    Map of Hoi Ha Nature Trail and Cultural Heritage Site

Maegan Ciolino, Yunshun Yang, Rachel Baruch

The group sought to create ways for local residents to cherish (and protect) the coastal wetlands and mangrove in Hoi Ha, an area in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. To do this, they worked with Friends of Hoi Ha to design, stake out, and geo-reference a nature trail, complete with interpretive signs (map shown below). The project took a surprising turn when the group retraced an old, abandoned boulder trackway built by Hakka settlers almost two hundred years ago. They integrated the historical pathway into the new nature trail to provide the visitor an experience of history and ecology. Friends of Hoi Ha is working with the Environmental Minister to formally incorporate the nature trail into the nature master plan for Hoi Ha.

  1. Mangroves and Me: A Nature Lesson for Young Ecologists

RaeJean Boyd, Anna Hoch, Barbara Leary, Kym Mendez

Another group of graduate students worked with a local elementary school, Hong Kong Academy, to design and conduct a half-day nature lesson revolving around the ecology of Hoi Ha. Their vision for the learning experience was to integrate play and experiential, place-based learning to engage fifth graders in environmental action. Learning about mangrove and wetlands was integrated with hands-on activities, including kayaking, planting mangrove propagules, and identifying freshwater insects. Assessment revolved around interpretive drawings that the kids created to capture the day’s activities. The lesson is being formally integrated into the Academy’s curriculum.

NYU Steinhardt Students Conducting Nature Lesson for Fifth Graders of Hong Kong Academy

  1. Sustainable Housing for Pak Sha O

Fatima Ahmed, Zhe Huang, Danni Lu, Pamela Razo, Yiyi Shi

Traditional Hakka Village Housing in Pak Sha O

Pak Sha O is a traditional Hakka village in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, where the old village houses have been preserved by its current residents. The government has made plans to put in new housing in Pak Sha O. NYU students have written up a set of design recommendations for new housing in this ecologically and culturally important area. The specs include: adaptation of Hakka housing elements for the exterior, application of Feng Shui design concepts for the interior, wind turbines, and advanced septage treatment. An interesting facet of the design concerns the intersection of cultural and environmental elements –e.g., agreement between traditional Feng Shui concepts and newer sustainable design principles.

  1. Seafood Tourism and Coastal Heritage in Sai Kung

Xiao Huang, Alex McIe, Tommy V. Le

Sustainable Cities Class with Dean Brewer in Sai Kung

The area of Sai Kung is popular with tourists for its renowned seafood restaurant row. However, seafood tourism goes on seemingly disconnected with the rich heritage of Sai Kung as a fishing village. NYU students trace the cultural and cuisinary pathways that make up seafood tourism in the town. Their ethnographic study has led to recommendations for making the fishing culture and coastal ecology alive for visitors to the area. The guide includes a walking tour of Sai Kung and an ethnography of the local seafood industry.

NYU Tisch Dance Minor Credit Offered at NYU Shanghai

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Students studying at NYU Shanghai can now qualify for half of the Dance Minor offered at NYU Tisch School of the Arts by taking two dance classes, Dance and Choreography & Performance, at NYU Shanghai.

NYU Tisch approved the two courses taught in Shanghai by professor Aly Rose in March, allowing students from across the global network to either start or finish their minor in Shanghai.

“This is a great opportunity for students to become leaders, artists, and diversify their skills for whatever careers they choose in the future,” says Rose, former Head of the Dance Minor at NYU Tisch where she taught Choreography, Chinese Dance, and Topics in Chinese Culture.

To be awarded a dance minor, students must complete a total of 16 credits in accredited courses, with Dance (ART-SHU 225A-001/225B-001) and Choreography & Performance (ART-SHU 239.4-001/239.2-001) at NYU Shanghai now counting 4 credits each towards the minor.

The two courses are already the most popular dance classes on campus, and students now have a new dance studio in the Shanghai academic building to train at.

“A week or two after landing in Shanghai, I enrolled in the Choreography & Performance class. The hours were long, and the coursework was demanding, but I stuck with it because I was genuinely interested in the content,” said study away student Emma Quong ‘19. “Little did I know that the course’s professor would bring an exciting dimension to my semester.”

Some of Rose’s students have gone on to hold public performances at some of the city’s biggest arts venues. The entire Choreography & Performance class performed CELL at the 18th International Art Festival Shanghai, while Emma Quong––president of NYU’s ballet club –– Janice Luo and Isabel Adler held performances at MOCA Shanghai in collaboration with Rose’s professional dancers.

“Professor Aly Rose constantly shared her professional opportunities with the students. Because of her, I was able to perform at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Campus Performance and also at the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA). And through NYU Shanghai, 5 invited students and I were sent to NYU Abu Dhabi to dance at the Body Voices Conference,” added Quong.

“All of my classes are open to everyone. No dance background is necessary,” says Rose. “It’s exciting to see a student transform, build up their confidence and learn how to express themselves more fully.”

While NYU Shanghai’s Dance course explores the history and movements of jazz, hip-hop, modern and classical Chinese dance, the Choreography & Performance course teaches students how to create their own work and work collaboratively with others.

“They learn how to trust their own bodies, respect and work with one another. Creating a dance vocabulary is very important part of choreography. It’s very exciting for student to have a voice and learn how to express themselves with their body,” Rose said.

“Collaborating with other students, professional dancers, and the Chinese arts community I found new perspective to dance and performance. I realized that it is not just about comparing the culturally different end products, but to also understand the importance of their various creation processes,” said Quong.

“At the end of the semester we put on a big show in front of a live audience. A lot of them are showing their own work for the first time and for some, dancing for the first time. It’s very impressive because their majors are business, finance, etc,” said Rose.

NYU Shanghai students wishing to complete the minor during their study away year can take a combination of the following courses at NYU Tisch: either History of Dance or Why Dance Matters for 4 credits each, and any combination of 2 point Ballet, Modern, African, Flamenco, Hip Hop and Indian dance.

This post comes from NYU Shanghai and originally appeared here.

NYU Paris Professor Gives Reading- The Pirate Who Does Not Know the Value of Pi

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On 2 May, Eugene Ostashevsky, poet, translator, and NYU professor, will discuss The Pirate Who Does Not Know the Value of Pi, his poetry novel about communication challenges in a relationship between a pirate and a parrot who are shipwrecked on a deserted island.

The Pirate, just published in the U.S. by the New York Review of Books, has also appeared in French and German translation, the former as Le Pirate qui ne connaît pas la valeur de pi – Chapitre 1.
Ostashevsky, himself an award-winning translator from Russian and Italian, will talk about the challenges and opportunities of writing and publishing a creative book, and especially a multilingual one. He will also talk about pirate language, animal intelligence, and other minds. Of course, he will also read passages from The Pirate Who Does Not Know the Value of Pi.

NYU Accra Students Converse with Influential Ghanaian Music Artist

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On Thursday, April 27, NYU Accra students had the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion via the NYU Accra Conversation Series. The topic for the event was “Inside out: Conversation with a Contemporary Ghanaian Musician.” The lead discussant was Reggie Rockstone, one of Ghana’s finest rap artists who is often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Ghanaian Hiplife’. He is believed to have pioneered the Hiplife Art form and has played an important role in the development of this uniquely African genre. He raps both in English and in Twi. Both Reggie and the students enjoyed the opportunity to connect and converse.

The Transformative Power of Art and Ideas – Exhibition Inauguration at NYU Florence

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On April 26, NYU Florence will celebrate the opening of a new exhibition, The Transformative Power of Art and Ideas. The exhibition includes fresco portraits by Fabrizio Ruggiero and projects by NYU Florence students: Angy Aguilar, Delaney Beem, Josefina Dumay Neder, Yuming Lu, Samantha Sofia Sneider, and Allegra Venturi. The exhibition will be in place from April 26 to June 18.

 The exhibition The Transformative Power of Art and Ideas pays homage to nine​ ​individuals​ ​who have​ ​worked for​ ​social justice, equality, and human dignity​ ​and have been recognized as thought leaders by the international community. The artist​ ​Fabrizio Ruggiero​ ​chose the pictorial language of fresco painting​ ​for the portraits, ​that​ he believes ​“forms the ideal medium to portray the human face”.

NYU Florence students worked​ ​with the artist throughout the semester ​​to understand​ ​his​ ​criteria​ ​for selecting ​subjects for his frescos and ​his artistic engagement with the public in a dialogue about the ideas his subjects represent. Students reflected on thought leaders in their own lives and the​ ​criteria they use to determine them.

The portraits were first exhibited in June 2015 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations and the campaign “Time for Global Action”.

NYU Abu Dhabi Chemist Helps Bring Digital Courseware to Schools in Kenya

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Learning science is about to get a whole lot cooler for hundreds of high school students in Kenya. An international project co-led by an NYU Abu Dhabi chemist will deliver digital education materials such as interactive modules, online simulations, and even virtual chemistry experiments to many classrooms.

The idea for the project — Chemistry on Computers in Kenya — was born at the second Joint Undertaking for an Africa Materials Institute (JUAMI) conference held in Arusha, Tanzania.

“Computer learning in core scientific subjects like chemistry is uncommon in Kenya because internet service is unreliable and many teachers may have limited computer skills,” said Philip Rodenbough, NYUAD postdoctoral chemist who was also a member of the US Peace Corps in West Africa. “Chemistry on Computers in Kenya (CCK) will digitize science education and help improve digital literacy for both young people and teachers.”

Kenya’s government is already providing scores of tablets to elementary school students and funding more computer labs in secondary schools, Rodenbough said, but they need help establishing a digital curriculum. They have computers but nothing to put on them for students to learn.

CCK aims to develop at least three computer-based chemistry lesson plans this year and then encourage science educators to distribute them across their own personal networks. The project has the potential for a very large impact because “it’s easy for teachers to share digital materials” even beyond Kenya, Rodenbough added.

Along with Rodenbough, the project is co-led by PhD student and Kenyan chemistry teacher Agatha Wagutu at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania. The JUAMI conference was funded by the US National Science Foundation and the CCK project received funding and support from the Materials Research Society Foundation.

Andy Gregory, NYUAD Public Affairs; this post originally appeared here.

NYU Berlin Hosts Women, Gender and Media Images of the Refugee Crisis: Germany in Global Perspective

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On 21 April, NYU Berlin will host an event, Women, Gender and Media Images of the Refugee Crisis: Germany in Global Perspective, that will bring together scholars to discuss this complicated and vibrant topic.
The panelists will include:
Radha Hegde, Professor, Department of Media, Culture and Communication, New York University
Regina Römhild, Professor, Institut für Europäische Ethnologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Arjun Appadurai, Professor, Media, Culture and Communication, New York University & Visiting Professor, Institut für Europäische Ethnologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The program will be moderated by Taiye Selasi, a writer and photographer.
This public engagement brings three scholars together in conversation about the ways in which media help us to understand (and sometimes misunderstand) the role of gender in the current refugee crisis in Germany and the wider world. We hope to stimulate constructive debate about the following questions:
How can we place gender issues related to migration within broader geopolitical contexts of violence, trauma and gender?
How are visual representations of refugee women and children framing responses to migration?
Is the refugee crisis producing certain types of documentation and genres of narration?
Ogranized jointly with the Institut für Europäische Ethnologie der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the program is 5:00 – 6:30 pm in the Auditorium of the Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 1–3, 10117 Berlin. A reception will follow.

NYU Abu Dhabi Alum Speaks to NYU Buenos Aires Class on Security Analysis

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Invited by NYU Buenos Aires professor Nicolas Comini, former NYU Abu Dhabi student Nicole Lopez del Carril participated in a class at NYU Buenos Aires entitled “Inter-American Relations: Latin America & the US.”

Nicole, who is Argentine- American, studied Social Research and Public Policy in NYU Abu Dhabi and currently works at Novetta Solutions, a security analysis company, as a Strategic Media Analyst. Since the class was discussing topics related to her professional experience, she agreed to join them. The session explored the different processes of regionalization and internationalization in Latin America. Further, because one of the main dimensions of these processes revolves around the security variables in the region’s link with the United States, her experience in security analysis contributed greatly to the students’ understanding of this complex subject.

Nicole shared her perspectives on the topic, and explained how her work analyzing news of conflict issues and reporting the information to different clients influences decision-making both in the private sector and in government. After listening to Nicole, students shared their thoughts on the matter, asked questions, and participated in a lively discussion.

NYU Florence Student Qixiu Fu Writes on Viareggio Carnevale

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Today we hear from Qixiu Fu, a first year student at NYU Florence. She is thinking about majoring in psychology and feels fortunate discovered Florence. So much so that she is considering returning for Fall 2017.

Photo credit – Jasmine Zhang, first year student at NYU Florence

Un Viaggio a Viareggio Carnevale

In two minutes, the sign up for Viareggio Carnevale was full. I was so excited that I got a spot on this free OSL (Office of Student Life) trip to Viareggio to visit one of the fascinating carnivals in Italy. The first Carnival of Viareggio took place in 1873 when there was a small parade of decorated carriages organized by the wealthy people of the city. Other local citizens were annoyed by their display of wealth, so they decided to wear masks to protest the high taxes they had to pay and to show disrespect toward the ruling upper classes.

For our trip, we took a private bus to Viareggio and enjoyed a guided tour about the history of carnevale and this year’s floats. The guide told us that today Viareggio Carnevale keeps its tradition of speaking out. Talented artists, local citizens and tourists are all part of this powerful “protest”. After we received our entrance tickets from the OSL staff, we followed our guide to the parade area where we learned about floats designed to imitate and poke fun at the world’s leaders, politicians, celebrities, and current events.

Photo credit – Jasmine Zhang, first year student at NYU Florence

This year, politics was in the spotlight. What amazed me the most was the dedication each team put into their choice of float design, choreographed dance, costumes, makeup, and music. Before visiting Viareggio, my impression of Italy was stereotyped to its good wine, delicious food and attitude of enjoying life. Then, I saw a different personality of Italy in Viareggio, the active and energetic one. Viareggio is a place where you can relax by the beach and enjoy the chilly breeze of early spring, but it is also a place where you can immerse yourself in the fantasy and surreal colors of carnevale!

NYU Accra Hosts Writer Session with Former President John D. Mahama

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On 28 March,  NYU Accra hosted Former President John Dramani Mahama as a Guest Writer to a Special Interactive Session with students taking writing classes. Organized jointly with the English Department at the University of Ghana, the program allowed students in the NYU Accra classes Creative Writing and Colonialism and the Rise of African Literature to participate along with writing students from the University of Ghana.

The focus of the special session was on President Mahama’s book My First Coup d’Etat: Memories from the Lost Decades of Africa, which was a required or recommended reading for students in the participating classes this semester.

Former President Mahama did a reading of selected stories from the book and also responded to questions and comments from the audience. It was an engaging and successful event.