As a youth delegate to the United Nations, May Alhajeri used her NYU Abu Dhabi education to build connections across cultures and opportunities for the United Arab Emirates’ future

After graduation, May Alhajeri, NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2021, was selected to be a United Arab Emirates youth delegate to the United Nations. This role allowed her to provide input on issues related to youth and participate in the UAE delegates’ daily work. In addition, the position gave May, a Political Science major, direct experience in foreign affairs and reassured her that she’d chosen the right career path. For May, being a UAE youth delegate to the UN in 2021 was excellent timing. That same year, the UAE celebrated its 50th anniversary; hosted the postponed Expo 2020 Dubai, which exhibited the world’s best examples of collaboration, innovation, and cooperation and was the first World Expo hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region; and prepared to serve on the UN Security Council.

Learning and Working at the UN

During her time as a youth delegate, May worked on several initiatives, including the Our Common Agenda report that aims to strengthen youth participation in decision-making for the future, and events for the UN’s sustainable development goals. She also traveled to the UN headquarters in New York City where she met Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and her team, who, according to May, are incredible examples of Emirati diplomacy abroad.

In addition, May had the opportunity to collaborate with other youth delegates across the UAE and the world. She counts that as her proudest accomplishment during the program.

“Working with other youth delegates opened my horizons to the endless opportunities of youth engagement and involvement globally. And it allowed me to witness the existing interest and devotion to addressing the issues that impact our collective future, such as climate change, poverty, access to education, and women’s empowerment,” she says.

Open-Mindedness as a Core Value

“Personally speaking, my main takeaway from those collaborations was the opportunity to be open and accepting. Being open-minded is a continuous practice that is not limited to a certain culture or geographical presence. The more you invest in a new culture, nation, or country, the more you unleash its potential and the better you can understand the world around you.”

May credits NYU Abu Dhabi with helping her prepare for the experience. “From the diverse student body to the high-level education I received there, NYU Abu Dhabi is one of the most influential pillars behind my personality today,” she says. “Every engagement with every student during my four years there made it that much easier to engage and interact with other delegates in the program. The education I received in my international relations courses served as a foundation for the practical experience I had during my time as a youth delegate.”

Focusing on the Future

Now that the program has finished, May is thinking about her future and is excited for the nearly endless options it holds. “Today, there are a million and one things I wish to contribute to. So, for right now, I’m taking each day on its own,” she says. Currently, May is an officer at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and a participant in McKinsey & Company’s Forward learning program for young talent. Most importantly, she is building upon the work she began at NYU Abu Dhabi and continued as a youth delegate to the UN by engaging with the development of opportunities for Abu Dhabi’s future every day.

This article is an update to NYU Abu Dhabi Latest News’ article, with updates written by Kristin Maffei.