Abu Dhabi, UAE: NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian NGO Alwaleed Philanthropies (AP) to cooperate in developing the Alwaleed Cultural Network (ACN), a new globally recognized network of academic and cultural institutions funded by AP.

ACN’s mission is to encourage cross-cultural understanding in local communities and around the world through a connected program of education, art, and public engagement. NYUAD will seek to collaborate with other members of the network to devise and deliver projects which further the aims of ACN, while AP will occupy a conveying role in the operation of ACN.

Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed commented: “At Alwaleed Philanthropies, we believe in partnerships. The partnership agreement between Alwaleed Philanthropies and NYU Abu Dhabi is a true example of integration and cooperation in the digital sector. Harnessing the power of academic and cultural education, Alwaleed Cultural Network represents a flexible model of communication. Alwaleed Cultural Network is designed to bring together globally important universities, museums, and cultural institutions to help create a more inclusive and connected world. This is done through an accessible online platform – and a trusted program of research, education, art, and community engagement.”

NYUAD Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann added: “At NYU Abu Dhabi we greatly value the transformative power of philanthropy to catalyze change for social good. We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Alwaleed Philanthropies, as its visionary philanthropy recognizes that the arts and culture are indispensable resources to our shared humanity. By bridging cultural divides, the Alwaleed Cultural Network is fostering vital understanding, empathy, compassion, and cooperation across borders.”

ACN’s patrons include Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University (USA), University of Cambridge (UK), University of Edinburgh (UK), American University in Cairo (Egypt), American University of Beirut (Lebanon), the History of Science and Pitt Rivers Museums at Oxford University (UK), and Pergamon Museum, Berlin (Germany). The partners share an understanding that diverse cultures have remarkable histories and exchanges in common. To this end, ACN’s varied projects promote cross-cultural discourse and provide foundational support systems in the global academic and cultural ecosystem.

For more information on ACN, visit www.alwaleedculturalnetwork.org.

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About NYU Abu Dhabi

www.nyuad.nyu.edu

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a world center for advanced research. Its campus enables students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from some 125 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents. 

Alwaleed Philanthropies

Over four decades, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and spent more than 4.4 billion dollars on social welfare and initiated more than 1000 projects in over +189 countries, managed by 10 Saudi female members, and reaching more than 1 billion beneficiaries around the world, regardless of gender, race, or religion. Alwaleed Philanthropies collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental, and nongovernmental to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief, and create cultural understanding through education. It seeks to build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting world.