Abu Dhabi, UAE: Marking its 15th anniversary, The NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Institute takes center stage this spring with a series of lectures and conferences on topics ranging from science and art to sociology and technology, among others.

Commenting on The Institute’s upcoming calendar, Senior Director at The NYUAD Institute Maurice Pomerantz said: “Complex real-world problems such as global warming or the rise of artificial intelligence require complicated solutions that draw on multiple fields of knowledge and different perspectives. The NYUAD Institute aims to be a meeting place where academic experts, scientists, policymakers, artists, and other thought leaders share and exchange perspectives with the broader public on topics facing the region and the world in 2024 and beyond.”

Highlights this spring include True Grit: Striving in the Face of Adversity on January 15, in which leading academics will discuss ways to embark on a challenging pursuit without knowing the likelihood of success.

On January 24, Professor of Political Science, Fisher Family Director of Stanford Global Studies, Stanford University Jeremy Weinstein will delve into the unforeseen outcomes of technology’s quest for efficiency in System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot. Meanwhile, Harmonizing Hope: The Resilient Journey of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music on February 7, will offer a glimpse into the inspiring journey of ANIM – a remarkable institution that has overcome adversity to emerge as a national and global symbol of hope, resilience, and artistic freedom.

The NYUAD Institute is an interdisciplinary center for advanced research, artistic creativity, and public outreach. The Institute sponsors, curates, and coordinates research conferences, workshops, lectures, film series, exhibitions, and performances that address issues relevant to Abu Dhabi, the region, and the world.

Please see the full agenda below. For more information you can visit The Institute’s page. 

Winter Institute in Computational Social Science (WICSS)
January 8-19
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: Bedoor AlShebli, Assistant Professor of Computational Social Science, NYUAD
Kinga Makovi, Assistant Professor of Social Research and Public Policy, NYUAD

The Jazz of the Cosmos
January 9, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speaker: Stephon Alexander, Professor of Physics, Brown University

MENA and Asian Political Methodology 2024
January 11-12
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
See full list of convenors here

Normativity and Reasoning X
January 15-17
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: Matthew Silverstein, Associate Professor of Philosophy; Global Network Associate Professor of Philosophy, NYUAD; Sarah Paul, Associate Professor of Philosophy, NYUAD

True Grit: Striving in the Face of Adversity
January 15, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speakers: Jennifer Morton, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania
Sarah Paul, Professor of Philosophy, NYUAD

Winter Institute in Digital Humanities (WIDH) 2024
January 16-18
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: David Wrisley, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities, NYUAD; Beth Russell, Associate Director of Research Services & Strategy, Associate Academic Librarian for the Humanities, NYUAD

Iconic Representation
January 22-24
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: Gabriel Rabin, Program Head, Philosophy; Associate Professor of Philosophy; Global Network Associate Professor of Philosophy, NYUAD

System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot
January 24, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speaker: Jeremy Weinstein, Professor of Political Science, Fisher Family Director of Stanford Global Studies, Stanford University

How Is Biological Form Encoded?
January 25, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speaker: Thomas Lecuit, Collège de France, Paris and IBDM-Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix Marseille University

Emerging Construction Materials: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Cities
February 1-2
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: Kemal Celik, Assistant Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, NYUAD

American Chemical Society (ACS) Regional Middle East and Africa (MEA) Conference
February 4-7
NYU Abu Dhabi (By invitation only)
See full list of talks here

Shehan Karunatilaka: Writing Across Borders
February 5, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speaker: Shehan Karunatilaka, 2022 Booker Prize Winner, Author of ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’

Harmonizing Hope: The Resilient Journey of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music
February 7, 6:30‐8pm
NYUAD Campus, Conference Center
Speaker: Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast, Founder and Director, Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM); UNESCO’s Second Annual Cultural Heritage Rescue Prize; International Music Council Musical Rights Award; David Chow Humanitarian Award

Confronting Environmental Change in Asia
February 19-20
NYUAD Campus (By invitation only)
Convened by: Mark Swislocki, Associate Dean, Research and Faculty Development, Arts and Humanities; Associate Professor of History, NYUAD

About The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute

Established in 2008, The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute is a center of advanced research, scholarly, and creative activity for Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the world. Its academic conferences serve as a scholarly platform for NYU Abu Dhabi faculty, and faculty across the global network, to discuss and showcase their innovative research and creative activity. Its diverse public program of talks, panel discussions, film screenings, and exhibitions feature scholars, researchers, policy makers, and thought leaders who present topics of local and global significance. From its inception, The Institute has hosted more than 1300 academic conferences and public events, and welcomed over 1000 speakers from around the world.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

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 undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 115 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.