Abu Dhabi, UAE: The NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Institute has announced an engaging series of in-person talks and conferences for its February lineup. Attendees will gain valuable insights into a diverse range of topics, including sustainable construction, child development research, motherhood in the public domain, and the evolving identity of contemporary media.

A particular highlight will be Shehan Karunatilaka: Writing Across Borders on February 6, which explores the Booker Prize Winner author’s captivating fiction, specifically his novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The novel is described as an afterlife noir that reflects Sri Lanka’s tumultuous history through a unique lens, with the workshop including excerpts from his work and a discussion around his artistic craft, and the inspiration and nuances of addressing conflict and contested memories in writing.

On February 21, The Scary but Still Fixable Threat of Climate Change focuses on the escalating issue of carbon emissions. The talk, led by Professor of Geography and Environment at the University of Hawaiʻi Camilo Mora, will analyze climate change’s impact on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, highlighting how these changes threaten vital sources of income, food, and jobs for many, and what can be done to mitigate these dangers.

The roles of mothers across the public/private divide have long been contested and negotiated. In What Is the Role of Motherhood in the Public Domain? on February 23, Clinical Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at NYU Dina Siddiqi; President of International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) Maria Adela Antokoletz; and writer, editor, and translator Mona Anis will discuss the ways women leverage their identities as mothers to assert change in the public sphere. Their research and experiences provide insight from geographies across the Global South on women’s experiences in public domains and discourses.

February’s lineup will see The Institute collaborate with key institutions including Abu Dhabi Festival, NYUAD's Center for InTeractIng urban nEtworkS (CITIES), and the American Chemical Society – UAE International Chapter, among others.

Please see the full list of talks below. For more information visit The Institute’s page. 

Emerging Construction Materials: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Cities

February 1-2

NYUAD Campus (by invitation only; interested scholars please contact ECOMaterials@nyu.edu)

Convened by: Kemal Celik, Assistant Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, NYUAD

This conference explores emerging low-carbon cementitious materials, their opportunities, challenges, and the way forward to their implementation to help build more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and resilient cities and infrastructure.

American Chemical Society (ACS) Regional Middle East and Africa (MEA) Conference – UAE

February 4-7

NYUAD Campus (by invitation only; interested scholars please contact acs@nyu.edu)

The conference aims to bring together scientists and chemistry professionals from the region and around the globe (including Nobel laureates) to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge, promote collaborative work, and advance the academic research and education in the UAE.

Shehan Karunatilaka: Writing Across Borders February 6, 2023, 6.30-8pm

February 5, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Speaker: Shehan Karunatilaka, author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

In this workshop, Shehan Karunatilaka will share excerpts from his work and discuss his artistic craft, inspiration, and the nuances of addressing conflict and contested memories in writing.

Harmonizing Hope: The Resilient Journey of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music

February 7, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Speakers: 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. Moderated by

Gwyneth Bravo, Assistant Professor of Music, NYUAD; Global Global Network Assistant Professor of Music, NYU.

In this talk, Dr. Sarmast shares how ANIM - known as Afghanistan’s happiest place - plays a critical role in preserving the nation’s rich musical heritage, while offering a platform for all young Afghans to find their voices and develop their musical abilities.

Media Dynamics: Identity, Challenges, and Future Vision

February 12, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Speakers: Yusra Adel, Journalist, Al Ittihad Newspaper; Amer bin Jassas, TV Presenter, Abu Dhabi Media Network; Aisha Al Mazmi, Radio Presenter, Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

About: The panel explores the evolving identity of contemporary media and its pivotal role in shaping national identity; focusing on the historic contributions of women in journalism and the influence of editorial control on the intellectual landscape.

Through Arwa Damon's Lens: Seize the Summit—a Documentary about Courage, Resilience, and Hope

February 14, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Moderated by Gwyneth Bravo, Assistant Professor of Music, NYUAD; Global Global Network Assistant Professor of Music, NYU.

This impactful debut documentary from Arwa Damon, a multi-Emmy-award winning senior war correspondent, chronicles the journey of four young individuals, all survivors of the conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan, as they embark on a week-long exhilarating expedition to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Confronting Environmental Change in Asia: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

February 19-20

NYUAD Campus

Convened by: Mark Swislocki, Associate Dean, Research and Faculty Development, Arts and Humanities; Associate Professor of History, NYUAD

About: This workshop explores not just “lessons learned” from past experience of environmental (and climate) change in Asia, but insights about those experiences that may help us all more effectively live in the environmental present and face the climate future.

Territory and Self-Determination: Why We Need to Put Territory at the Centre of Thinking About the State

February 19, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Speaker: Margaret Mboore, Professor of Political Studies and Philosophy, Queen's University

About: This talk discusses the often overlooked significance of territory—the geographical domain of the modern state—in political theory, political science, international law, and international relations.

The Scary but Still Fixable Threat of Climate Change

February 21, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Convened by: Camilo Mora, Professor, Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawai`I; Asryelle Mora Rollo, student

The conference discusses global analyses of climate change's impact on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, highlighting how these changes threaten vital sources of income, food, and jobs for many. It also underscores the importance of public engagement in proactive solutions to this crisis.

What Is the Role of Motherhood in the Public Domain?

February 23, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Panellists: Dina Siddiqi, Clinical Associate Professor, Cultural Anthropology, NYU; Maria Adela Antokoletz, President of International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED);
Mona Anis, writer, editor, and translator

This talk brings together three speakers to discuss the ways mothers assert agency in public domains and discourses. Their research and experiences - focusing on Argentina, Bangladesh and Egypt - provide insight from across geographies of the Global South on past and present, cross-generational, women’s experiences with public work.

Sensing the Future: How Continuous Data Is Shaping Child Development Research

February 26, 6:30-8pm

NYUAD Campus, Conference Center

Speaker: Laura Justice, EHE Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology and Executive Director of the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Ohio State University

About: This talk highlights the advanced use of sensing systems that collect continuous data from wearable devices, such as location trackers and voice-activated recorders, to deepen our understanding of human behavior and development.

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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 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.