Grateful university students have told of their joy after returning to the UAE to take part in an emotional graduation ceremony more than two months after their campus closed due to the Iran war.
The eerie sense of quiet that enveloped the grounds of New York University Abu Dhabi after studies switched to online was replaced by scenes of jubilation on Wednesday, as hundreds of graduates packed into Etihad Arena for a celebration they had feared they might not experience.
NYUAD said in early March it would bring in remote learning as a precautionary measure, with many of its international students returning to their home countries to conclude the academic year.
Emergency protocols were activated, as Iran launched waves of attacks on the Emirates, with overseas students first moved off campus to hotels before being helped to leave the country.
When it was decided the graduation ceremony would take place, an action plan was put in place to ensure the class of 2026 could gather together once more.
Memorable farewell
Aymane Omari, from Morocco, NYUAD's student government president, graduated in computer science and economics. He was thrilled to be back among his fellow learners to enjoy a special send-off.
“This is a year that showed me everything we have and everything we take for granted,” he said. “I'm really cherishing this graduation and the people that I'm with.”
He was able to share the moment with his parents and siblings who flew in from Morocco, France and Belgium for the occasion.
For Emirati student Hoor Ahli, who graduated in social research and public policy, it was also an occasion to savour.
She said she and her fellow students were concerned that a milestone moment in their young lives was “not going to happen”.
“The emotions of being reunited, having closure as a whole and having this graduation is best way to end those four years,” she added.
Kyrie Park, from South Korea, who graduated in interactive media and computer science, was happy to make a ten-hour trip.
"We didn't know if it would happen in the first place. It was so abrupt and we had to leave as soon as possible," the student said.
"It's such a relief that the UAE was able to offer us this amazing end of the year for us to finish the four years of our university life."
"It was a ten-and-a-half hour flight for me, and I was still not finished with my finals, so I had to come back, finish my finals, and since most of us really left more than half of the stuff here, I'm still packing."
Emerging stronger
Fabio Piano, interim vice chancellor and chief executive of NYUAD, said the excitement was palpable.
“We're celebrating that moment,” he told The National. “Having gone through this together and coming out the other side, I would say that we demonstrate we've come out stronger.
The 13th commencement marks NYUAD's largest class, with nearly 600 students walking on to the stage.
“I have never felt this strength and community spirit as I have at this graduation. Even though it is the largest class, it feels the most intimate in that regard,” said Mr Piano. “Worrying that this would not happen, all of a sudden [something] we take for granted has become such a special thing.”
Ms Ahli described the weeks since returning to campus as “crazy.”
“It was final season but we had things on the bucket list we wanted to achieve before we left. We were racing with time, but at the same time we were taking it moment by moment. It made us go back to the places that we loved over those four years and deepen that connection.”
Yas Island turns violet
The commencement ceremony, typically held in the campus gym, took place at Etihad Arena for the first time, with Mo Gawdat, former chief business officer at Google X, as the guest speaker.
It was decided on May 1 that the ceremony would proceed and most students were called back that week.
“We stretched every system to be able to activate and do this in time,” Mr Piano said. “We had to be fully confident that we could maintain the safety of people away from their homes. Global mobility is in fact ingrained in our system, so from that respect we activated in a very big way what we already had.”
Back to class
For the summer and autumn, all students and staff are expected to return in person, with the university planning a return to normal. Mr Piano believes everything from classroom activities to the dorm experience contributes to the university's identity.
“[NYUAD] is a living and breathing community of scholars and intellectual activities that absolutely require that we're in person,” he said.
Mr Piano remains confident about enrolment numbers and said the regional conflict did not affect student yield.
“We are targeting the same targets we've always had, and we're buffered enough to be able to reach our goals. There's no question that [incoming students] are so enthusiastic.”
Looking to the future
Mr Piano has been with the university since before it opened its doors in 2010. He told The National this latest temporary disruption was only one of many examples of the university's ability to adapt.
NYUAD believes it has future-proofed itself and its students, even from regional hostilities and a job market heavily affected by AI. Mr Piano hopes students face change with curiosity rather than fear.
“Students are meant to take the opportunity of something new and disruptive, like AI, like a limit on visas, not necessarily as just something to worry about or even a setback, but something to consider as a different route that could actually open up new opportunities for people,” he said.
In the coming years, the university wants to prioritise graduate programmes and research important for the country's progress.
Mr Piano said: “I see the next phase as being not just an education hub of excellence that we can contribute, but also more of the research and knowledge creation hub that we can be.”
