NYUAD students win top global scholarships and fellowships

The awards will help outstanding students to study at prestigious universities around the world

Students and alumni of New York University Abu Dhabi have won scholarships at some of the best universities in the world.

They will pursue undergraduate and postgraduate study in the US, UK, China and EU.

Vice-Chancellor Mariet Westermann said: “It is wonderful to see so many of our students and graduates receiving coveted scholarships to study at some of the strongest universities in the world.”

Hoor Al Nuaimi and Maitha Al Suwaidi, both Emirati, were awarded Rhodes scholarships and will pursue their postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in England. Both are in the class of 2021.

“Time has already moved so fast and I am getting even more excited,” Ms Al Nuaimi told The National last year.

“Inshallah, in September 2021, I will be there.”

Sobha Gadi, 22, from Pakistan, received Oxford’s Clarendon scholarship, which will cover the cost of his master of philosophy degree in politics.

He is the second NYUAD student to receive the award.

“Early on in my days at NYUAD, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in political science academia,” he said.

“As I strived to learn, pick up research skills and eventually a graduate school offer, I was helped along the way by faculty members who offered their advice and recommendations.”

Tatyana Brown, who is African-American, won the Harry S Truman Scholarship.

This highly competitive and prestigious grant, worth $30,000, is for college juniors who have shown outstanding leadership potential and wish to pursue careers in public service.

“In my life, black women and gender-marginalised people have looked out for me, and I want to pay that forward,” Ms Brown told The National earlier this year.

“I want to attend graduate school and study black feminism, read poetry and history about black women and marginalised people.

“Through the scholarship, I will have access to a network of scholars.”

Vice-Chancellor Mariet Westermann says the scholarships will help students and graduates to study at top universities in the world.

Tareq Abbasi, 23, who is Emirati, from the class of 2020, won the UAE Fulbright Scholarship. He will study in the US.

Khairunnisa Semesta, 25, from Indonesia, was awarded the American Association of University Women scholarship.

Sri Lankan student Sahan Tampoe, 28, received the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

This EU initiative covers the cost of tuition and insurance, includes a contribution towards travel expenses and provides a monthly allowance for the duration of study.

Ms Semesta and Mr Tampoe are from the 2018 cohort.

Five students and alumni were accepted as Schwarzman Scholars. They will spend a year at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Updated: July 27, 2021, 3:00 AM