On May 25th, the inaugural class of NYU Abu Dhabi walked together in a ceremony of symbols. It was a symbol of four years spent together as classmates, a symbol of a partnership between Abu Dhabi and New York University, and a symbol of what can happen when people are brazen enough to start something that has never been done before. If we are to look at this with our NYU Shanghai “Global Perspectives on Society” mindset, however, what symbolic meaning can be derived from this ceremony, with regard to NYU Shanghai? There is no doubt that we are close to NYU Abu Dhabi. It shares part of our name. It is, geographically speaking, the closer of our two sister schools. More than anything, though, it shares some part of our pioneering spirit otherwise absent from more traditional American university settings that have long been built on legacies and traditions. I can remember when members of NYU Abu Dhabi’s student government came to visit our campus - them sharing stories of classes without textbooks, us sharing stories of showers without water (bearable for any human being at least). They understand that, in terms of starting a new university, “the struggle is real.” Though we are similar, and may always be compared, we must remember that there are important differences that separate us:

1. The language of instruction does not match the language of living.

While the official language of Abu Dhabi is Arabic, English is often described as the “unofficial” official language (meaning that English is widely spoken and found on written materials like menus and streets signs). In Shanghai, however, English is used sparingly outside of our school. Finding someone who can fully understand you as you speak in English is rare, and though some written materials may have the illusion of English, they are usually badly translated, thus being utterly unintelligible. Although this is not a problem for all students at NYU Shanghai, it is a struggle that NYU Abu Dhabi didn’t have to overcome.

2. Having a majority of students from one nationality.

Though both schools are a creation of integration, NYU Shanghai has a student body that is 50% of one nationality, which has made integrating less imperative and more challenging for NYU Shanghai.

3. Having a different “motto”.

The students of NYU Abu Dhabi attended with the intention of being the “World’s Honors College.” We came to NYU Shanghai with the intention to “Make the World Our Major.” While this difference may seem merely in branding, these mottos attracted different student bodies. NYU Abu Dhabi students have a studious reputation (one NYU Local article, published in 2011, estimated that the average student spends somewhere between 20 to 40 hours studying in an average week!) Meanwhile, NYU Shanghai students generally spend more time in and about the city looking for opportunities to explore. It is because of these important differences that it can be hard to find meaning in NYU Abu Dhabi’s graduation. While it can be an example of what we could become, this doesn’t mean that it should be an example of what we ought to be, given our differences. This is not to say that we cannot learn from NYU Abu Dhabi, as we should, but it should be known that we are distinct. We might all be “gluttons for punishment,” if I may borrow the words from their Student Keynote Speaker, Yannick Trapman-O'Brien, but the feasts in front of us are incomparable. It is up to us how we partake in the feast and what we will call leftovers. This article was written by Tyler Rhorick. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Abu Dhabi