<p>Here are more specifics about NYU Abu Dhabi, with some admissions statistics and description of student life there. "The Global Campus, NYU and the U.A.E." (NY Times, 4/15/11):</p>
<p>Interesting. While, I understand the concept of global education, mr Sexton is too ambitious. I really wish he would slow down and build and invest in what he has already. A very wonderful, diverse student body. FA seems to be on the back burner and our tuition dollars( including the government) is financing his endeavors.
This is why I feel he doesn’t have the alumni support he could have, given the fact that NYU has graduated some very wealthy and famous people inluding the large amount of students that have gone there.</p>
<p>My understanding from the article is NYU Abu Dhabi is fully funded by the Royal family there. Apparently, there is an agreement in place for the financial backing of NYU Abu Dhabi by the Royal family for 10 years, though the numbers are not disclosed (per the article). Certainly, this and NYU Shanghai can make NYU’s name even more recognized and “prestigious” globally. If the “experiments” work out. The article was quick to point out that many schools have failed in these global affiliated programs. So the possibility remains that NYU “Global U” will not succeed. It is early days yet and difficult to determine with the shifting political and economic unrest world-wide.</p>
<p>Right now, it appears (also from the article) that NYU Abu Dhabi is 35% USA students and the rest are from other countries throughout the world, including, of course, students from the U.A.E… So Dr. Sexton is trying to market and make available the NYU name to students from other countries on foreign soil. (Yale had refused to allow their Singapore satellite program to grant the Yale degree; it is a certificate or has the National Singapore U’s name primarily.)</p>
<p>This certainly speaks to a more entrepreneurial approach on the part of Dr. Sexton. There is always a danger of neglecting what is at home when you expand in such a grand manner. NYU needs to address the fund-raising aspects for the university at home, so as to keep the school diverse. Increasingly, that is hard, since NYU has to draw primarily from more affluent families/ individuals or middle class/ professional families willing to give up a sizeable portion of savings/ income to have the student attend NYU. There is already noticeable lack of diversity (according to race and class, IMHO) when you look at CAS. Of course, even the “diversity” of Asian students scattered throughout and, especially, noticeable in the majority at Stern also points to class distinctions. Alas, the lower working class families generally cannot even consider NYU with huge debt loads inevitable in most cases (with one year’s tuition more than family income/ year).</p>
<p>On the other hand, the description of what the students are getting sounds like a very privileged and astounding way to be educated. Not just reading about something but traveling to see the actual cultural sites and sources, interacting in intimate groups of 5-6 people, learning from classmates speaking different languages and hailing from different parts of the world, using an orientation that is not always centered on the American perspective, while enjoying all kinds of extracurricular perks. All this with most students getting very generous FA packages. Hmmm, the haves and have nots. </p>
<p>Some very provoking thoughts from the global expansion of NYU.</p>
<p>Also, milkandsugar,</p>
<p>I think NYU’s current “stinginess” with FA packages may have an effect on alumni giving in later years. If you do not feel like the alma mater treated you in a generous way, it is not a good incentive for giving back generously later on. Even when you are able to.</p>
<p>Totally agree. But what I find disturbing is NYU side stepping the culture that it thrives on here in the US and makes it so popular, and going in a place that does not support equal right tom women, gays etc. Really disturbing.</p>
<p>NYU under Dr. Sexton is operating on a business model. Business is about profits and expansion of its core business, education. However, education as a business and endeavor to promote betterment of society should consider certain ethical and justice issues.</p>
<p>One also wonders about the location of NYU Shanghai, with China having a terrible record with human rights issues and repression of free speech (e.g. internet content).</p>
<p>However, I have my issues with America and its history of genocide (Native Indians), slavery, neglect of women’s issues and rights (until progress with Women’s Suffrage movement), recent atrocities committed under the name of fighting against terrorism, as well as the “ownership” of certain parts of the govt. by corporate interests (witness the current debate over medicare vouchers/medicaid cuts vs. basically $0 or very reduced corporate taxes paid by big companies such as GE, P & G, Microsoft, etc.). </p>
<p>The two underlying connections are money and wealth. 1) The royal family in Abu Dhabi has money and 2) a lot of wealth globally has transferred into the coffers of the Chinese Community Party and its people in the last decade or two (with the cheap manufacturing and other services China has provided to the world).</p>
<p>If ethical and justice issues are considered in each of the locations, including the core campus, then the various locations can serve as assets. However, the locations themselves may limit discussion and dialogue on “sensitive” ethical and moral issues. So, even when an educational institution is successful as a business, it may fail as a means to promote a better society.</p>
<p>This is why the article is thought provoking. There are underlying issues of the ultimate objectives of educational institutions and how a university can succeed and be competitive while adhering to the key mission of education (to promote a better society via learning, fairness, ethical concerns as well as through innovation and entrepreneurship).</p>