At NYU, Research Is for Everyone (Part One)

With nearly 819 miles of coastline, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to rising sea levels. So, a team of NYU Abu Dhabi students asked the question: How can innovations in the finance sector speed up the UAE’s transition to a net-zero economy?

Nirvana Amjad is an Economics major at NYU Abu Dhabi. She learned about a competition inviting students to investigate how the financial sector can support the UAE’s transition to a net-zero economy. She then gathered a team of like-minded classmates, including Economics major Emaan Ali, Political Science major Ahmad Hijazi, and Business, Organizations, and Society major Abdullah Ahmed.

Among their findings the team identified ways to raise capital through small- and medium-sized enterprises and family businesses. Additionally, they recommended new bonds to encourage green investment. “Our research really hammered in the role that the financial sector has to play if we want to successfully transition to a net-zero economy,” Nirvana shares. “Businesses have little incentive to go green unless policymaking provides incentives and creates transparency.”

The team’s research won first place in the Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy’s Research Centre UAE Student Challenge. As a result, they were invited to present their findings at Sibos in Toronto and the Swift Institute in New York City. They also presented at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

Aria Zhang, a Biology major at NYU Shanghai, studied away at NYU’s New York City campus. While working with Professor Kristin Winchell in her laboratory, she compared populations of spotted lanternflies in New York. Lanternflies are invasive to New York, but native in Shanghai. “We measured the heat tolerance of insects in each city to understand how they may be adapting to different climate conditions and urbanization,” she explains.

Alex Isaac is a Business major with a concentration in finance and data science at the NYU Stern School of Business. For his capstone course, he and a team of fellow students developed recommendations for the investment management firm Triumph Financial, Inc. “The pressure of presenting a semester’s worth of research was unforgettable,” Alex shares. “It was inspiring to make a real impact and see the company genuinely consider our strategies.”

Drama major Jason T. Wang’s play, Stuy or Die, explores the pitfalls of test-prep culture. To shape his work, the NYU Tisch School of the Arts interviewed New York City students who participated in the highly competitive Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. Jason’s resulting play examines generations of expectations. At the same time, it honors the resilience of Asian American youth and the futures they will one day create.

The Stern Program for Undergraduate Research
Engage one-on-one with Stern faculty to learn research methodologies used in the field. Your findings directly support groundbreaking research.

Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund
Receive a grant for independent research. These grants help with data gathering or resources to attend and present your results at an academic conference.

Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards
Design your own projects and work with advisers at international universities or other institutes of higher education.

Global Equity Fellowship
Create an original research project focusing on diversity and inclusion within the context of your NYU study abroad location.

Interested in learning more about NYU’s research network? Check out Part Two and Part Three of this story for more NYU student research highlights.