A Thread to Consider: Sustainability Across NYU’s Global Network

Advocacy Meets Community at NYU Abu Dhabi

If you’re interested in learning about new climate advances at NYU Abu Dhabi, Green House is your home base. It’s a student-run think tank that hosts dinners, field trips, film screenings, guest lectures, and an annual case competition, in which students compete to solve real-life sustainability problems faced by partner organizations. Students recently took a tour with Archireef, a tech company that makes the world’s first 3D-printed coral reef tiles. Additionally, Green House hosted a discussion with members of Gulf Intelligence, a leading energy and natural resources consulting group.

Members of Green House even attend the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. At the conference in Azerbaijan, General Engineering major Yugmee Gidiya gave a talk about circular economies and an app she helped create that calculates individuals’ carbon footprints. In addition to Green House, Yugmee has been a part of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Plastic Recycling Research Lab and the Student Government Sustainability Committee. “Clubs really helped me shape my identity, get more specific about my interests, and explore new ones,” she shares.

Study Ethical Change and Impact the World

After you’ve completed two semesters at NYU—at any campus—you’re eligible to apply for the Global Leadership Scholars Program at NYU Washington, DC. This rigorous academic program brings a select group of students to the capital for a semester focused on leadership through ethical change.

The program’s heart is the multidisciplinary course The Meaning of Leadership, which explores global leadership today. Students enhance their studies with courses in business, economics, journalism, politics, and public policy. “The program’s support network means you find yourself on the cutting edge of developments happening across the country in a variety of fields,” reports Enzo Repetto, a Politics major at the College of Arts and Science.

While in DC, students can pursue experiential learning and internship opportunities with organizations headquartered in the nation’s capital. Students have interned with many groups focused on sustainability and environmental advocacy, including the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Additionally, students have access to behind-the-scenes trips, collaborative group projects, guest lectures, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Give Back as You Study Away

NYU Global Equity Fellows help fellow students navigate their host city. They create programs that foster community engagement, collaborating with staff on a research project that gives back to the local community.

Kelechi Nwokoma is a Global Equity Fellow at NYU Accra. As a part of the fellowship, she brought together NYU students, United Way Ghana, and the Environmental Sustainability Club at La Yahoushua Primary School for a meaningful environmental initiative. “United Way organized a tree-planting event. Meanwhile, we, as NYU volunteers, taught pupils about the importance of environmental sustainability,” the Global Liberal Studies and Applied Psychology double major explains. “The students were so happy to participate, knowing they were contributing to the improvement and beautification of their school. Seeing their smiles while hearing them ask us to come back again made me feel we had genuinely made an impact in their community,” Kelechi shares.

More Climate Initiatives Across the Global Network

Attend the Hollywood Climate Summit
Students at NYU Los Angeles get free access to this annual gathering of professionals from across the entertainment industry, including film and television, advertising, games, social media, and sports.

Support Change in Argentina
NYU Buenos Aires students have interned with environmental nonprofits like Amartya, which promotes sustainable development; Cascos Verdes, which brings environmental education to people with disabilities; and Proyecto DES-LIMITES, which tackles waterway pollution.

Explore Oklahoma’s Unique Ecosystem
NYU Tulsa students can take advantage of academic field trips to Keystone Ancient Forest, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and Razorback Greenway in nearby Bentonville, Arkansas.

Present Your Research at NYU Shanghai
Twice a year, NYU Shanghai hosts the Undergraduate Research Symposium, where students across all majors can share their findings and compete for prizes. Some recent projects related to sustainability explored the following:

• How biodiversity news affects China’s equity markets
• How heatwaves impact urban mobility in China’s megacities
• A bikeshare company that would serve greater Shanghai