The TL;DR
- Study away gives NYU students the chance to step out of their comfort zone and dive into the rich history of a new, global city.
- Faculty and staff at NYU’s global locations play an active role in encouraging students to connect with their local communities.
- NYU offers 15 global locations, including its degree-granting campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai.
Enhancing Student Experiences
“I wanted to study away somewhere completely out of my wheelhouse, somewhere I could really dive into,” says Maureen Zeufack, a Business major at the Stern School of Business. So Maureen spent a semester at NYU Buenos Aires, where she immersed herself in its vibrant culture. “I’d never been to South America, but it was always somewhere I’d wanted to go. When I was there, I found a very cool arts culture. They have cultural centers where the city runs free concerts, events, and art spaces, and I really enjoyed that.”
Joey Duke, a Music Education major at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, experienced the Czech Republic’s rich history of classical music directly during his semester away at NYU Prague. While there, he, too, got involved with the local community. Through the course Foundations of Music Education, he worked with the Prague Symphony Orchestra to conduct a musical performance aimed at helping children engage with classical music. “In the Czech Republic, classical music holds a lot of importance and is a big part of the culture,” Joey explains. “We were exposed to this great, classical-oriented education, and it was really exciting.”
Prioritizing Culture and Place
It’s not only study away students who engage with their global communities. Leadership and faculty at each site also embrace local culture.
“We work hard to ensure students aren’t just coming to Accra to study, but to spend a semester in the region,” says NYU Accra director Chiké Frankie Edozien. “It’s important that our students talk about their time here with a sense of authority. They didn’t just study in Accra; they lived in Ghana, they lived in West Africa, and they understand the nuances. We want them to truly be global citizens.”
For Marcello Simonetta, a professor at NYU Florence and an expert on philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, being in the exact location where the history he teaches took place creates a learning environment unlike any other.
“I’ve taught classes about Machiavelli in the United States, but it’s not the same as going to the Basilica di Santa Croce and seeing his tomb. Or going to the villa where he wrote The Prince,” Simonetta explains. “It becomes so real; you can touch it, you can feel it exactly as it is. So being here, in Florence, is an enormous plus for my students and for me.”
NYU’s Global Network
Students can study away at NYU’s degree-granting campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. What’s more, they can study at any these global academic locations around the world:
- Accra, Ghana
- Berlin, Germany
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Florence, Italy
- London, England
- Los Angeles, US
- Madrid, Spain
- Paris, France
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Sydney, Australia
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Washington, DC, US
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