The NYU Monthly Roundup: December 2019

Undergraduates from around the world convened at NYU Abu Dhabi for the immersive 48-hour Public Health Think Tank. This interdisciplinary initiative, which launched in 2014, is designed to kick-start public health innovation in the United Arab Emirates and beyond. This year, students focused on accessibility in partnership with Special Olympics UAE.

NYU Tel Aviv celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. And to commemorate, they launched a symposium on international higher education. Scholars and professionals from around the world considered innovation in higher education, the boundaries of global research, and contested knowledge in the global classroom. NYU’s President Andy Hamilton made an appearance to discuss local solutions to global challenges.

The NYU Shanghai branch of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation took home a silver medal at IGEM’s Giant Jamboree in Boston. Why? They figured out how to use fish scales to both stimulate and support tissue growth. Their discovery could one day change the way we engineer tissues.

The NYU community completed the Ninth Annual Global Walking Challenge. In this friendly competition, NYU in New York City, NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU Shanghai, and the global academic sites see who can rack up the most miles. While NYU Florence took home the torch this year, the whole NYU community took over 355 million steps.

CSAW, the annual competition run by the NYU Center for Cyber Security, celebrated its 16th year. There, students gather to raise awareness of and find solutions to the biggest cybersecurity challenges of our time, from deepfakes to hardware Trojan insertion.

On the New York City campus, the NYU community celebrated Trans Awareness Week. The kickoff event was a panel on building more trans-inclusive feminist movements. There were also discussions on navigating gender-affirming resources at the NYU Student Health Center, learning opportunities for community members seeking to express solidarity, film screenings, and more. The week was an opportunity for discussion, reflection, celebration, and support.

NYU students and New York City youths teamed up to perform a Beauty and the Beast concert and tea party for local kids and their families as part of Lamplighters NYU.