#####Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas And Forums Festival On March 4 and 5, NYU Abu Dhabi hosted the two-day conference Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas and Forums Festival. The Festival tackled the so-called moonshot challenges facing our planet. Moonshot challenges are large, complex issues, the solutions to which require strategic long-term action and planning. The forum focuses on the four greatest moonshot challenges of our time: sustaining human life beyond Earth, extending the healthy human lifespan, calming the politics of anger and developing a fairer, more holistic measure of economic progress.

The weekend also offered the one-day event Festival @ Ideas Forum which was open and free to the public. The Festival included talks, workshops, activities, interactive exhibitions, games, movies, musicians, art, food and more. The idea of the Festival was to showcase the work of the Forum in a fun and engaging way to the general public and bring them closer to some of the world’s greatest problems and their possible solutions.

#####Imagine Science Film Festival

From March 2 to March 4, the NYUAD Arts Center hosted the third annual Imagine Science Film Festival. This festival intends to bridge the gap between the arts and the sciences, pushing them to work together to present science through film and other visual arts. The festival received a number of submissions and chose over 20 documentary, fiction and experimental short and feature films to be screened at this year’s event.

Additional events like panel discussions, Q&As, talks, workshops and performances with artists, scientists and filmmakers were also organized in order to expand the conversation and engage the audience.

#####Cricket Semi-finals

The semi-finals of the Abu Dhabi Intercollegiate Sports League in Cricket were held on March 3 at Emirates Palace. The NYUAD Cricket Team beat the Petroleum Institute by nine wickets.

“I feel proud of the boys,” said Raghav Kumar, Class of 2019 and captain of the cricket team. “They really showed immense professionalism on the field. I would also like to thank all the supporters from NYUAD. Their cheering and constant backing played a big role in boosting our spirits and keeping the game pepped up.”

This is the first time the team has achieved such success; prior to 2016-17, the team had never won a match. The NYUAD Cricket Team has had a particularly turbulent year after their coach, Peter Smith, resigned. Atif Ahmad, the Captain of the Serco Team, was appointed as a part-time coach.

“After Peter Smith, there was a lot of responsibility on the students playing in this team and especially me, to keep the mindset positive and keep the torch of confidence and dedication ignited amongst the boys. From being the underdogs in the tournament, we are certainly one team that everybody looks out for now,” Raghav said proudly.

The final match is going to be played against Abu Dhabi University on March 10. NYUAD is expected to provide transportation for all interested students.