####Global Shakespeare Festival

On April 7 and 8, NYU Abu Dhabi hosted the fifth annual Global Shakespeare Student Festival, in collaboration with Electra Street, the Global Shakespeare Project and the NYUAD Institute. The festival aimed to consider the ways in which Shakespeare has become a part of global cultural heritage more than 400 years after his death. On April 7, all 37 of the Globe Theatre’s short films, one for each of Shakespeare’s plays, were screened continuously throughout the day. On April 8, two roundtable discussions on The 401st and Beyond: Global Shakespeare after the Quartercentenary were held. The roundtable discussions were attended by scholars and directors from Ashoka University, Cairo University, Nanyang Technological University, NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi. The roundtable was followed by a reading of MisCast, a one-act comedy written by NYUAD students, inspired by Shakespeare’s lost play Cardenio.

“After having an amazing experience with Global Shakespeare last year, I was so excited to participate again, and it hasn't disappointed! The festival is this crazy weekend that puts these amazingly knowledgeable and talented people together in dialogue, with Shakespeare as our unifier,” said Vicky Critchlow, Class of 2019. “Though the official programming is great, the conversations I've had over lunch or on the bus have been my favorite parts, and I know I've formed some promising new friendships!”

####Autism Awareness Month

This week, The Office of Community Outreach kicked off its third annual Autism Awareness Month on campus. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, the dome of the university’s campus will be lit blue for the month of April. This month’s program includes weekly film screenings followed by faculty-led discussions, organized in collaboration with the student interest group Cinema Paradiso. The next installment of the film series, Marathon, will be screened at 6 p.m. on April 11, and is open to all students, faculty and campus community members.

"Awareness is all about better understanding your community and your world — because it is your community and your world. This year, there is much for students to participate in during the month, such as the weekly screenings of good films about autism. As we work towards forming a worthwhile presence in this world as future adults, deepening our knowledge about this meaningful cause is also important,” said Sally Oh, Class of 2019, a student organizer for Autism Awareness Month.

In addition to the film screening, NYU Abu Dhabi will host its third annual Autism Education Conference on April 29. The conference will be attended by families affected by autism, leading professionals in the field, special educators and volunteers who work with the local autism community.

####NYUAD Students Awarded President’s Service Awards

This year Maitha AlMemari, Class of 2018, Annalisa Galgano, Class of 2017, and weSTEM — Women in Science and Engineering — were awarded the annual NYU President’s Service Awards. The recipients were chosen for their civic engagement and commitment to service both within the university and also in the local community. Maitha Al Memari is the Vice President of Student Government and a co-facilitator with First Year Dialogue. She has also played an active role in the Sufara’a Program, which seeks to provide a platform for students to engage in meaningful dialogue with students from other Abu Dhabi universities. Annalisa Galgano founded and continues to facilitate REACH, a group that aims to promote personal and collective wellbeing on campus. Galgano works as a Resident Assistant and has also volunteered with the Office of Community Outreach. weSTEM is a student group that seeks to promote female presence in STEM fields. Throughout the year, weSTEM has organized several networking nights, held a weekly radio show and organized a mentorship program for students.