Starting at NYU Abu Dhabi as a first-year student, I was intimidated by inevitable interactions with the people from other countries, especially people from Russia. I come from Ukraine, the biggest country in Europe, but one that for the past several years has been known to the international community only for its ongoing conflict. The reason for my anxiety stemmed from the rush of uneasiness every time I told someone where I am from. I wondered what the person I am talking to has heard about my country? Do they consider it an independent state? Do they consider Ukrainian a language? The answer to these questions may be an afterthought for some, but they are a matter of crucial importance for others.

When two nations are in conflict, it is difficult to avoid unspoken tension, however minor, on an interpersonal level between students of those nationalities. As a result, the conflict itself is often stigmatized and typically avoided in the conversation. So, when engaging with our international student body where over 120 nationalities are represented and each student has their own perspective on national and international issues, how should we interact? Does this impact students’ abilities to form relationships and sustain friendships?

When getting to know a fellow student at NYUAD, it is quite common to identify them by their country of origin, class and future career interest. Even in a small community, it is impossible to build a strong bond with every other student on campus and really get to know them. Unfortunately, an inevitable result of not being able to know everyone is that labels sometimes are the only resort when we consider other students and their likely opinions on certain topics.

What if these labels are just a collective image of the things we have heard about other nationalities on television? Of the opposite sides we take on the stance of whether Ukraine is in war with Russia or not? Of the stereotypes we’ve been raised on? These questions are especially relevant to Ukrainian and Russian students and the complicated politics that surround their countries’ interactions. Students of both nationalities were interviewed about their stances on this issue.

“The majority of Ukrainians are cautious when meeting Russians and thinking about becoming friends with them,” said Sergiy Stupak, Class of 2020 and a Ukrainian citizen. “I have a checklist in my mind to assess Russians, they include if the person’s views represent that he/she considers a) the annexation of Crimea as illegal b) Russian military personnel was and is inside Eastern Ukraine c)This person’s view of Russian political leadership is extremely negative. After completing this checklist, which may take some time and several interactions, I can go onto becoming friends with this person.”

“Usually, when I get asked about my opinion on Russian politics and various controversies related to it, I tend to abstain,” said Nina Bambysheva, Class of 2019 student and a Russian national. “Back home I hear one story, everywhere else — something diametrically opposite, and all is left is to wonder between the two, guessing where the truth lies and whether it is possible to see the whole picture putting the pieces of the puzzle together.”

“My feel is that on campus, we very rarely have open discussions on these pressing issues with, for example, Russia and Ukraine, due to the fact that neither administration nor student body want to indulge into any political conflict debates,” said Yulia Frolova, a Class of 2019 Ukrainian student. “I still feel that all of these issues are being intentionally untouched and, therefore, no dialogue and further understanding of the situation are happening.”

Despite the hesitation that can hang over directly addressing the issue, both Ukrainians and Russians maintain a positive outlook on the role that NYUAD could play in establishing a dialogue between the two nations. After all, one of the greatest potential strengths of an institution like NYUAD would be enabling conversations that would be unlikely to happen in other contexts. By providing students a new platform for peaceful and mutually beneficial discussion, NYUAD can facilitate conclusions that would otherwise be unlikely.

“Dialogue and communication are the key to success, whether it is interpersonal relations or political challenges,” said Russian Daniella Aruina, Class of 2021. “Justice, being one of them, is something that can be achieved through communication if done properly. Opening a dialogue, therefore, will foster international cooperation and global peace.”

“International communities have become more global over the past 30 years. Students now play a significant role”, said Ukrainian Veronika Radinovska, Class of 2019. “Nowadays, they quickly find means of communication with each other, and collectively work to solve various problems. NYUAD students are a perfect example.”

After months of immersing oneself in a campus full of strangers, we slowly begin to learn small things about people, beyond more than their name, major and country of origin. You learn how they get frustrated when working on an exhausting essay, how they laugh at some jokes they heard from their relatives on Skype or what their go-to coffee order is at Starbucks. Maybe you are even in some of the same classes. At NYUAD, students can learn to humanize even those who they would otherwise hold serious disagreements with, and once a higher basic level of appreciation is reached between both parties, all sorts of problems can be solved. And to me, this is exactly what makes us more open for that peaceful dialogue, no matter our political standpoint.