On Feb. 24, the Domestic Student Advisory Board re-introduced themselves to students at NYU Abu Dhabi. Chairperson Ghaya Al Shamsi, Class of 2023, posted on the Room of Requirement Facebook page, a popular university forum for frequently asked questions, that the DSAB hopes to provide a safe space for UAE residents to amplify their concerns to university administration and simultaneously bridge the gap between international and domestic students.

The DSAB’s creation was first announced by the Office of Student Life through email. They started accepting applications for board member positions in November 2020 and the team began their work at the start of Spring 2021. On Dec. 14, Aisha Al Naqbi, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Campus Life Initiatives, introduced the cohort of ten board members to the rest of the student body.

The idea of forming a board that represents domestic students — including both Emirati nationals and expatriate permanent residents in the UAE — was first introduced to the student body in Fall 2020. However, Chairperson Al Shamsi observed that there had been a long-standing need for such an entity long before its official creation.

“Many domestic students actually spoke about how they do feel that there are some policies or something that don’t take them into consideration … most of [the university’s policies and communication] would be aiming for international students,” Al Shamsi lamented. “They just feel excluded and [as] being a minority even though they are in the country that they live in.”

Al Shamsi noted that the creation of the task force was positively received by the community, with one comment on RoR saying that it was “definitely long overdue.”

“There’s the idea that it is easy for [domestic students] to access everything because they have family here, they know things around. But at the same time there are some concerns that are not being addressed, and it’s not only the policies in terms of university, but also that … there are stereotypes that surround people who live in the UAE,” Al Shamsi noted.

Apart from facilitating communication between administration and domestic students, she hopes the DSAB will also play a part in dismantling preconceived notions about them.

“I used to say that I am an international student in my home country,” Al Shamsi laughed. “There [is] some discrimination and feelings that any Emirati or any person that lives in the UAE has X, Y and Z privileges but there are a very wide [range] of Emiratis and domestic students that don’t live under that stereotype.”

“Having family in the UAE doesn’t make someone more privileged than the other students,” she stressed, citing the prevalent assumption that Emirati students got into NYUAD to fill a certain quota or because of their family background instead of their own merit. “It’s these small things that … affect our daily lives. It’s not really recognized and it should be emphasized and acknowledged to break these stereotypes on campus.”

As the DSAB is still a fairly new creation, Al Shamsi and her fellow board members are striving to establish a trusting relationship with students so that they can better understand and relay their concerns. They have provided a variety of avenues for students to get in touch, including an anonymous Google form where students can express their concerns as well as one-on-one meetings with board members.

While the board works closely with the administration to affect change, Al Shamsi wants students to know that they are committed to advocating for their needs and encourages everyone to come to them with their concerns.

“We are students. We are here, we are the same, so you can come and speak to us … We are here to hear and to act on the best [interest] of the students,” she stressed.