The past week marked a great rejoicing for NYU Abu Dhabi’s tenth anniversary celebrations, which were initially scheduled to take place in March, 2020. At the heart of these celebrations was the premiere of “This is NYU Abu Dhabi”, a film created by BAFTA and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Anthony Geffen.

The one hour feature film traced the journeys of current students, alumni and faculty members, who were at Abu Dhabi and abroad, as an emblem of the story of NYUAD, a young yet thriving institution. As explained in the NYUAD website, the film is divided into five segments: Belonging in Abu Dhabi, Expanding perspectives, Experiencing the World, Empowered to Do Good and Ready for the future with the purpose of redirecting from already accessible information about the number of majors, academics and more to the emotional depth and unique voices central to the film and NYUAD.

Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at The NYUAD Arts Center and interviewee in the film, was pleased that the film was able to emphasize some aspects that sets NYUAD apart from other universities: “The need-blind admission which can provide for students whose backgrounds might not have allowed them the opportunities. The emphasis on study abroad … [or] learning in a transnational environment as a way to challenge people's beliefs and open their perspectives … [and realizing] how experiences inside and out of the classroom all contribute to the achievements and the self-actualization of our students.”

Terry Chen, Class of 2024, who was featured in the film, underlined how diversity in the student population is gaining exposure and building inclusive and composite spaces on campus through the film.

“[Coming to NYUAD], I had positive expectations [on] the interesting cultural conversation I would be able to engage [in] … but I was also worried about cultural shocks, different cultural practices or making [others] uncomfortable unconsciously,” he shared. “But I’ve realized I have met a lot of [that] expectation ... in terms of expanding my horizon which is not limited to the countries I’ve visited but instead the people I have gotten to engage myself with [at NYUAD].”

Chen went on to discuss the importance of economic, religious and sociocultural diversity in creating an inclusive and intellectual environment within classrooms at NYUAD.

“As each class is so small we are able to raise our concerns and perspectives … my colloquium ‘Resentment in Politics’ [for instance] consisted of students from very diverse backgrounds which allowed for discussions around politics and intersectionality within various contexts around the globe.”

The film also covered how spaces that create meaningful relationships, bridge empathy and bring students together extends beyond the classroom and reverberates across the Arts, Athletics, Community Outreach and other departments.

Bragin mentioned his content with the prominent feature of The Arts Center and its role in enabling public and personal conversations, creating a sense of shared history and identifying differences as a place of strength and connection between the faculty, students and individuals in the larger part of the United Arab Emirates.

Peter Walter Dicce, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Athletics and interviewee in the film, explained the role of collegiate sports in cultivating similar values of compassion, open mindedness and emotional connections within athletic communities. "… Although our teams strive to compete, the majority of our time is spent getting to know each other, trying to understand each other and ultimately care for each other. Engaging in play has a way of exposing our vulnerabilities by providing spaces for us to laugh, cry and love. It is through these experiences that we might come to truly understand each other, thereby allowing us to compassionately explore those issues that polarize us on campus, in the wider community and globally," shared Dicce.

Amina Rotari, Class of 2025, shared a similar sentiment as the film brought assurance and cultivated belonging to the community at NYUAD as a first year. “Community building stands at the heart and the core of the film. [It] showcased how important it is for the university to build a strong, loving and understanding community of people who love to learn and love to teach and love to become better.”

Many students, however, were disillusioned as they were left to question who this film was made for and expressed concerns with how counterintuitive the film is: the focus on diversity was ostensible and overshadowed by the absence of certain members on campus, many of whom have been part of the university for the past eleven to twelve years and continue to prioritize the smooth functioning on campus.

“I think it showed certain aspects of NYUAD but it felt as though it was a very external perspective ... it didn’t capture the nuances of life on campus and the role contracted [colleagues] play [within] our community, [including those] who work in D2 and our public safety officers. We didn’t hear anything about them. I was also hoping to see more of the history of NYUAD,” expressed Beniamin Strzelecki, Class of 2023.

Strzelecki continued to share that the film may not have reflected the reality of the lives of undergraduate students. “[It] was very positive in terms of showing success stories of students, [but] I think it missed out on showing some of the difficulties we face and many challenges that people overcome.”

Sharing a similar perspective, Valentin Josan, Class of 2024, shared a bittersweet moment where the extended focus on student experiences with J-terms and study aways was incomprehensive and failed to take into account the disruptive state of the global pandemic, such that it did not accurately mirror the lived experiences of current students even though it may have given a sense of hope.

“I thought that it was a bit disrespectful and irrational in a manner to talk about possibilities of travelling abroad especially due to the pandemic ... it would have been better to talk about other areas of interests. But seeing happiness from travelling abroad and experiencing other cultures of course gave a bit of hope that everything will be fine,” Josan explained.

In continuance with the film functioning as a reinstallment of hope, students noted that interviews from previous students and the inspirational tone of the film emphasized graduates’ academic careers paths and helped clarify their possible pathways.

Some thought that although the film was motivational and helped students shape their future visions, it missed an opportunity to discuss the future of the institution. “It was an enjoyable watch. But I think this was a chance to do something else: To offer a vision at the turn of the decade and talk about institutional priorities. And that was something the film did not adequately do,” stated Vatsa Singh, Class of 2023. “To me, as an NYUAD student, it hardly felt distinctive from other marketing materials in the past few years. ”

And this is what constitutes the uniqueness of NYUAD — the conversations sparked by the film and the ongoing curiosity and drive for challenge within our communities.