Fabio Piano, a long-standing figure at NYU Abu Dhabi, has played a central role in the university's development. After a decade as Provost, he was a faculty member until his appointment in an interim capacity to the position of Vice Chancellor, a title that remains somewhat ambiguous to many, even within academic circles. "People used to have no idea what a provost was," Piano remarks humorously. "Now to find out people still ask me the same question for Vice Chancellor!". His comment speaks to both, the confusion around his administrative roles, and as well as his candor. He defines the Vice Chancellor position as the “head of the enterprise”, serving as a chief academic and administrative leader and helping shape the institution's vision by overseeing its strategic initiatives.

Piano’s journey to NYUAD was anything but conventional. Born and raised in Rome, he comes from a humble family with a career in the aviation industry, particularly in AirItalia. He experienced a significant cultural shift when he moved to Singapore at the age of 12, followed by higher education in Biology in London and New York, ultimately shaping his global perspective. He reflects on his early education in Singapore with vivid memories, "when I went to school in Singapore, I didn’t understand a word of English," he recounts, sharing how he had to learn English by differentiating between Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin on the television. These early experiences foreshadowed his eventual role at NYU Abu Dhabi — a place he now describes as "a university geared towards a global society that doesn’t even exist today."

It was originally John Sexton, the then-president of New York University, who brought Piano into the NYUAD body, in2008. Piano was already making waves in the academic world, particularly in the burgeoning field of genomics. At NYU, he helped establish the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology as one of the signature projects of the new President. But it was Sexton’s vision of a new, innovative university in the Middle East that piqued Piano’s interest. "If we were to build a new university from scratch, how would we build it?" he recalls asking himself. This thought experiment would soon become a reality as NYUAD emerged as a pioneering institution between the United States and the Middle-east, that married liberal arts education with cutting-edge research like not many universities had before. This value blend between two vastly different sociopolitical landscapes fascinated Fabio.

Soon after, at the university’s inception, he made what he recalls to be one of his “proudest contributions to the university”, the Foundations of Science curriculum, a course that integrates multiple disciplines to offer students a holistic understanding of scientific phenomena. While he does not refrain from acknowledging its high level of difficulty for both students and faculty, he explains that the idea behind the FOS program at NYUAD was born out of a need to rethink how science is taught. "We have all these departments—physics here, biology there, chemistry over there—none of it is coordinated," he said. "But the future of our world is much more about understanding phenomena in a more integrated way. Phenomena don’t separate." He pointed out that many real-world issues, like water security, can’t be solved by just looking at one discipline. “If we’re thinking about the future of water, is it just about distribution of pipes? Membranes for desalination? Climate issues? It’s all connected,” Piano emphasized. The FOS program was designed to mirror that complexity by encouraging students to think across traditional academic boundaries.

However, though the FOS curriculum aims to provide a comprehensive scientific foundation, it has also garnered a reputation for its intensity. Sarah Were, Class of 2026, who completed FOS 1 through 6, offers insight into the student experience: "The course is incredibly fast-paced and assignment-intensive. FOS 3/4, which carries the most credits (10), introduces an unprecedented number of new concepts in a single semester. It's historically been the most challenging for students, and that remains true today." Sarah notes that Foundations of Science classes often require more time commitment than their credit hours suggest, leading to a heavier workload than students might initially expect. "After completing FOS, I definitely became more organized and better equipped to handle large workloads in my other courses," she reflects. "However, the rigor of the program can be overwhelming for many students."

What makes Piano’s leadership distinctive is his ability to constantly challenge the status quo while encouraging innovation. He is quick to point out that NYUAD, in its pursuit of building a global university, doesn’t fit neatly into any pre-existing academic model. "Are we like a liberal arts college? Are we more like an R1 research university?" Piano asks rhetorically. The answer, in his view, is that NYUAD is "something totally new," blending elements from both traditions to create a forward-looking institution designed for a global society. He then elaborates that his administrative titles have changed numerously, but his commitment to fostering a student-centered academic environment remains constant. "Universities built around students are unusual," he says, reflecting on how most universities focus on attracting high-profile faculty or expanding their research output, something he felt first-hand while being an international student in his earlier years.

As Vice Chancellor, Piano is also aware of the challenges that come with the stature. He acknowledges that his role often places him in a delicate position, particularly when navigating the complex political and social dynamics of bringing global and diverse viewpoints emanating from the NYUAD campus in an especially challenging time for the world, and operating within the norms and expectations of the UAE. It is a balancing act that is not always easy to manage. “My responsibility is primarily towards my intellectually vibrant community of students, staff, and faculty — but I also have to work with humility”, he emphasises, “and the laws of the country, ” something he deems non-negotiable from an institutional point of veiw. In the long term, he ultimately sees these challenges, as “strengthening NYUAD’s position as a leader in global higher education.” Piano truly believes that NYUAD is uniquely positioned to bridge cultural divides, and that this bridge is inherently meant to contribute to social impact. "We are focusing on an Emirati society, but we also see it as a global society of people, co-existing, with communities from different parts of the world," he explains. But he also acknowledges that this goal requires constant effort, especially in a place as diverse and dynamic as NYUAD, because while he “could give ideas and also initiate programs, they would essentially need to be community woven and run in order to make them sustainable.” Furthermore, he admits to the university’s rapid growth and ambitious goals that may have sometimes led to challenges. "We were building the university with such speed that sometimes things weren’t as coordinated as they could have been," he expresses, reflecting on a broader challenge that NYUAD has faced since its inception: maintaining the integrity of its vision while growing at an unprecedented pace.

Another one of Piano’s striking qualities is his deep connection to the student body. As a former international student himself, after studying at NYU as well as the University of Florence, he understands the unique challenges that come with feeling out of place, navigating a variety of social classes and personal identity or culture crises from calling countless lands home. He recalls his own experience at NYU, where he was placed with a group of wealthy Italian students during international orientation week. "They were very rich, and their concerns were not things that I connected with," Piano remembers, adding that he then found more common ground with students in a special minority program at NYU. His empathy for students from diverse backgrounds is evident in the way he talks about NYUAD’s mission. "Our success has been our students. We built it around the concept of the student experience," he says, emphasizing that the university’s primary focus has always been on creating an environment where students can thrive.

Ultimately, Piano's leadership style can mostly be characterized by long-term thinking. He often speaks of his "reverse engineering" approach, where he starts with a vision of the future and works backwards to determine the steps needed to achieve it. "In a hundred years, when we look back, we’ll say that we were making history," he says confidently. Yet, he is also quick to caution against complacency, urging the university community to constantly strive for improvement. "We want to give ourselves the confidence that we are making history, but we can’t just compare ourselves to others. We need to have the leadership and the confidence to forge our own path."

With Fabio Piano at the helm, NYU Abu Dhabi is navigating a period of transition as he takes over the vice chancellorship. As the university continues to evolve, it faces both opportunities and challenges in its mission to contribute to global education. Piano's leadership will be crucial in guiding the institution through potential hurdles, whether in keeping up with the geopolitical scene in the region, adapting to changing global educational landscapes or maintaining the university's unique identity within the global NYU network.