I kind of miss the rain. Rain is a part of home for me.
Daniel Obaji, NYUAD Class of 2019
Inspired by the iconic photoblog Humans of New York, We Are NYUAD is a collection of curated portraits that feature the individuals who make up the NYUAD community. Through images and quotes, We Are NYUAD provides a glimpse into the ordinary lives of those who live, work, and learn at NYUAD and highlights what makes them extraordinary.
When I was in Sri Lanka, I used to surf every weekend at Mt Lavinia beach. When I catch a wave, I feel like I’m flying through the water. And when I miss one, it makes me want to catch the next wave even more.
Sathpium Peiris, NYUAD lifeguard
Hmm… I smell the weekend.
New York (yes, that’s my name, and story for another time).
My turtle was named Spica after a star.
Zoha Alvi, NYUAD Class of 2018
“I was born during the war, and was one year old when it ended. Growing up in the postwar period in Bosnia was interesting because when I travel, people would ask, ‘Is the war still going on?’ and I would say, 'Oh, it ended years back.’ My childhood wasn’t as horrible as some people might think.”
Emina Osmandzikovic, Class Of 2017
I took an animation class in my freshman year and I realized how much I loved the field. You can combine technology and creativity, and being here in Abu Dhabi, I’ve been able to take advantage of the amazing super labs and 3D printing.
Jia Rong, Visiting Student from NYU Shanghai, Class of 2017
Many people don’t know that Sweden is actually one of the leading countries when it comes to pop songs. Swedes wrote or produced about a quarter of all Billboard’s Top 10 hits in recent years.
Jesse Boere, Global Academic Fellow for Music.
Kaushal: The first time I saw him was in calculus class during our freshman year. He walked in and he had this funky fashion sense with blue shoes, neon hoodie and an orange plaid shirt.
Patel: And he always wore boat shoes, and they are all dirty and worn out.
Yatin Kaushal (left) & Mehul Patel (right), NYU Class of 2017
Does Olly (the octopus) speak bahasa Indonesia? No, he only speaks English.
Malik Atharfa Bhumi, son of Muchamad Al Azhar, Postdoctoral Research Associate.
Over fall break, I stayed with locals in Al Ain through “couch-surfing,” which isn’t something I knew about until I came here. The couple that hosted me were expats who teach at a private school in the city and just talking to them over dinner, in the car or just watching movies, I learned so much about Emirati culture and quirky things about this area – I think that’s one of the best parts of being here – the little bits of information I learn each day, which I wouldn’t know anything about unless I ran into people from all these different countries.
Rachel Elizabeth Maillet, Study Away student from NYU Polytechnic/Tandon (New York)