NYU Planning Huge Campus In Abu Dhabi

The National:

About every other Friday for most of the past year, John Sexton, the president of New York University, would duck away from his offices above Washington Square to teach a small seminar class on the American separation of church and state. Sexton has always maintained a full professor's teaching load, which is unusual for the chief executive of a large university. What was even more unusual in this case was that the class met 11,000 kilometres away, in Abu Dhabi.

Read the whole story: The National

Comments

[wadenelson1]

I look at that beautiful skyline and ask myself "Why isn't that somewhere in America."

Sadly, I know the reasons why.

It's because we rejected Carter's plan for America to achieve energy independence. For 30 years now we have been giving our national treasure to OPEC.

It's because individual Americans choose to drive F-250's and Expeditions instead of Civics and Prius.

It's because greedy stockholders approved of companies exporting American jobs to Mexico and China.

It's because government regulations make it too damn expensive to build a hi-rise here in America.

So I look at their skyline and go...damn!

[Mildmannered]

ditto for most everything, except blaming government regulations (like those that help make buildings more earthquake resistant)

[wadenelson1]

When we built a rec center here in Durango they INSISTED on the installation of sprinker heads above the lap and recreation pools.

What's going to combust? Kids? Water? Concrete? Stainless Steel Rails & Ladders?

When government regulations go too far there is no power on heaven and earth that can get them to back down, not even COMMON SENSE. That's the problem.

[darker]

Absolutely ! NYU is an edu-corporation that is now going global.
NYU is also long on ADVERTISING itself and quite a bit shorter on quality.

Sheiks rule!

[quiviran]

Trojans OK too

[HarlemFreeThought]

New NYU Campus means dorms. Will the evict longtime residents and gentrify the neighborhood as they did to the Lower East Side???

[monty]

How can you teach science and other topics in a country so bogged down with dogma and religious doctrine? Are classes filled with both men AND women, or just wealthy men?

[Jase84]

I'm looking at the positive. More education can't hurt.

[InfinteShibumi]

Exactly! Whoever came up with this is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Mildmannered]

"How can you teach science and other topics in a country so bogged down with dogma and religious doctrine?" Are you talking about evangelical America?

[DC]

you have obviously never been to Abu Dhabi

[DC]

Experience of other educational institutions show that there are more women seeking higher education in the ME. Go to schools that have established themselves in Dubai, for example and will see.
http://www.aud.edu/

[TomPaine07]

NYU is an edu-corporation that is now going global. I suppose that their next step will be to give up their tax exempt status and get listed on the stock exchange. They see no problem in peddling as product American academic knowledge to the highest bidder. All of the corporate rats are abandoning America.

[BannedInBoston]

Abu Dhabi Do!

(Fred Flinstone, student)

[drymartini1]

Maybe the Abu Dhabi University can generate a huge amount of revenue. Would it be so wrong to cash in the NYU brand ?

[WaterBottle]

So does this mean that instead of using the endowments to help current struggling students in debt and to provide more scholarships for average American students who desperately need it, we're going to build an expensive school on the other side of the world and turn NYU into an academic restaurant franchise? Wow. Not like I have anything against expanding horizons and crossing cultural divides, but not now...At a time when the average American student is in thousand dollars of debt and can barely afford college, is this the best they can use their money for?

[jack7576]

its all about the money $$$$

[Christopher in NYC]

... ka ching!

[10028]

Can someone please identify the source of that photograph?

[FredDobbs]

I think it is from a camera

[HarlemFreeThought]

the reneding of the Guggenheim museum http://www.museumlab.org/2008/04/02/guggenheim-abu-dhabi-like-medieval-cathedral//

[jack7576]

what's the tuition @ NYU Abu Dhabi?

$20000 ?

[ThatOne4Me]

Sounds like the tuition in the USA :-) NYU is a very expensive school.

[Ronju01]

Education is a big business in US. Now NYU is franchising to Abu Dhabi. NYU is not dispensing free education there. Isn't it capitalism ?

[jack7576]

its not free

they are trying to get students from the middle east & asia(especially from India, China) to come over who are loaded with money

[evekendall]

Is it going to be built with the same slave labor that most construction in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is built with?

"The Dark Side Of Dubai" by Johann Hari
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai_b_183851.html

"My Post About Dubai Is Now Banned In The City" by Johann Hari
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/my-post-about-dubai-is-no_b_206388.html

[ObamAtomic]

I guess its better to fight with Jason's Friday the 13.
Thank you for the link.
NYU will be outsourcing(Joring)themselves.

[AERO]

Seems like right wingers are afraid of education no matter where it happens (unless it's Pat Robertson U or Jerry Falwell U). Ever hear of American University of Beirut or American University of Cairo? AUB is nicknamed the Harvard of the Middle East and has a much more difficult curriculum than most universities in the States.

One would think that having universities that teach a "western" style education in the Middle East would be beneficial in fostering understanding across cultural divides. Problem is that some people just don't think.

[SparkyAdams]

But of course, you do and you do it for all of us.

You will never understand the depth of our gratitude.

[AERO]

You're welcome.

[macintoshsauce]

LOL

[renatam]

...oh, yes, they will tell you this is good for "national security" - the handy silo for exploting American taxpayers and elevating international interests, security and quality of life over ours. That's the silo where NOBODY ever questions how much things will cost.

[YewNeekId]

As a person born and raised in NY, I resent loaning the name of the Empire State to an arab college. Call it Abu Dabi U or whatever - but not NYU!

[renatam]

Anyone who believes all New York taxpayers are offering is the name of our Greenwich Village university is kidding ourselves. New Yorkers fund NYU research, infrastructure via tax abatements...and tuitions. Federal taxes help offset high tuition. They don't need the name only. WE, New Yorkers and Americans are helping subsidize this venture. Ditto, Harvard and other elite universities - while our grade schools and high schools are bankrupt and crumbling since Ronald Reagan.

These universities are about international business...for cartel, oligarchy interests. YOU, as with the bogus wars, are paying for it. Don't believe you are not.

[bola47]

not to mention that nyu actively solicits contributions from wealthy jews in new york who are not allowed to practice their religion in abu dhabi or dubai.