NYUAD Institute

How do we understand the minds of others? This talk explores the foundations of "commonsense psychology" by comparing how infants, adults, and AI systems infer intentions from actions alone. By pitting human intuition against state-of-the-art neural networks, this work tackles foundational debates across psychology, philosophy, and computer science — revealing the origins of intelligence, the divi...

The talk explores the historical relationships that exist between the development and the evolution of embryos. What is the link between our developmental origin as individuals (a fertilized egg), on the one hand, and our evolutionary origin as a group of individuals (an ancestral population), on the other hand? And these embryos, are they really extraordinary constructions relying on carefully ac...

Engineering a solution is one thing; making it work in a high-stakes clinical environment is another. This panel discussion features the minds who build the tech and the hands that use it. Leading bioengineers and frontline clinicians from NYU, NYU Abu Dhabi, the University of Michigan and the University of Maine deconstruct the challenges of medical device innovation. The topics include glaucoma...

The Volatility and Risk Institute (VRI) explores the interplay between risks that shape our global economy. In this session, VRI Co-Directors Robert Engle and Richard Berner explain how the VRI measures complex global risks, focusing on the financial challenges posed by climate change and the effects of geopolitical risks on financial stability. As the VRI celebrates its recent expansion to NYU Ab...

The FIFA World Cup 2026 represents a pivotal moment in the globalization of sport, as North America prepares for a tournament of unprecedented scale. This panel investigates the sociopolitical and structural dimensions of hosting a cross-continental mega-event. Panelists will discuss the intersection of international sports diplomacy, the evolution of regional athletic identity, and the challenges...

This talk focuses on the work of Dorothy Berry, author of The House Archives Built and Other Thoughts on Black Archival Possibilities (We Here Press, 2025), which is currently sold out in its third printing since being published in October 2025. Berry discusses family materials offered up to “the altar of higher learning” and struggles for access, accuracy, and locating joy in family photographs s...

What is African theatre today? Bob Vorlicky and Judy Miller have some answers to that question through their work as editors and translators of contemporary African plays. Vorlicky brings to light the otherwise neglected work of eight African women playwrights from seven different countries and linguistic spheres. He explores the politics of translating indigenous languages into English. Miller su...

We assume laws of nature govern the universe, but how exactly do abstract laws make concrete objects move? This talk explores three rival philosophical models and their surprising consequences. Does the past actually produce the future? Can laws exist without affecting anything? The answers challenge our basic intuitions about time, matter, and why nature behaves predictably. Speaker Mario Hubert,...

By 2050, 70% of the world will live in cities, and those cities will be powered by the data centers we build today. Far from being isolated in the periphery, 97.5% of US data centers are hidden in plain sight within urban centers, driven primarily by electricity-grid capacity. Drawing on research from the recently launched Urban Institute at NYU Tandon, Professor Maurizio Porfiri demonstrates how...

This conversation explores a question that defines both professional and personal life: how to live with intention and purpose. Drawing on her work as a scholar, educator, and three-time New York Times–Bestselling Author, Suzy Welch introduces the Becoming You methodology, emphasizing the importance of surfacing core values and cultivating self-awareness in navigating contemporary careers. In conv...

For nearly two million years, humans lived as mobile hunters and gatherers. Around 15,000 years ago, communities in the Fertile Crescent began to settle, and by 10,000 years ago, agriculture emerged. The first cities and states emerged around 5,000 years ago. Originating in the Middle East and later spreading worldwide, this transformation reshaped human societies. This talk examines how and why h...

This roundtable brings together scholars in cognition and neuroscience from around the world to examine the contributions, challenges, and emerging opportunities for women in the field. While women continue to advance major discoveries and shape our understanding of the brain, they remain underrepresented in some areas, particularly in senior and leadership roles. Through research insights and per...

This talk examines how artworks operate across different contexts, from museums and galleries to public space and digital circulation. Drawing on over fifteen years of practice, artist Bahia Shehab reflects on how audience engagement shifts when art is encountered within institutional settings versus when it is publicly displayed and exposed to everyday life. Through examples from projects realize...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how societies address climate change, resource management, and inclusive growth. This event brings together a keynote address and a panel discussion to examine how AI-driven innovations in technology and finance can advance sustainable development. Designed for a broad audience that includes policymakers, business leaders, and the general public, the pr...

Nearly one-third of the world’s population lacks reliable access to safe water or sanitation, with serious consequences for health, education, and economic opportunity. This talk examines the global water crisis through the lenses of policy, finance, and development, asking why access remains uneven despite available solutions. Drawing on the experience of Water.org, founded in 2009 by Matt Damon...

The origin of the most energetic particles in the Universe—known as ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs)—is one of astrophysics’ most perplexling mysteries. These particles are incredibly rare and powerful, traveling across space with energies far beyond what humans can generate on Earth. In this talk, the speaker presents a groundbreaking theory that traces the source of UHECRs to the merger of...

Some piano music resists memory, even for accomplished performers. For more than a century, post-tonal works have challenged musicians without offering clear strategies for learning and recall. This lecture-recital introduces Conceptual Simplification, a new approach developed through recent doctoral research that rethinks how complex music can be understood and memorised. Drawing on ideas from ma...

In this talk, the speaker will explore a series of objects that highlight the tension between two divergent ways of understanding the Indian Ocean: as a maritime thoroughfare shaped by the forces of trade and intrepid merchants, and as a deep, watery, and populated space brought into focus by the urgencies of rising ecological devastation. The talk discusses how these competing frameworks continue...

Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee revisits the central ideas of his seminal work Poor Economics, co-authored with Esther Duflo, fifteen years after its publication. In this talk, Professor Banerjee reflects on what we’ve learned about poverty alleviation from a decade and a half of field experiments, policy interventions, and global upheavals. From the evolution of evidence-based development policy...

This talk explores the tensions between infinite economic growth and the planet’s finite resources, drawing on Professor Anders Levermann’s groundbreaking work in climate science and economics. The speaker will present innovative approaches to reconciling climate protection with continued development, offering bold ideas for sustainable prosperity. Bridging scientific insight, economic theory, and...

In this talk, the speaker will explore the future of health care through the lens of Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, and Precision Medicine. These approaches offer promising therapies for a wide range of diseases and traumas, while also enabling the development of advanced 3D disease models—including for cancer—that can reduce reliance on animal testing. The speaker will discuss the rol...

Although women still hold only about 21% of ambassadorial posts worldwide, recent years have seen notable progress. This panel brings together senior officials, leading practitioners, and international scholars to examine women’s leadership in diplomacy, foreign affairs, and multilateral organizations. Drawing on AGDA’s Women in Diplomacy Index and LSE/IDEAS’s Strengthening the Representation of W...

Pressure Cooker, curated by Azza Aboualam, 2025 National Pavilion UAE Curator, Assistant Professor at Zayed University, and Co-Founder of Holesum Studio, explores the intersection of architecture and food production in the UAE, posing the important question: Using the UAE as a case study: How can architecture be mobilized for greater food security? Her research and curatorial process highlight how...

This talk explores the intersection of Japanese craftsmanship (monotsukuri), purpose-driven living (ikigai), and entrepreneurial spirit in the age of digital fabrication. Dr. Naoki Hamanaka will share his journey of using additive manufacturing—specifically 3D printing—to design and produce affordable, customized assistive devices that enhance quality of life. Drawing on real-world examples, he wi...

This conversation among African playwrights and translators focuses on the challenges when translating dramatic texts by African writers into English or French. What is lost (and/or gained) when translating a text’s original language into another language? Why is translation important (or not) in 21st-century global culture? What are the geopolitical, linguistic, and ethical issues raised by trans...