NYUAD Institute

2019.01.30 The understanding of the universe has taken great leaps in the early 20th century due to the discovery of general relativity and quantum mechanics changing our conception of the very nature of matter, space, and time. Much research has centered on the interesting interplay between the surprising and counter-intuitive features of quantum mechanics and the beautiful geometric interpretati...

2019.01.29 The seabed around the world has proven to be an archaeological treasure trove, consistently yielding items that are rewriting history books and filling museums. The Arabian Gulf has one of the longest and richest seafaring traditions anywhere in the world. Prior to 8,000 years ago sea levels were considerably lower and the land to the north of the Emirates was an open and potentially fe...

2019.01.24 Women more than men spend time on tasks that are unlikely to affect their evaluation and career advancement (writing a report, serving on a committee, etc.). These differences likely contribute to the lower rates of advancement for women. A set of controlled studies are used to demonstrate that women more than men volunteer, are asked to volunteer, and accept requests to volunteer for n...

2019.01.23 As the era of precision medicine is upon us and more patients are having genetic sequencing performed, we need to be able to utilize this genomic data to improve health. How can we effectively incorporate this new type of information into a healthcare system to support patient care? This talk addresses the challenges and benefits of integrating genomic information into patient care thro...

2018.12.09 African women playwrights are creating some of the most vivid theatricalities, dialogues, poignant characterizations and situations, and politically and personally charged thematics written in Africa today. Along with their socially challenging and artistically innovative works, the plays written by African women nevertheless remain among the most underproduced and rarely published work...

2018.12.11 It is common practice in modern times to read mystical poetry and apply it to our mundane lives and loves. Sufis in the early period did the opposite. Their mystical hymns often spun out of the courtly poetic ghazal, panegyric, and wine songs. This talk highlights the relation of the Arabic courtly poetic canon to early Sufism. Speakers Bilal Orfali, Chairperson and Associate Professor...

2019.01.15 Scientific cosmology is based on an intricate interplay between theory and observation. There has been an extraordinary flood of data enabled by new technology and a variety of new telescopes that has enabled the determination of a remarkable Standard Model of Cosmology that is generally agreed. In that model, there is an intricate interaction of bottom up and top down causation. Local...

2019.01.15 Building an inclusive society where all children learn together and participate equitably hinges on providing inclusion for all. Join us to discuss international trends and best practices in inclusion for children with disabilities. This talk explores relevant theories, supports and strategies of how society can best support children across the full spectrum of learning and emotional ne...

2019.01.21 For the last six decades, a dedicated team of researchers in Siberia has been domesticating silver foxes to replay the evolution of the dog in real time. Lyudmila Trut has been a lead scientist on this work since 1959, and together with biologist and historian of science, Lee Dugatkin, she tells the inside story of the science, politics, adventure and love behind it all. Like a set of R...

2018.12.05 What forces and interests have determined the US government's trade and tariff policies since 1776? What outcomes did those forces and interests produce historically? How have tariffs and trade restrictions moved over time since 1776? This talk approaches these questions using methods using simple principles from economics and political science. Speakers Thomas J. Sargent, Nobel Laureat...

2018.11.27 Most concerts feature program notes, giving an audience some kind of “back story” about the works to be performed. The assumption is that somehow knowing "more" about a piece will have an effect on one's experience listening to it. This talk combines a lecture with a performance and discussion of Gideon Klein’s Trio for Strings (1944) in order to ask questions about a composition with a...

2018.11.20 David Wheeler, the editor of Al-Fanar Media, a five-year-old digital publication that began with a focus on Arab universities, reflects on what he and his fellow journalists have learned about the nature of education in the 22 Arab countries. Over time, the publication has broadened its interests to the arts, culture and all kinds of research. It has trained Arab journalists from every...

2018.11.19 The late Sheikh Zayed is well-known for his interest in, and support for, the natural and cultural heritage of the UAE. This talk examines the field of the environment and archaeology of Abu Dhabi to demonstrate his involvement in projects that have led to the preservation of two of Abu Dhabi’s most important nature reserves and to the promotion of knowledge of key archaeological sites,...

2018.11.11 Insects walk on water, snakes slither and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed and versatility, but how do they do it and what can we learn from them? From the incredible efficiency of the wet dog shake to colonies of ants building rafts out of their own bodies, author Dr. David Hu examines how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advan...

2018.11.07 This lecture examines economic, political, ideological, and international causes of the Soviet collapse, as well as the role of political actors. The principal focus of the lecture is on 1991 as the year when all historical causes had created a “perfect crisis” and yet produced a surprisingly peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union. The lecture aims to problematize the dominant analysi...

2018.10.24 Today, families in the UAE wait in hope that a life-saving organ may be donated to a critically ill loved on. In 2018, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi created history in the UAE by developing a comprehensive multi-organ transplant program which is already transforming patients’ lives. This talk explores how the transplants for four major organs – kidney, heart, liver and lung – are giving ho...

2018.10.22 Saruq al-Hadid, located deep in the desert in southern Dubai, is one of Arabia’s richest and most enigmatic archaeological sites. During the Bronze and Iron Ages (c. 2200-800 BCE), the site witnessed social gatherings for hunting, feasting, craft production and ritual activity. The site’s abundant material remains of precious metals, ceramic, stone, bone, shell and wood have much to tel...

2018.09.19 Archaeological discoveries from an ancient village on Marawah Island located in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region reveal the presence of a sophisticated and skilled population that traded and thrived during the Neolithic period. Artefacts excavated provide a comprehensive picture of life in the UAE around 8,000 years ago. The people living there constructed stone-built houses, the earliest e...

2018.09.17 This documentary covers the story of the young Emirati, Dr. Khaled Al-Suwaidi, who, on February 3, 2018, ran a 327-kilometer, 80-hour ultramarathon from Fujairah Port in Fujairah to Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi. It was the first time someone had ever run such a distance in the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Khaled dedicated this initiative to raise funds for the Cancer Patient Care Society (Rahma...

2018.09.24 This talk focuses on work in mathematical visualization: making accurate, effective, and beautiful pictures, models, and experiences of mathematical concepts. This talk also discusses what it is that makes a visualization compelling, and show many examples in the medium of 3D printing, as well as some explorations in virtual reality and spherical video. Speaker: Henry Segerman, Assistan...

2018.09.26 One very big ocean. One very small boat. Four very determined women. This is the story of four very different personalities who decided to put their lives on hold and rough it, pitting themselves against the might of the ocean and the sometimes terrifying moods of the weather. The crew remained entirely self-sufficient for the duration of the 2,550 nautical mile long journey, and with t...

2018.09.30 This talk presents a personal story of a three-time cancer survivor and how people have tried to fight back against cancer by studying the chemistry and anti-cancer biology of expanded porphyrins. Expanded porphyrin is a term we introduced into the literature in 1988 to describe larger homologues of natural blood pigments, such as the dyes (called heme) that make blood red. Many expande...

2018.10.02 Most of the software we use today comes from one part of the world. Is that a necessary reality or something we can challenge? In this talk, Sanjiva Weerawarana discusses the story of WSO2 and how a global technology leader was built out of Sri Lanka, a country famous for tea, garments, tourism and sending people to work all over the world. The presentation also discusses how Abu Dhabi...

2018.10.09 The UAE has embarked on a number of ambitious initiatives to create a vibrant cultural scene. Through commissioned art projects, educational programs, infrastructural development, and cultural diplomacy, a variety of local and international organizations have created spaces for engagement, creativity, and social change. What role do policies focusing on women, youth and national develop...

2018.10.14 The talk explores the concept of philanthropy in the region, identifies recent trends that have changed the philanthropic landscape, and proposes methods to create and run successful philanthropic organizations. Speaker: Mohamed T. Al Qadhi, Director-General, Sandooq Al Watan