NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has announced the 2020-2021 class of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program (SMSP), which enhances existing skills of outstanding students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and provides them with academic and leadership opportunities.
The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program, established by NYUAD in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), draws on students in their third and fourth years of study in the UAE’s federal institutions of higher education: United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Zayed University (ZU), and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). 60 students were nominated by the three institutions to be considered for the SMSP program. Of these, 36 were selected as finalists and were interviewed, and 24 were selected as SMSP Scholars by a distinguished panel of judges from NYUAD, NYU New York, and leaders from the local community.
The 2020-2021 Scholars will take either one of two special classes. The first option is a course entitled Challenges of the New Political Economy, taught by the former US Ambassador to the UAE Michael Corbin. The second offering is the course entitled Crises in Context: The Forces That Shape the Great Events of Our Time taught by author and journalist James Traub. In addition, all Scholars will attend courses on leadership development, public speaking, public presentations, critical thinking, and persuasive writing.
Co-chair of the Scholars Program Steering Committee, Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stated, “The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program recognizes promising students and provides them with unparalleled educational and leadership development opportunities.” She added that the students who won the chance to become scholars for this year should be very proud of their achievements.
Furthermore, Her Highness highlighted, “The UAE’s unwavering support is the primary force behind the selected scholars’ continued success, emphasizing that they are the future leaders of tomorrow who will help serve this nation, fulfil its ambitions, and ensure it is always at the international forefront.”
“We are delighted to welcome this exceptional class of Scholars to the Class of 2020-2021, the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program,” said Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Community Programs Executive Director Diane C. Yu. “The students are the recipients of the prestigious Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarship and will participate in academic, leadership, and cross-cultural experiences to enhance their profiles and prepare them for Graduate School. This year, the competition was fierce and the decisions were very difficult because of the high quality of the candidates. We are so pleased that this new class is as talented and motivated as they are. The faculty and staff look forward to working with them, initially in the virtual instruction mode and we hope through in-person teaching later in the year. It will be a true test of the students’ flexibility, self-discipline, and resilience as we all continue to adapt to the lockdown requirements occasioned by the global pandemic.”
The 2020-2021 Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars are:
- Ahmed Umran Ali
- Ahmed Abdulla Ali Almutawa Alshehhi
- Alam Saj
- Ali Hussain Alwan Alqisy
- Amr Munjed Abdelqader Maraqa
- Asma Omar Mubarak Ali Alameri
- Faniel Samsom Abraham
- Fatima Khalfan Mohamed Khalfan Alhameli
- Hareb Abdulla Ahmed Juma Hussain
- Mariam Salem Ismail Fairouz Alharthi
- Maryam Obaid Ibrahim Mohammed Hussain
- Mezna Zaid Abdulaziz Ghulam Almaazmi
- Mohammad Nasir Mir Wali Khan
- Mouza Khalifa Buti Ahmed Almazrouei
- Mouza Yousef Salem Binateeq Alzaabi
- Noor Saleh Hashem Alhebshi Alhashmi
- Nouf Mohammed Ali Taleb Alkatheeri
- Nouf Mohamed Abdalla Ismail Hassouni
- Rayah Raouf
- Reem Abdulwahab Abdulrahim Mohamed Alawadhi
- Sarah Mahmoud Mohamed Abbas Alzarooni
- Shamma Fahed Nasser Saif Althehli
- Yahya Mohamed Yusuf
- Yosief Ghirmay Rezene
The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program is one of two Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed community programs operated by NYUAD. The other is the NYUAD Summer Academy for recipients of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarships for Outstanding High School Students, which is a competitively selected college preparatory academy for Abu Dhabi-based Emirati high school students entering their tenth year.
