13 May 2012: Five Emirati students from The British School Al Khubairat have been selected to receive New York University Abu Dhabi’s prestigious 2012 Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarship for Outstanding High School Students.
The scholarship is awarded to high-achieving Emirati students who are based in Abu Dhabi. Thirty students were awarded the scholarship this year. Students were selected after a rigorous nomination and interview process that took into consideration academic achievement, English language comprehension, motivation to attend college, leadership and interpersonal skills and potential for growth and improvement.
The chosen students are invited to take part in the New York University Summer Academy, an 18-month enrichment programme. This is a challenging development programme designed to prepare the students for entry into top-tier international universities. It takes place over two summers as well as three semesters of online and face-to-face instruction. The programme introduces students to the philosophy and benefits of a broad-based liberal arts education through a comprehensive educational experience. The curriculum aims to support intellectual and skill development in the areas of critical thinking, English, writing, mathematical reasoning and leadership. In addition, the students will also receive guidance with university admissions requirements through counselling and extensive small group classes and individual coaching in test preparation.
The programme takes place at three of New York University’s international locations – Abu Dhabi, New York and Florence, Italy. Each course is conducted in English by NUYAD-appointed faculty.
The British School students who have been awarded the scholarship are: Ayesha Al Yousefi (Year 11), Nahyan Al Ahbabi (Year 11), Reem Al Saadi (Year 10), Saif Al Nuaimi (Year 10) and Shamsah Al Ali (Year 11).
“Congratulations to all our students who have been awarded this important scholarship,” said Mr Paul Coackley, Principal of The British School. “I am absolutely delighted that so many of our students have been recognised not only for their outstanding achievements at school but also for their potential. They are each very deserving of such an award, and we wish them all the best at the Summer Academy, which will dovetail very neatly with the preparation that the school provides for university entry. The school has a very strong relationship with New York University Abu Dhabi, and we look forward to building upon this further in the future.”
Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, co-chair of NYUAD’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Programme, said: “As we prepare our youth to become leaders in an increasingly globalised world, it is essential that we provide them with the cross-cultural and academic exposure that will help them succeed in a highly competitive international environment.”
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About New York University Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi consists of a highly selective liberal arts and science college (including engineering), and a world centre for advanced research and scholarship – all fully integrated with each other and connected to NYU in New York. Together, NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi form the backbone of a unique global network university, with faculty and students from either New York or Abu Dhabi spending ‘semesters away’ at one or more of the numerous study abroad sites NYU maintains on five continents.
