China Daily Global Edition (USA)
NYU Shanghai aims to create global citizens
With a goal of becoming a world-class university with global vision since its formal launch three years ago, ShanghaiNewYorkUniversity has created a multicultural environment encouraging students to be innovative and unique.
“World-class contributions in science, the social sciences and the humanities are being made here every day,” said Jeffrey S. Lehman, vice-chancellor of NYU Shanghai.
The 59-year-old formerly served as a president of Cornell University and was the founding dean of PekingUniversity School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.
The Shanghai campus is located in Lujiazui area, known as China’sWall Street, a cluster of skyscrapers that tower over a bend in the Huangpu River. The area now falls within the embrace of the city’s two-year-old pilot free trade zone.
The school seems custom-built to churn out global citizens in an increasingly globalized world. It fosters a capacity for dealing with multicultural situations, meaning that those who make the cut get to celebrate China’s Lantern Festival, Pi Day and Christmas Day, rather than just Christmas.
“NYU is unique in the world in its reconceptualization of itself as a global network. Our objective is to bring the students together so that they can understand the cultural differences and similarities, and they can learn how to be effective in a group,” Lehman said.
As of the end of 2015, NYU Shanghai’s student body numbered about 850. Of those, Chinese students account for half. The other half is from overseas. The number is expected to peak at 2,000 by 2020, with growth of a few hundred each year, starting with the class entering in 2017.
The faculty has grown from 25 to 40. The goal is 180. Yu Lizhong, chancellor and chairman of the board, said NYU Shanghai is committed to attracting the most excellent foreign students. Many are on partial or full-ride scholarships. Chinese students can get a discount of up to 30 percent on tuition.
“We always ask the student one simple question: Do you know what you want to do in the future? If he or she doesn’t have a clear clue, then he or she is not qualified to study here,” Yu said. “We only offer resources and opportunities to help you to achieve your goal. We can’t set a path for you to walk through.”