New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) receives $1 million+ commitment from the Laidlaw Foundation to fund scholarships designed to develop a new generation of wise thinkers and ethical leaders.
LONDON, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has received a commitment of over $1 million from the Laidlaw Foundation to establish a landmark partnership - the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Laidlaw Scholars Program at NYUAD is dedicated to developing the next generation of global leaders.
The program will launch with its first cohort in spring 2026, offering selected undergraduates an immersive two-year experience. A combination of leadership development and training, an experiential research project, and a community-based work experience, this comprehensive program empowers real-world impact. Students also join a global network of over 2,500 Laidlaw Scholars from leading institutions around the world.
"Partnering with the exceptional NYU Abu Dhabi enables us to extend the geographical reach, cultural richness, and global impact of the Laidlaw leadership and research scholarship program." said Susanna Kempe, CEO of Laidlaw Foundation. "Thanks to Vice Chancellor Fabio Piano and his dedicated team, we look forward to supporting more extraordinary Scholars to become good leaders and wise thinkers."
"We are honored to partner with the Laidlaw Foundation in our shared mission to build a diverse and inclusive community of ethical leaders," said Fabio Piano, Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi. "This collaboration reflects our commitment to empowering young individuals from all backgrounds to unite in building a global society, preparing them to lead with purpose and integrity. We are proud of our partnership with the Laidlaw Foundation and the lasting impact we will make together."
NYUAD is the first university in the MENA region to join the prestigious Laidlaw Scholars Network, which comprises 20 leading universities across Europe, North America, and Asia. Members of the network include the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, Imperial College, Columbia University, Cornell University, Brown University, and the University of Hong Kong among others. This affiliation creates unique opportunities for collaboration among undergraduate students and faculty members and aligns with NYUAD's commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and social responsibility.
About NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE.
NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity's shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi's high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
About the Laidlaw Foundation
The Laidlaw Foundation invests in the education of the underprivileged and underrepresented in order to break the cycle of poverty, reduce inequality and develop a new generation of ethical leaders. Our funding supports five core programmes:
- Sponsoring the Laidlaw Schools Trust – a growing, Multi Academy Trust in the North East of England, providing extraordinary education that transforms lives;
- Developing a new generation of diverse leaders who embrace research-based decision-making and ethical leadership through our Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research programme at the world's leading universities;
- Ensuring more women reach the C-Suite by providing MBA scholarships at London Business School, Oxford University's Saïd Business School, HEC Paris and IE Madrid;
- Supporting more women from underserved communities to receive a degree and break cycles of inequity through the Trinity College Dublin Trailblazer programme; and
- Building innovative and inspiring spaces in which pupils and students excel.
Media Contact
Hannah Watton, The Laidlaw Foundation, 44 191 662 2400, [email protected], https://laidlawfoundation.com
SOURCE The Laidlaw Foundation
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