Climate Challenge

We have launched a sponsorship initiative to reinforce the University’s commitment to advancing national priorities of the COP28 agenda to slow climate change and limit its ill effects.

The Climate Challenge is NYUAD’s first sponsorship initiative, guided by our mission to improve the world now and for future generations. We are making bold investments for maximum impact, ensuring that our faculty and students are supported in their mission to tackle the most critical challenges facing humankind.

The Climate Challenge sponsorship initiative allows forward-looking individuals and institutions to join forces with NYUAD and our Abu Dhabi government partner. Financial contributions to the Climate Challenge initiative will simultaneously help NYUAD to:

• Support and attract the most talented and dedicated faculty and students in climate studies, harnessing some of the world’s brightest minds for the UAE’s climate agenda and driving the country’s knowledge-driven economy and society.
• Engage and educate the local and international community on climate issues pertinent to Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the wider MENA region.

The Climate Challenge Initiative aims to secure endowed and long-term expendable support for the following four priority areas of impact at NYUAD:

1. Attract and Recognize Leading Scientists and Scholars
   Attracting top talent is central to the success of our mission. Our dedicated faculty are leading cutting-edge research to address the complex challenges of local and global significance, thereby advancing the UAE’s COP28 agenda.
2. Research for Impact
   Our scientists and scholars at NYUAD are working to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. From studying rising sea levels to discovering new species, from protecting coral reefs and mangroves to designing sustainable building materials, our researchers contribute to a more sustainable world through innovation, curiosity, exploration, and collaboration. This initiative offers opportunities to sponsor our labs, centers, research center directorships, and research fellowships in this crucial field.
3. Attract Talented Students and Promote Equal Opportunities
   NYUAD has built a remarkable, diverse community of students and graduates from the UAE and 120 other countries. Our Climate Challenge scholarships will be awarded to talented undergraduate students who demonstrate a profound commitment to environmental sustainability.
4. Raise Climate Change Awareness in the Community, Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and Beyond
   NYUAD is committed to communicating and engaging with the public through our programs, events, and initiatives. We develop and collaborate on artistic, cultural, and intellectual programming that is regionally relevant and globally recognized.

Sponsorship opportunities in this area include supporting a wide range of community-wide activities, from NYUAD Art Gallery exhibitions and public talks, to conferences such as the Student Energy Summit hosted at NYUAD in November 2023 and the International Conference on Desalination, Environment and Sustainability (IDEAS) organized by the Water Research Center of NYUAD in January 2024.