Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs

November 22, 2024

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs Office (GPPO) celebrated National Postdoc Appreciation Week with various events designed to thank and honor the more than 200 postdocs for their contributions to our research mission and their lasting impact across diverse fields. The week started with a breakfast co-hosted by the Postdoctoral Council Steering Committee (Haneen Alsuradi, Nadine Hosny El Said, Mai El Sawy, Philippe Antoine Martinez, Samuel A. Prieto) and additional events during the week included a professional development workshop with Alia Soliman (Lecturer, Visual and Cultural Studies) titled “Mastering the Art of Conferencing,” and a “Love you a Latte” coffee morning.

The GPPO officially welcomed 21 new postdoctoral associates at the new Postdoc Orientation. The event provided postdocs with an opportunity to connect with peers across all divisions and research centers, build a strong and collaborative community, and ask questions to better navigate the campus and life in Abu Dhabi. It also introduced them to available resources and guidance on career development offerings, funding support, well-being, and community programs.

The first session of the annual Postgrad Academic Job Series was held in September. This initiative, supported by both the GPPO and the Career Development Center (CDC), provides our postdoctoral associates and PhD students with the tools, knowledge, and support to navigate the process of applying for academic positions. From crafting standout applications to acing interviews, this series fosters a collaborative environment where participants can learn from one another, share resources, and build confidence in pursuing a career in academia.

The NYUAD Library and the GPPO collaborated to launch the first Postgrad Library Series, comprised of three workshops designed to provide advanced library skills to graduate students and postdocs. The first workshop, hosted by Amani Magid (Associate Academic Librarian for Engineering) and titled “How to Choose an AI Tool for Literature Research,” gave a framework for choosing the AI tool most suitable for a given task and evaluating the results of an AI query to determine the tool’s effectiveness. 

This fall, we also saw the launch of Postgraduate Language Circles, informal conversation groups for language learners hosted by native language speakers where graduate students and postdocs practice their language skills in a relaxed environment. Initiated by the GPPO, the first circles this fall are in Arabic and Japanese, led by hosts Alyaa Farouk Hessin (Postdoctoral Associate), Ken Liyoshi (PhD Student, NYU), postdoctoral associates Abdalla Mohamed, Imane Morjane, Mai El Sawy, and Sakuya Yamanoi (Class of 2025).