At 17, I received a generous scholarship from New York University to do my undergraduate studies at their campus in the United Arab Emirates, which is almost fully financed by the country's non-democratic regime.

Over the years, I have come to understand there are many ethical problems with accepting such a large scholarship from a dictatorship. At first, the promise was that the arrival of such large institutions such as NYU, the Sorbonne, the Guggenheim or the Louvre would provide a unique opportunity to raise labor standards. In practice and over time, I have observed that the space to simply document human rights abuses has been shrinking rather than growing: the journalist who did fieldwork research for this New York Times article about forced labor at NYU Abu Dhabi was arrested in the UAE. The other journalist in the by-line was also targeted. There are plenty other examples. It is for this reason that I've committed to always link to the rigorous research by reputed organizations whenever I am asked about my years in the UAE. For instance, Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International reports warning about how high profile events such as the Dubai Expo 2020 or the tolerance summit serve to cover the fact that the UAE government prevents UN experts, human rights researchers, and others from scrutinizing its human rights record on the ground. In a similar vein, there is also a recent EU parliament resolution calling on its member states not to participate in the Dubai Expo 2020 and for international companies to withdraw their sponsorship. I also raise awareness about the fact that, despite an increase in the number of Westerners who visit the UAE through the different educational and cultural organizations present there, the situation has arguably gotten worse. 

I am committed to contributing towards the conversation of how my profession deals with these ethical challenges. Just like we have come up with procedures that make us think about the ethical implications of our research with human subjects, I think the issues I highlight here deserve deep engagement with the no harm principle.

At 15, I received a scholarship to study at one of the 18 schools that the organization United World Colleges (UWC) has around the globe. UWC has national committees in most countries in the world that select and give scholarships to study the last two years of high school. The aim is to select widely to be representative of the socio-economic, religious and ethnic diversity that exists within countries. Old enough to have roots yet young enough to still be in their formative years, students have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect with each other.

At a personal level, going to UWC was a very enriching experience that has deeply shaped how I interact and view the world. At a professional level, my background as a social scientist has taught me that systemic issues of social inequality are better addressed through high quality public education systems and a strong welfare state rather than through private organizations. 

There is no easy way to reconcile these two perspectives. My solution has been to join other alumni as volunteer in the selection process and to promote the goal that the socio-economic profile of the Spanish students who apply to and are selected by UWC should be representative of the socio-economic reality of the country.