“It’s been said that luck is where preparation meets opportunity, and with opportunity comes obligation. You now have an opportunity to launch from this place and continue your life mission. You also have an obligation to strive to work to the best of your ability to reach your mission objectives along this path. Some days, optimism can be elusive. However, we as humans are capable of the most beautiful and significant acts of love and kindness toward each other. Many things in life will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart; pursue those things,” said Feustel.

Class of 2025 Emirati student Khalid Alzeyoudi, who majored in computer engineering, offered welcome remarks.

Class of 2025 student Pauline Wee spoke on behalf of the graduating class. Originally from the Philippines, Wee completed a double major in Computer Science and Business, Organizations, and Society with a minor in Interactive Media.

She said: “Four years ago, NYUAD chose you. And you chose NYUAD. Since then, so many people have chosen to nurture your mind, cultivate your character, and change your life. In turn, you have chosen to pour so much back into this community. Going forward, how will you choose to change the world beyond Saadiyat? What commitments will you make to those around you? What will you choose to put your head, your heart, and your hands towards? Only you can decide. But I have utmost faith that we will all continue to choose well."

From its inception, NYUAD has been one of the most selective higher education institutions in the world. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 35 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. Admitted from high schools around the world, NYUAD’s current student body consists of some 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds. To date, NYUAD has produced 24 Rhodes Scholars, 20 Schwarzman Scholars, and 16 Fulbright Scholars.

Approximately four percent of those who applied to be a part of the Class of 2025 were accepted for admission, and the standardized test profile of the Class of 2025 matched those of the most elite higher education institutions in the US.

During their four years, the Class of 2025 has excelled in both academic and extracurricular pursuits. It has participated in student clubs, athletic groups, and built ties with the Abu Dhabi community. Eighty two percent of the graduating class held at least one internship during their academic career in some of the world’s most respected organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Goldman Sachs, Google, National Geographic, Tiktok (ByteDance), UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, and World Economic Forum, among others.

Some have received graduate school offers from a range of institutions including Columbia University SIPA, Harvard University, Imperial College London, London Business School, and University of Oxford, among others.

Students have also secured offers of employment from key local and global organizations including Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Amazon, Department of Culture and Tourism, Meta, and World Food Programme, among others.

NYUAD opened in 2011 with an ambitious vision to be one of the world’s great research universities addressing complex challenges of local and global significance. Since then, the University has been ranked number one in the UAE for producing publications in top science journals based on Nature index, filed applications for more than 245 research patents, created and directed more than 630 creative works, and produced over 9,200 research publications, among other achievements.