NYUAD Institute

Obtaining accurate and current information from conflict zones has long posed numerous challenges for global media. The rise of generative AI and its use in targeted disinformation campaigns presents many new challenges that threaten to undermine the credibility of reporting and sway opinion. In this panel, four distinguished panelists will consider the problems posed by disinformation and generative AI from various perspectives, focusing in particular on the current research about the role of disinformation in today's rapidly changing media landscape. Panel Members Donald Jensen, Senior Advisor for Russia and Europe, US Institute of Peace Joshua Tucker, Professor of Politics, Director Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, NYU Moderated by Leonid Peisakhin, Associate Professor of Political Science, NYUAD

This talk highlights the advanced use of sensing systems that collect continuous data from wearable devices, such as location trackers and voice-activated recorders, to deepen our understanding of human behavior and development. The speaker will explain behavioral imaging, which involves creating a dynamic multimodal representation of behavioral data over time. The focus will be on a specific sensing system and its application in two key studies in preschool environments. The first study investigates classroom social networks and the dynamics of children within these networks, while the second evaluates the effects of an intervention aimed at reducing social isolation in young children by altering network configurations. Speaker Laura Justice, EHE Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology and Executive Director of the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Ohio State University

Kicking off a week-long New York City residency by Kuwaiti music ensemble Boom.Diwan, this panel explores the history and intercultural dynamics of musical cultures in the Arabian Gulf and Africa’s Swahili Coast. Based in mercantile trade and cultural exchange dating back many centuries, the music of the Gulf and Western Indian Ocean have developed uniquely rich and cosmopolitan song forms and styles infrequently explored and heard in the West. The panel discusses their ongoing research on this musical nexus and offers musical demonstrations. Panel Members Ghazi Faisal al-Mulaifi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, NYUAD Andrew Eisenberg, Program Head and Associate Professor of Music, NYUAD Moderated by Jonathan H. Shannon, Professor of Anthropology, Hunter College and Graduate Center, CUNY; Faculty Director, J-Term Curriculum, Office of Global Education, NYUAD

This talk navigates the complex waters of ethical understanding, guided by insights from the author of The New York Times Sunday Magazine's The Ethicist column. Professor Appiah examines how social identities, including race, gender, sexuality, and religion, intersect with and inform our ethical choices, and describes our identities as a social possession, one that we make together with others. Speaker Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy and Law, NYU

The roles of mothers across the public/private divide have long been contested and negotiated. How have women leveraged their identities as mothers to assert change in the public sphere? Beyond their achievements, what are the costs borne from these sacrifices? How has motherhood been instrumentalized or weaponized, and whose motherhood counts and whose is discounted? This talk will bring together three speakers to discuss the ways mothers assert agency in public domains and discourses. Their research and experiences - focusing on Argentina, Bangladesh and Egypt - provide insight from across geographies of the Global South on past and present, cross-generational, women’s experiences with public work. This talk is part of On Motherhood and its Shadows, an NYUAD Arts & Humanities Research Kitchens Initiative Panel Members Dina M. Siddiqi, Clinical Associate Professor, Global Liberal Studies, NYU Maria Adela Antokoletz, President of International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) Mona Anis, Writer, Editor, and Translator Moderated by Zaynab El Bernoussi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Research and Public Policy, NYUAD

In this talk, Dr. Sarmast, Founder and Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), shares the inspiring journey of ANIM—a remarkable institution that has overcome adversity to emerge as a national and global symbol of hope, resilience, and artistic freedom. The presentation explores how ANIM—known as Afghanistan’s happiest place— plays a critical role in preserving the nation’s rich musical heritage, while offering a platform for all young Afghans to find their voices and develop their musical abilities. The narrative illustrates the unbreakable spirit of human creativity and music's transformative power in overcoming difficult circumstances by highlighting ANIM's role in advocating for music rights, while also fostering excellence, empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding. ANIM's story is an inspiring example of resilience and unity through the arts. Brought to you by Mubadala and Part of RIWAQ AL FIKR ADMAF Talks Speaker Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast, Founder and Director, Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM); UNESCO’s Second Annual Cultural Heritage Rescue Prize; International Music Council Musical Rights Award; David Chow Humanitarian Award Moderated by Gwyneth Bravo, Assistant Professor of Music, NYUAD; Global Global Network Assistant Professor of Music, NYU

In this talk, the speaker discusses the often overlooked significance of territory—the geographical domain of the modern state—in political theory, political science, international law, and international relations. While traditional discussions emphasize the rights and duties between states and citizens, the concept of territory remains underexplored. Many global conflicts revolve around territorial disputes, including issues of borders, belonging, secession, and annexation. This talk aims to explore the fundamental questions surrounding territory, evaluate existing territorial theories and their shortcomings, and consider the legitimacy of claims over territory. Speaker Margaret Moore, Professor of Political Studies and Philosophy, Queen's University

Explore the captivating realm of Shehan Karunatilaka’s fiction, which masterfully intertwines the surreal and humorously dark. "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida" is noted as “an afterlife noir” that reflects Sri Lanka’s tumultuous history through a unique lens. In this session, Shehan will share excerpts from his work and discuss his artistic craft, inspiration, and the nuances of addressing conflict and contested memories in writing. Drawing influence from global literary icons like Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwood, Shehan's writing effortlessly connects local experiences to a worldwide audience. Speaker Shehan Karunatilaka, 2022 Booker Prize Winner, Author of 'The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' (WW Norton & Co, 2022) In conversation with Harshana Rambukwella, Visiting Professor of Literature and Creative Writing, NYUAD

In celebration of UAE National Day, this talk offers an overview of the origins and evolution of Emirati cuisine as an expression of Emirati culture and history. Emirati foodways have grown in tandem with the development of the region within the contexts of trade across the Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean regions. The rise of an Emirati cuisine parallels the remarkable transformation of the UAE into a global leader in technology and culture, as well as in the transition to a more sustainable and secure future. Speaker Jonathan H. Shannon, Professor of Anthropology, Hunter College and Graduate Center, CUNY; Faculty Director, J-Term Curriculum, Office of Global Education, NYUAD

Climate change is increasingly apparent to the general public through increasing heat waves, intense rainfall, flooding events, and sea level rise. However, while there have been great increases in climate model skill in the last decade across a swathe of important areas, there are still persistent biases and common assumptions that limit their utility at local or regional scales despite the growing demand for such information. This talk discusses the paths forward to increase climate model utility and the observational gaps and theoretical limits that will modulate any future progress, and considers whether observations may be outpacing the predictions. Speaker Gavin Schmidt, Author, "Climate Change: Picturing the Science" (W.W. Norton, 2009); Fellow, American Geophysical Union (AGU) and American Association for the Advancement of Science