NYU Shanghai to Host Students from NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi in Shanghai This Fall

NYU Shanghai will welcome some 2,300 Chinese undergraduates and 800 graduate students from NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi for the fall semester. These students will join some 1,700 NYU Shanghai students already registered for the fall term in Shanghai.

Under the NYU Global Network’s "Go Local" plan developed in response to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, students from NYU’s three portal campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, may apply to study at an NYU location that is open and closer to their homes. As part of “Go Local,” NYU Shanghai will host students who are currently in China and are unable or prefer not to travel to their home campuses this fall. Some international students from NYU Shanghai will also attend classes in NYU locations outside of China and closer to their homes. 

“In these uncertain times, NYU Shanghai is proud to be able to offer students from our sister campuses in New York and Abu Dhabi this opportunity to attend live classes in Shanghai. And we are grateful for the support for this project from all relevant sides, especially from the Shanghai government,” said Chancellor Tong Shijun. 

Since the additional 3,100 students will exceed the capacity of NYU Shanghai’s Academic Building on Century Avenue, NYU Shanghai has leased and will convert nearly 7,000 square meters of WeWork office space within walking and commuting distance of the campus into classrooms, lecture halls, and other academic facilities for students. At the temporary campus the same rigorous safety measures that have been implemented in the Academic Building since the university reopened in April will be strictly followed, including body temperature scanners, hand sanitizers, and alternate seating.

Some 75 faculty from NYU and other universities will join a portion of the NYU Shanghai faculty in leading nearly 200 courses for undergraduates and another 40 for graduate students at the temporary campus. “Go Local” students might also cross-register for traditional NYU Shanghai courses provided there is room for additional students.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has largely been brought under control in Shanghai, the majority of the classes taught at both the NYU Shanghai temporary campus and the Academic Building on Century Avenue will be taught in person. However, “Go Local” students will also be allowed to take online classes offered by their home campuses. Classes at the temporary campus might also be offered in online or “mixed mode” format powered by technologies in the NYU Shanghai Digital Toolkit so that students who cannot come to the Shanghai campus might also participate in these classes. 

“All of us at NYU Shanghai are looking forward to welcoming these visitors into our community this fall,” said Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman. “These are challenging times, and it is gratifying to know that our university can continue to promote healthy bridges between China and the rest of the world while we await the restoration of more normal opportunities to travel across national borders.”

NYU Shanghai is the home campus for approximately 1,700 undergraduates, 49 percent of whom are international students, and 210 graduate students. Because the Chinese border has remained closed to most non-citizens since March 28 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the majority of NYU Shanghai international students remain in their home countries. The university is currently working to secure permission for these students, beginning with first-year students, to come to China for the fall semester, in accordance with the infection prevention and control regulations of the city of Shanghai.