My Background

Hello! My name is Mehreen, and I’m from Lahore (one of the liveliest cities in Pakistan). I’ve lived in Pakistan my whole life, so I was always keen on gaining multicultural experience and travelling the world. I was attending junior year at Lahore Grammar School for Senior Girls, which is an international curriculum school, at the time of application.

Finding out about Design Lab

This is a story I love to tell! While almost everyone I met during the program was recommended by their counsellors or found out about the program through teachers and peers, I found out about it while cleaning out my email’s spam folder. I’d always been interested in NYUAD and had signed up for their newsletter a while back, and stumbled upon the invitation to apply while I was going through my emails. The name of the program, “Being Hum(ai)n: Humanity in the Age of AI,” immediately grabbed my attention as I’m a STEM enthusiast through and through, and when I found out that all costs were covered for the candidates selected, I was sold!

The Application Process

The application was free, simple, and far less extensive than other summer programs I’ve come across. Even so, I spent a reasonable amount of time on the 2 essays (250 words each) required: one regarding AI’s involvement in your everyday life and the other about the diverse environment NYU fosters. I was very real and genuine with my essays (no fancy language, no bragging, etc), and speaking your mind is exactly what they encourage. Moreover, we were asked to pick one aspect of the program we were most interested in between STEM, humanities, art, and social sciences.

They required a few documents besides the two essays and personal information to process your application, including:

• A valid passport and national identification (the university arranges your e-Visa)
• Your latest high school transcript
• Proof of English proficiency (either through IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo or SAT scores)

While it’s not necessary to have a good SAT score or an excellent transcript, I think mine made my application stronger. Again, as long as you’re transparent and show them who you truly are and what you aspire to be, you’ll stand out to them!

NYU Abu Dhabi Design Lab

As soon as I landed for the 4-day program, I started meeting people from different countries on the way from the airport to campus. There were 50 participants from all over the world. The first day was filled with people arriving on campus and participating in various excursion activities around Abu Dhabi. We were divided into teams before the program started based on the academic areas we picked, so that each team would have people interested in all areas. Each team was assigned a problem and was required to present its solution within four days of the program's start. My team consisted of six other members from the UAE, the USA, Ethiopia, and Uzbekistan. On our second and third days, we took tours around campus for activities. We visited the Applied Interactive Multimedia Laboratory, the Engineering Design Studio (my favourite part of campus), the library (for a quick seminar about research sources), and the Experimental Research Building, where we interacted with current PhD students and tested their projects. We also participated in an art activity at the Arts Centre, using parts from old printers (I made a robot car if you’re wondering) before learning about the use of AI in the college admissions process. I even learned how to nail an elevator pitch during a lecture by an NYU alumnus. Professor Matthew Karau, our instructor, pushed us to think beyond conventional boundaries. During the program, I learned how all aspects of STEM, social sciences, arts, and humanities require knowledge of the ethical use of AI and the human mind.

Epilogue

My team was undoubtedly the best part of the program. We learned a lot about each other in just four days and even collaborated on an independent project to help students plan their high school journey. I met countless inspiring people during my time at NYUAD: the participants, the program staff, and professors. I got to experience the multicultural environment I always wanted to. From living in a dorm with a roommate from across the globe to looking at the beautiful sunset in Abu Dhabi, Design Lab gave me lasting memories and the courage to keep exploring.

(pictures provided in drive; the filename is the caption)