Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
At NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), the Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World is bringing together scholars from across the globe to conduct interdisciplinary research that explores the region's history, culture and connections with the wider world.
Principal Investigator Natalie Putz, an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Arab Crossroads Studies at NYUAD, oversees this competitive fellowship that has supported scholars from a broad array of disciplines - from anthropology to law, philosophy to art history, and beyond.
The fellowship invites between 2 and 10 scholars each year to Abu Dhabi, offering them the time, resources and intellectual environment to focus on their research without the distractions of teaching or administrative duties, Putz told Aletihad.
The programme, established over a decade ago, is highly sought after, attracting around 150 applicants annually, according to Putz.
Cultivating Interdisciplinary Conversations
Fellows are encouraged to draw connections across various academic fields, and their research often explores overlapping themes such as migration, race, ethnicity, cultural production and knowledge exchange.
One current fellow, Eli Dollarhide, is working on an archaeological dig in Oman, while another, Alexandra Schultz, is investigating the interplay between water and architecture in early 20th-century Egypt.
"One of the most exciting things is seeing the intellectual cross-pollination that happens here," said Putz. "For example, last year, half of our graduate student fellows were working on the politics of care, from vastly different perspectives."
The Global Humanities Network
The fellowship's impact extends beyond the confines of the NYUAD campus.
Through its annual Graduate Student Research Workshop, the programme connects the brightest graduate students from universities around the world, encouraging them to present and discuss their research with both their peers and established scholars.
"The workshop is a chance for scholars to mentor one another," said Putz. "Our junior fellows get to work with senior scholars, and vice versa. Everyone is both a mentor and a mentee."
Reviving the Humanities in a Tech-Centric World
In the age of artificial intelligence, there is growing concern that fields like history, literature and philosophy are becoming less relevant. Yet, Putz argues that the humanities, in fact, remain essential for understanding what it means to be human.
"In a world where technology is doing more and more of the work for us, what remains is what humans have always done: making sense of the world through storytelling, asking big questions about the universe and its origins, exploring questions of faith and creating art," she said. "Throughout history, humans have worked to interpret their surroundings and express their experiences. And that's why humanities remain essential.
One exciting development for the fellowship programme this year is the introduction of a new cohort of short-term visiting scholars.
These scholars will spend three weeks in Abu Dhabi, focusing on specific aspects of their research - be it a chapter of a book or an article - while also benefiting from the collaborative environment created by the fellowship.