A Conversation in Memory of Hilary Ballon: The founding of NYU Abu Dhabi

October 8, 2017 In 2007 an agreement was reached between the leadership of New York University and the government of Abu Dhabi to create a cutting edge university that would combine the strengths of Abu Dhabi and NYU. This challenge provided the opportunity to revisit and reevaluate the meaning of a liberal arts institution of higher education in the 21st century, with a truly global character and research and excellent undergraduate education at its heart. Deputy Vice Chancellor Hilary Ballon, who died at the age of 61 in June 2017, was one of the small group of gifted visionaries who drove the project from its outset, conceiving what soon became NYU Abu Dhabi: a uniquely integrated institution, in its architecture, its innovative undergraduate curriculum, and in its key role as a global hub with students and faculty from every continent. Mariët Westermann Executive Vice President for Programs and Research, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation John Sexton President Emeritus; Benjamin F. Butler Professor of Law, NYU