Wow I’ve never been part of such a diverse group. There’s 54 of us, from 25 nationalities. It’s amazing, and what’s really special is it’s really west, east, north, south, it’s from all around the world, so I’ve really enjoyed learning about different cultures, how business is done in different cultures, and I think that really sets this program apart, because in Europe or the US, you don’t get such a diverse group of people.
I definitely think the word to describe it diverse, not just diverse by nationality, beliefs and so on, but I think it’s definitely been diverse at a deeper level. So you’ll have people that on paper you’d think should be quite similar yet everyone has something new to offer.
Because we’re such a small cohort and we’ve been able to interact with each other often we’ve definitely become closer to one another, and I do believe that the connections that we form here are ones that will last for a very long time.
This is my first time having friends from Korea, China, India, so to me that rich culture is very nice. We talk about so many things every day, I’m learning a lot from them and they are also open to understanding my own culture.
Listening to perspectives of doctors, engineers, physicists, it’s been very insightful for myself because I haven’t necessarily worked with people from those backgrounds before.
Our cohort is very supportive. Whenever I just drop any line in the group chat asking for a city walk or any activity there’s always people tagging along so I just like the feeling that there’s always someone there for me for anything.
Out of the class a lot of us in the cohort really hang out, you know we go to restaurants, play some games, we went to some Broadway shows we’d be travelling during the long weekends exploring different parts of the country and I think that’s something that’s very interesting because it kind of gives us that room to not purely focus on the studying, which of course a big chunk of what we do anyway, but also also focusing on really broadening your own cultural knowledge and experience and just enjoying yourself as well.
Spending 16 hours a day with friends is something I haven’t done since I was 21 years old and so those relationships, those bonds that I already know – just 5 months into the program – will last forever are memories and elements that I will cherish the most.
Speakers
Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi One-year Full-time MBA students: Katarina Hlavata, Abdallah Abdelhamid, Situ-Coralie Amega, Layla Almulla, Maiqi Zuo, and Neel Vohra.
In this video
In this video, students from the Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi One-year Full-time MBA Class of 2025 share what it’s like to learn alongside 54 classmates representing 25 nationalities, and why the diversity goes beyond passports. From different cultures and beliefs to a wide range of professional backgrounds, the cohort experience shapes how students think about business, expands perspectives, and creates friendships and networks built to last.
