An event was held in New York on Feb 26 to promote NYU Shanghai as a study away destination for NYU students. Hosted by Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman and Associate Dean of Students Adam Ebnit, the event featured a panel of NYU students who studied away in Shanghai sharing their perspectives and was followed by an alumni networking event.
A panel of speakers shared their experiences at NYU Shanghai, including NYU alumni Savannah Billman ’19, who now works for the National Committee on US-China Relations, and Jacko Walz ’17 NYU Law ’24, who went on to be a Schwarzman Scholar, completed a master’s degree from Tsinghua University and is now practicing law at White&Case LLP. Study away students Kensington Elwell NYU ’26 and Edoardo Gargiulois NYU ’26 also joined the panel, illustrating their stories with photos of their experiences in Shanghai during the Spring 2024 semester.
Billman spoke to the advantages of studying in Shanghai, describing the city as “truly a melting pot not only for cultures of the world but also for Chinese cultures. In Shanghai you can see not only how the world encounters China but how China encounters the world,” she said. She credited her NYU Shanghai education with helping her gain a global perspective. “NYU really excels by giving you the framework to turn your Shanghai experience into a better, deeper understanding of the world,” she said.
Walz said that the global experiences he had at NYU have had a long-lasting impact. “NYU makes it feel like the world has no borders,” he said. “It changes the way you see the world and how you see the US.” Advising current students, he added that the challenges of living in another culture translate to career skills. “Having China on your CV signals adaptability,” he said.
NYU students Kensington Elwell and Edoardo Gargiulois shared their favorite memories of their study away experience in Shanghai last spring. Both of them highlighted the opportunities for exploration outside of campus, saying that travel was easy and opportunities to interact with locals helped them feel immersed in the culture.
Gargiulois recalled taking advantage of opportunities to learn Chinese. “It is very easy to find yourself in a conversation with a cab driver or with someone at a bodega,” he said. “Chinese people really give you the opportunity to engage like that.”
Elwell fondly recalled traveling solo and being fascinated with the collision between the future and the past. “I could walk the same paths and philosophers walked on,” she said. “There was so much history and historical sites everywhere you looked.”
The two also addressed the academic and extracurricular opportunities at the NYU Shanghai campus, highlighting the advantages gained from smaller class sizes and volunteer activities like the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program.
Speaking after the event, Vice Chancellor Lehman said he was impressed with what the students took away from their NYU Shanghai experience. “It was just a spectacular event,” he said. “Kensi, Edoardo, Savanna, and Jacko spoke eloquently about their experiences in Shanghai, and they inspired real enthusiasm among the audience.”
The event was followed by a networking reception for students and alumni.