Eighteen-year-old Mukhlisa Mamatova is currently a first-year student at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus. She was awarded a $340,000 scholarship to cover her education costs. In an interview with Kun.uz, Mukhlisa spoke about the academic environment and the quality of education at the university.
Mukhlisa studied up to the 11th grade at School No. 166 in Tashkent region. In 2024, she was accepted into the Interactive Media program at NYU Abu Dhabi.
"Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about drawing and crafting things by hand. The field of interactive media aligns well with my interests, so I decided to pursue my education in this area. The program I’m studying now combines computer technologies and communication tools. It involves developing mobile applications, computer programs, games, websites, and multimedia products such as animations, logos, videos, AR, and VR," she explains.
Mukhlisa received a $340,000 grant from the university, which fully covers her four-year education and living expenses.
“The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, meals, and even the cost of two round trips to Uzbekistan each year. A specific amount is transferred to our food cards, which can only be used to buy meals. This system ensures students eat healthily and don’t spend the money on other things. Additionally, separate funding is provided for internships, exchange programs, conferences, sports competitions, and art festivals. Daily transport, textbooks, school supplies like laptops or tablets – these are all covered too,” she says.
Speaking about NYUAD’s academic system, Mukhlisa highlights the high caliber of professors and their teaching methods.
“The uiversity hires professors through a rigorous selection process. You can clearly sense their depth of knowledge even in casual conversations. They also hold ‘office hours’ outside of class, where students can meet individually to ask questions, exchange ideas, and seek advice on projects. This approach keeps students engaged and ensures they gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge. Many of the faculty are world-renowned scholars whose research is internationally recognized. This gives students the opportunity to explore topics deeply and think on a global level,” she notes.
