Tatyana Brown, 21, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure the Truman Scholarship in the past eight years. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
Tatyana Brown, 21, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure the Truman Scholarship in the past eight years. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
Tatyana Brown, 21, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure the Truman Scholarship in the past eight years. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
Tatyana Brown, 21, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure the Truman Scholarship in the past eight years. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi

New York University Abu Dhabi student wins top US scholarship worth $30,000


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

An undergraduate student at New York University Abu Dhabi has won the prestigious Harry S Truman Scholarship worth $30,000.

Tatyana Brown, 21, who studies social research and public policy, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure this scholarship in the past eight years.

The African-American is one of the 62 students from 51 institutions who have been selected as 2021 Truman Scholars.

The Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive and prestigious grant for college juniors who have outstanding leadership potential and wish to pursue careers in public service.

I want to study black feminism, read poetry and history about black women and marginalised people

Ms Brown worked on her application for a year and was one of the 845 candidates nominated by 328 higher education institutions across the world.

The scholarship will help Ms Brown to pursue her master’s in African studies, gender studies, or social work in the US or the UK.

“I feel really supported and that’s a great feeling," Ms Brown said.

“In my life, black women and gender-marginalised people have looked out for me, and I want to pay that forward.

“I want to attend graduate school and study black feminism, read poetry and history about black women and marginalised people.

“Through the scholarship, I will have access to a network of scholars.

"It is a chance for me to meet people who have been doing different kinds of work."

Ms Brown will get the chance to be a part of the Truman Scholars Leadership Week where she can listen to talks and engage in challenges with fellow scholars.

She aims to intern with the Washington Summer Institute that is organised by the Truman Foundation. She also plans to join a black feminist non-profit to work on improving the lives of black mothers and caregivers.

Ms Brown moved to the UAE from the US when she was 18, and has since been involved and led numerous initiatives in the UAE.

She cofounded Aziza, a community network for black women in Abu Dhabi, that aims to empower, inform and connect them.

The group organised iftars and cookouts where people could meet, play games, and get to know each other.

“When I was growing up, I would always ask myself, why is it that some people are deserving of housing and security, and others are not?" she said.

"These women were the most vulnerable to systemic injustice and harm."

The student wishes to work on subjects such as race, gender, and mutual aid projects.

In mutual aid systems, people work together to help each other. They are different from charities, which form a one-way relationship between an organisation or philanthropist and the recipients.

"I feel like coming to Abu Dhabi has taught me a lot of what global solidarity can look like," Ms Brown said.

Former US president Harry S Truman wanted to support public service champions and promote youth leaders.

After his death, his friends and family set up the The Truman Foundation which awards the Truman Scholarship to students.

Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counselling, special internship and fellowship opportunities within the US federal government or in community serving organisations.

Ms Brown's ambition is to use her travels to connect various mutual aid organisations in the world and build a global network to uplift black women and gender marginalised people.

She wishes to use art, healing, and people-powered projects to inspire global political consciousness.

Top universities in the world - in pictures

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast