High School Academy (HSAD-NI)

The Internet has drastically changed the way people live, work, and communicate with one another. Consequently, web development has become a fundamental skill complementary to multiple disciplines. This intensive course will introduce students to both graphic design and basic front-end coding, providing a solid web development foundation to design, build, and maintain a simple web site. Students will gain fluency in essential web languages and development approaches by building responsive pages and acquiring basic knowledge to create a web-based phone application. Throughout the course, design principles will be explored utilizing HTML and CSS structures and will be based on consideration of typography, images, audio, and video. No programming or computer science background is necessary. Students of this intensive one week course will produce as a final project an interactive website of the topic of their choice; they will leave prepared for more advanced web design and development studies.

It is often said that the relation between China and the US is an important key to 21st century global developments. In China, students learn English from an early age and engage with U.S. culture through movies and television. They are well suited to participate, and be bridges, in the 21st century dialog between the countries. At the same time, differences between the countries in history, culture, and political and economic systems mean that many of the common English terms that are key to the dialog may have different meanings in the two countries. This course will try to equip students to participate in the dialog by focusing on, and learning how to discuss, some key terms and concepts that are core to the dialog—for example, the idea of the American and Chinese dreams, ideas of history and progress, the role of religious and Confucian tradition in modern life, and the idea of citizenship in each country.

Whether you’ve not yet committed pen to paper, or have already scrunched up a forest’s worth of it, this introductory course to writing fiction will give you a foretaste of a craft as old as communication and the fires that kept the wolves away. Join others who share your interest in writing as you create fiction that holds the reader with words more efficient and more beautiful than everyday English. Constructing character, plot and setting, driving the narrative forward and at what pace—whether in anecdotes, short stories, novellas or novels, whether in the past, present or future—are all part of this course. So, too, are writing action, describing people and their world, and putting thoughts and feelings into compelling prose. With all these elements and more, students will write their own short stories under close supervision of the instructor and in a supportive community of young writers.

Over the past 20 years, local and global economies have become increasingly interconnected through complex financial systems. Any student who aspires to be successful in business must understand how these financial systems work and impact one another. This course will provide you with an introduction to finance needed when leading a company in Shanghai in local commerce or global commerce. The course will start with the local Shanghai economy and then expand to the global economy to cover some of the most salient topics in finance: international finance; international monetary systems; global markets; international trade; business strategy; global business ethics; and entrepreneurship. The NYU Finance course will equip you with the tools to embark on an exciting academic and professional pathway in business.

Fashion design is more than an interest; it’s a passion. This course presents a wide array of inspiring hands-on activities and workshops designed to be your opening into a variety of dynamic fashion careers. Whether you want to make your mark as a designer or fashion stylist, or be the creative force behind buying and selling the latest designs for retail stores, Fashion Beyond Borders is for you. This course will ultimately be the training ground of creative warriors where an experienced instructor will help you elevate your talents and develop the savvy business skills you need to thrive in a variety of fields within the fashion industry. You will learn through an exciting combination of visual power point lectures, creative group assignments, and on-site fashion activities.

Studying the past teaches students to be critical thinkers and, by applying these same approaches to the present, can help them have a better understanding of their current world. In addition, the methods of history teach students how to gather data, muster arguments, and organize their thoughts so that they can present them in a coherent argument either written or oral. A history course, therefore, is excellent preparation for entrance exams, college coursework, and any profession which requires the ability to read, write, and present oral arguments. This course looks at American history with a focus on freedom and how the definition of the concept and the application of its principles has modulated throughout the last 400 years. Case studies will cover significant events in the American experience with freedom and introduce how an historian approaches her craft, gathers her evidence, and presents her arguments. Students will gain practical experience with reading and writing through developing their own presentations of case studies.

Many problems in business and life are too big for one person to solve. Capacity to identify problems and to create solutions that others value is a skill possessed by leading entrepreneurs, who have built companies like Facebook, Apple, and Tom's Shoes, among others. Often, solving these problems would benefit society, while also being profitable, engaging, emotionally rewarding, and socially valued. Entrepreneurial Problem Solving will develop your ability to identify such problems, to solve them, and to market the solutions to the world. Some people say you cannot learn how to become an entrepreneur and that these skills are inborn in only a select few. This course aims to prove that everyone can learn how to find solutions to problems that may ultimately develop into successful businesses, which can create change in our world. The course will build upon exercises and projects connected to participants' lives. You will learn skills and perspectives that apply broadly—beyond just starting ventures—so that you can apply what you learn in many areas of your life. This course is social and interactive in nature.

From low-budget, independent features to major Hollywood productions, an increasing number of movies are being shot digitally. If you have an interest in a career in filmmaking, this program introduces you to the essential skills in digital filmmaking. This weeklong exposure will allow you to gain a thorough understanding of the technical aspects of this digital art form including lens usage, light metering techniques, blocking, and professional conventions. You will work in small production crews and share rotating responsibility, learning about writing, producing, storyboarding, cinematography, audio recording, and editing. In addition, you will explore how to develop creative concepts and how to capture them digitally--from the first shoot to the final edit. Morning and afternoon sessions provide hands-on instruction, which will conclude in a showcase screening of your final film. You will shoot outdoors at local venues in Shanghai.

In this course, high school students will gain a deep understanding of the practice of marketing, both as its own business as its role in an integrated communication environment. Through classroom lectures and discussions, site visits and experienced industry guest speakers, as well as the execution and presentation of multi-faceted team and individual projects, the course will define the parameters and possibilities within the field of integrated marketing. Students will have the opportunity to analyze how integrated marketing relates to relevant industry practices and how it continues to evolve and support overall communication functions within a business. The course will also cover current trends in marketing, successful marketing strategies, and career paths for students who want to pursue jobs in the marketing industry.

This course provides an introduction to several areas of applied psychology by developing an understanding of the brain, as well as how we think, learn, and behave in interaction with our environment. Students will gain an introductory understanding of psychological concepts, applications, and potential future areas of study and practice, including counseling, sports, health, education, developmental, and workforce psychology. Students will also gain a broad understanding of cognition and behavior, development, self-growth and relationships, motivation and learning, behavioral health, and counseling. Students will apply information learned to current events and discoveries for further understanding of core concepts studied and to selected areas of application. Course activities and project work will also support the student’s development of written and presentation skills, online research skills, critical thinking and analysis.

In this course, students will gain an awareness and understanding of domestic and foreign sports industry eco-systems, as well as the interactive relationships among key industry players—international federations (FIFA, FIBA, etc.), sports leagues (EPL, NBA, NFL, CSL, etc.), sports associations (USTA, CFA, etc.), sports bureaus, sports clubs (Bayern Munich FC, Evergrande Taobao FC, etc.), sports media (ESPN, CCTV-5, Tencent, Facebook, etc.), sports agencies (CAA, Live Nation, WME | IMG, etc.), and bloggers and fans. From macro to micro, students will delve into some of the emerging and evolving areas of sports business, including analytics, social media strategy, digital technology, and revenue-based facility design, among others. After completing the course, students will be able to 1) recognize the idiosyncratic nature of sports; 2) differentiate between domestic and international sport practices, leadership styles, and business operations; c) identify fundamental sports business concepts, issues, terminology, and transformative trends like globalization, analytics, and digital disruption; and d) better understand various career pathways within the world of sports.

In the current landscape of fashion and clothing manufacture, ecologically-sustainable approaches to making garments has become a viable business as well as an effective strategy to lowering the impact of waste on our planet. Designers and manufacturers are developing kinder practices through recycling and upcycling. Small-scale designers are transforming materials such as discarded jeans, yarn, and even electronics to create useful and beautiful bags, clothing, accessories, and household items. Both large fashion houses and independent designers are using cloth made from recycled plastic bottles. Objects made from recycled materials are cost-effective – the actual costs for such manufacturer are comparable to making items from new materials and the hidden costs (use of water, electricity, and petroleum) are far lower. This course will impart design and hand-making skills (such as drawing, sewing and on-site recycling of plastic) as well as introduce students to the much-needed manufacturing alternatives. Students will complete one clothing and/or one accessory item by the end of the course.

The fashion and luxury goods industry, including clothes and accessories, is a global business generating 2 trillion US dollars per year, and is an important economic driver for countries around the world. Fashion is also a means of individual and cultural expression, and is a platform for creativity and design. This course will examine this industry from different points of view to help students understand how it works, and to consider the future of fashion. We will look at the value chain of a fashion product, from design to production to sale to the final customer. We will examine different distribution channels, including retail and e-commerce, and will look at the ways that fashion brands communicate to their customers. We will also explore how fashion and luxury brands create and reinforce their individual identity, engaging clients with storytelling.

From multi-million dollar award shows, sporting events, product launches, and festivals, to fundraisers, holiday parties, and weddings, all events share one thing in common – they bring people together and create memorable experiences. There is no better career than event management and no better place to study events than Shanghai, an epicenter of business, leisure and entertainment, and one of the most popular destinations in the world. This course will present an overview of the event planning process, and the role of event manager in helping clients and organizations achieve their goals with measurable results. We will also give you a peek into the career path of a special event manager and help you understand what it takes to have a successful career. At the end of this course, students will create a proposal for a potential client, and will include the following elements: budget, location, agenda, vendors, decor, theme, etc.

Shanghai has more than 100,000 restaurants, from small family businesses to major chains, offering traditonal and modern cuisine, Chinese and international menus, from simple family-style to high-end dining. Having such a large variety of food and beverage businesses in NYU Shanghai’s backyard provides a great opportunity for students to experience the diversity of restaurant types. If you are interested in restaurant ownership or a career in restaurant management, this program allows you to go behind the scenes of some of the city’s many restaurants. You’ll learn how chefs, owners, and investors have achieved success in one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the world. Class lectures will cover concept development, marketing, restaurant operations, and financial management. Through site visits and guest lectures, you will learn about the many career paths available in this growing industry, from management and operations to investment, consulting, and development.

In 2014, consumers spent more than $21 Billion dollars on video games worldwide. Video games, an integral part of our culture, are created by some of the most innovative minds in the technology sector. This intensive game-design course gives students both a conceptual understanding of game design and practical experience in the design and development of games. While much of the commercial gaming industry is exclusively focused on entertainment, game creation and play can also serve as a powerful vehicle for learning, exploration, and collaboration. During this game-creation intensive, students work in collaboration to study, design, and create interactive digital games. Upon conclusion of the intensive, students will have a range of skills sought after by the games industry for roles including game design, game production and game analysis, as well as transferable skills relevant to broader fields. No programming or computer science background is necessary. Students leave the intensive with a functioning game containing their own artwork, playable on the web, a computer, or a mobile device. Develop your passion for games while learning valuable skills in self-organization, creative development, and programming.

In 2014, consumers spent more than $21 billion on video games worldwide. Video games, an integral part of our culture, are created by some of the most innovative minds in the technology sector. Creative coding is a type of programming in which the goal is to create something both expressive and functional. It is used to create visual art and design, sound art, projections, installations, entertainment products such as games! This intensive game design and programming course gives students both a conceptual understanding of game design and practical experience of using creative coding methods in the development of games. While much of the commercial gaming industry is exclusively focused on entertainment, game creation and play can also serve as a powerful vehicle for learning, exploration, and collaboration. During this course, students work in collaboration to study, design, and create interactive digital games. No programming or computer science background is necessary. Students leave the course with a functioning game containing their ideas, artwork, playable experiences, on a computer or a mobile device. And more importantly, develop their passion for games while learning valuable skills in self-organization, creative development, and programming.

The tourism industry has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of our newfound ability to share thoughts and experiences through photos, messages, and blog posts. These “user generated” activities provide the opportunity to engage audiences through integrated marketing, mobile messaging, and other social media platforms. This course explores the exciting world of tourism marketing, and examines how companies leverage the internet and social media to educate potential customers about their products as well as how they provide authentic ways to interact in both the online and offline worlds. Through case studies, guest speakers, and site visits, students learn about what makes a successful campaign and the tools and techniques that companies employ to generate interest and a loyal following. Particular attention will be spent looking at applications such as WeChat, Sina Weibo, and QQ in China, as well as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others around the world as catalysts that help drive engagement and purchasing decisions.

Computer Programming, commonly referred to as coding, is the process of designing and building an executable computer program for a specific task. A program usually consists of a group of logical, mathematical, systematic and managed functions. And the purpose of programming/coding is to find and implement a sequence of instructions in an automatic way so to solve the given problem and perform the solution automatically with computers. Programming is important as to automate, manage, calculate, analyze, understand and process data and information in the digital age. It helps computer and mobile users communicate with and utilize machines in everyday life. Creative coding is a type of programming in which the goal is to create something expressive instead of something functional. It is used to create (live) visual art and design, entertainment, art installations, projections, sound art, advertising, product prototypes, and much more. Creative computing enhances creators in this digital, even artificial intelligence era with powerful new tools to better utilize computer technology to explore and create a brighter future world. In this class, students will learn to code, more specifically creative coding from scratch and to apply programming knowledge to create arts and design. No previous programming knowledge is required.

This introductory course will discuss the ways in which non-profit initiatives can contribute to public goods. Students will learn the definition and variation of public goods in different country contexts, with special emphasis on issues about education equality, environmental protection, and poverty relief. The course will introduce nonprofit initiatives including volunteer programs, professional social work services, social enterprise and entrepreneurship, and grassroots charity and foundation work. Through case studies, students will get orientations about different countries’ experiences addressing their public needs and social issues, and students can also reflect upon their own engagements with volunteer activities and aspirations for positive social changes.

Over the last fifteen years, China’s arts sector has grown remarkably and its art market is now the world’s second largest. New cultural institutions have emerged in tandem with said growth and raised interesting questions about the role and forms that museums and exhibitions can take in the twenty-first century. In this class, students will immerse themselves in a topic and create an in-depth exhibition proposal around it. In the process, they will understand some of the research, writing, visual and practical considerations that go into planning and staging museum and gallery shows. Students will also think about the importance of audience engagement and consider how to anticipate, activate and assess this important element in their exhibition planning. Visits to Shanghai museums and galleries and discussions with gallery owners will help students gain real-world insights into the challenges and opportunities in this sector. Applicable to fields beyond the visual arts, this class will help students synthesize visual and written information and imagine immersive spaces designed to stimulate and excite audiences.

Shakespeare wrote that “brevity is the soul of wit,” and few literary genres exemplify this sentiment as well as the short story. This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the elements of the short story in 20th and 21st-century literature. Join others who share your interest in fiction as you investigate literary snapshots that provide you with “the big picture” of modern life. Understand how authors use plot, character, setting, point of view to create a fictional world in which to assert themselves emotionally, artistically, and socially. Students will use these elements and more to identify literary developments, major writers, themes and issues in the short story genre; analyze and “close read” texts; and be able apply their knowledge to forms of literary expression beyond the short story.

Epidemics are not new, but the way individual countries and international organizations go about preventing epidemics and controlling outbreaks when they occur is constantly evolving. The course is designed to be hands-on and uses a case study of a disease outbreak to explore how technological, social, economic, and political circumstances shape infection control around the globe.

The amount of data human beings generate every day is unbelievably large. Many of these data are about our health – blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, body mass index, and stress, and brain activity. Equipped with such amount of health data and advances in computer science, scientists now are able to manage and process a high volume of data efficiently and further make data talk to solve real-world health issues. Data science is revolutionizing the healthcare industry and has been applied almost everywhere in health and biomedical research, including but not limited to drug discovery, health monitoring, disease diagnostics and management, and precision medicine. Students will learn how to apply rudimentary and intermediate methods in machine learning, data mining, and statistics for solving health problems. The highly innovative course will equip students with the tools and abilities needed to embark on an exciting academic and professional pathway to health and biomedical sciences. No statistics, programming, or computer science background is necessary.

Often when we think of Theater, we think of acting, directing, costumes, audio, and stage sets as all discrete elements. In fact, Theater is one of the most interdisciplinary art forms we have to express ourselves. In order to fully understand Theater, one needs to incorporate knowledge of all these elements, their relationships to one another and allow collaboration between individuals and their crafts to create one work of art. Students will develop an expansive understanding of Theater and other interdisciplinary forms (such as Opera and Performance Art). In this course, students will explore what it means to make Theater, through the lens of one play and its various incarnations. Using this play, students will explore the interdisciplinary form and how the particular play is transformed, contemporized, re-situated and why. Based on a series of workshops in acting, directing, audio recording, and designing costumes and sets on paper, students will create their own small-scale performance production.

From individual decisions to shopping to markets and the wealth of nations, this class will investigate economic ideas using games, experiments, data analysis, and math, all while trying to answer for ourselves "How do people choose?"

For students who are planning to apply to college in the U.S., or considering this option, this two-week course will provide them with a foundational understanding of American higher education. Students will explore various types of post-secondary institutions to help identify colleges and majors that fit their interests and objectives. They will explore the different components of the college application process, learn about student-driven processes such as course selection and declaring the major, and practice techniques for effective interviewing and essay writing. Looking ahead to American college life, students will exercise critical thinking skills, acquire some core principles of academic writing and research, and improve presentation skills, all of which will help them achieve success during their university studies. Finally, there will be discussion about professional goal setting, requiring students to create an individual action plan to lead them from high school through university and into the workplace.