SPS Stories
Faculty Spotlight
Iman R. Abdulfattah
Adjunct Instructor
Academy of Lifelong Learning
An Adventure in Middle Eastern Art & Architecture
Fast Facts
- Leads cultural tours to the Middle East
- Art and architectural historian specializing in medieval Egypt and the Mediterranean
- Pursuing her PhD in Islamic Art and Archaeology
<p>For art and architectural historian Iman R. Abdulfattah, two highlights of teaching at the <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/join/continuing-education/academy-of-lifelong-learning.html?areaOfStudy=nyus%3Aarea-of-study-%28academy-of-lifelong-learning%29-only-for-all-landing-page&category=certificate%2Ccourses&studyOption=nyus%3Astudy-options%2Fonline%2Cnyus%3Astudy-options%2Fonsite%2Cnyus%3Astudy-options%2Fhybrid">NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL)</a> are its engaged student body and intimate class sizes that allow her to truly connect with students. Abdulfattah, a 1996 NYU grad who is pursuing her PhD in Islamic Art and Archaeology at Universität Bonn, loves to explore the importance of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s contributions to art and culture in her classroom.</p>
<p>As an ALL instructor, Abdulfattah savors the opportunity to create her own curriculum, which affords her the chance to connect with students on subjects that she is deeply passionate about. “The process of developing a syllabus and readings is very freeing; and this freedom translates well for me in the classroom,” Abdulfattah shares.</p>
<p>“There is a marked difference between teaching core curriculum classes to undergraduates [who] have requirements to meet and adult learners who are taking a class because they are cultivating their interests and curiosities,” she adds.</p>
I have found [Academy of Lifelong Learning] students to be very thoughtful, well-read and well-traveled, and I have benefited greatly from my exchanges with them.”
<p>For Abdulfattah, being able to connect with her students and share her expertise is an integral part of her role as a scholar and instructor. “The Middle East and North Africa is an important geographical and cultural part of the Mediterranean littoral,” she explains. “Learning about the history of Islamic art reveals its impact on, and relationship with, art and architecture elsewhere in Europe.”</p>
<p>The Academy of Lifelong Learning unites students of all ages and backgrounds with a shared passion for learning, while fostering critical thinking, social connections, and perspective-taking. <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/content/sps-nyu/join/continuing-education/academy-of-lifelong-learning.html?areaOfStudy=nyus%3Aarea-of-study-%28academy-of-lifelong-learning%29-only-for-all-landing-page&category=certificate%2Ccourses&studyOption=nyus%3Astudy-options%2Fonline%2Cnyus%3Astudy-options%2Fonsite%2Cnyus%3Astudy-options%2Fhybrid">Join our community and find the ALL course that’s right for you!</a></p>
