New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is hiring an Associate Professor or Professor of Economics with tenure. The NYU Abu Dhabi professor of economics job sits in the Economics Program of the Division of Social Science, carries a standard load of three courses a year, and starts on 1 September 2027 or 1 September 2028, subject to final budget approval. The listing on Times Higher Education Unijobs closes on 27 November 2026, but NYUAD reviews applications on a rolling basis until the post is filled, so an early application is the safer one.
You need a PhD in Economics and a substantial publication record in strong refereed journals. The advert gives strong preference to senior candidates and welcomes research in any field of economics. No salary is published. What NYUAD does describe is the package around it: research start-up and ongoing funds, housing and children’s education subsidies, a relocation allowance and support for dual-career families. Below is what the advert asks for, how to put the Interfolio application together, and how this post compares with similar senior economics and social science jobs open right now.
NYU Abu Dhabi professor of economics job at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Job title | Associate Professor or Professor of Economics, Tenured |
| Employer | New York University Abu Dhabi, Division of Social Science (Economics Program) |
| Location | Saadiyat Island campus, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Rank | Associate Professor or Full Professor; strong preference for senior candidates |
| Field | Any area of economics with an active research agenda |
| Teaching load | Three courses per year |
| Start date | 1 September 2027 or 1 September 2028, subject to final budget approval |
| Contract shown on THE | Full time; THE labels it “fixed term” although the title says tenured |
| Salary | Not stated |
| Benefits named | Research start-up and ongoing funds, housing subsidy, children’s education subsidy, relocation allowance, health and wellness services, dual-career support |
| How to apply | Online through Interfolio, via the “Apply” link on the THE listing |
| Deadline | 27 November 2026 on the THE listing; rolling review until filled |
| Questions | nyuad.academicrecruitment@nyu.edu |
Two small inconsistencies in the advert are worth knowing about. The THE listing records the contract as fixed term even though the job title says tenured, and one sentence refers to the “academic year 2027-2026”, which looks like a typo for 2027 to 2028. Treat the stated start dates (September 2027 or September 2028) as the reliable part, and ask the recruitment team if your plans depend on the exact terms of tenure.
What the role involves
This is a research-led senior post. NYUAD is recruiting people who already have a strong standing in economics and who will keep publishing at that level. The teaching side is light by many international standards: three courses across the academic year. That leaves room for a research programme, PhD and undergraduate supervision, and service to the Economics Program and the wider Division of Social Science.
The advert does not restrict the field. Applied micro, macro, development, labour, finance, econometrics, behavioural and theory are all open, provided you have an active agenda. That matches how NYUAD has recruited before. Earlier versions of this search, posted for start dates in 2023 and 2026, also invited senior candidates and asked for applications through Interfolio, with one older cycle leaning toward econometrics.
In practice, a senior economist at a campus like this is expected to:
- Publish in high-quality, internationally refereed journals, which the advert states directly.
- Teach three courses a year, usually a mix of undergraduate and graduate or specialist courses.
- Supervise students and mentor junior colleagues in the programme.
- Help build the programme’s standing; the advert says its faculty ranks among the top economics departments in Asia.
- Take part in hiring, committees and seminar life, which at senior rank usually means leading some of it.
Requirements: essential and desirable
The advert is short on formal criteria, so it helps to separate what is stated from what is implied by the rank.
| Type | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | PhD in Economics | Stated in the advert |
| Essential | Strong scholarly record with a substantial publication history | Stated |
| Essential | Ongoing publication in high-quality, internationally refereed journals | Stated |
| Essential | Active research agenda (any area of economics) | Stated |
| Preferred | Senior standing, meaning tenured associate or full professor level elsewhere, or an equivalent record | Stated as a “strong preference” |
| Expected at this rank | Evidence of good teaching (evaluations), PhD supervision, grant or research funding record | Implied by the documents requested |
The advert does not set a minimum number of publications or years of experience. Committees at this level judge the quality and influence of your work, so a short list of top-field and general-interest publications usually carries more weight than a long list of minor ones.
Salary at NYU Abu Dhabi
NYUAD does not publish faculty salary scales, and this advert gives no figure. It describes the terms as “very competitive” and lists the extras that matter most to an international hire: research money at the start and every year after, housing subsidies, educational subsidies for children, a relocation allowance, health and wellness services, and help for dual-career families. You negotiate the actual salary with the university once you reach offer stage.
When you compare an offer, put the housing and schooling support next to the base salary. In Abu Dhabi those two items are large costs for a family, and a strong housing subsidy can change how two offers compare. The UAE also does not levy personal income tax on salaries, which is another reason a headline figure from a European or North American offer is hard to compare directly. Check the current position with your own tax adviser, especially if your home country taxes citizens abroad.
Visa sponsorship and who can apply
The advert says applications are welcome from all qualified candidates, and adds that, in line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply. It does not use the words “visa sponsorship”. It does promise a relocation allowance, and as the employer NYUAD would handle the residence and work permit process for a foreign hire. If your situation is unusual (for example a partner who also needs work authorisation), raise it with nyuad.academicrecruitment@nyu.edu before you reach the offer stage.
How to apply for the NYU Abu Dhabi economics professorship
Applications go through Interfolio, the platform NYUAD uses for faculty searches. You reach it from the “Apply” button on the THE Unijobs listing. Prepare everything before you open the form.
- Curriculum vitae: full academic CV with publications, working papers, grants, teaching and supervision.
- Cover letter: addressed to the search committee, one to two pages.
- Teaching statement: your approach to teaching, the courses you could offer, and supervision.
- Research statement: your agenda, main results and what you plan next.
- Up to five representative publications or writing samples: pick your strongest, not your most recent.
- Recent teaching evaluations: optional, but include them if you have them.
- Three references: requested through Interfolio. Senior candidates may wait to have letters sent until they know they are finalists.
- Submit before 27 November 2026: rolling review means earlier files can be read first.
Questions about the search go to nyuad.academicrecruitment@nyu.edu. Keep your files as PDFs, name them clearly (for example “Surname_ResearchStatement.pdf”), and check that your writing samples open correctly once uploaded.
How to write the application
At senior level the committee already knows how to read a CV. The cover letter and research statement are where you show fit with NYUAD in particular.
Cover letter structure
- Opening paragraph: the post, your current rank and institution, and your field in one line.
- Research paragraph: two or three contributions that define your work, with where they were published.
- Teaching paragraph: what you can teach in a liberal arts and research setting, and your supervision record.
- Fit paragraph: why Abu Dhabi and NYUAD. Mention the international student body, links with NYU New York and Shanghai, or research questions on the Gulf or emerging economies if those genuinely connect to your work.
- Practical close: your possible start date (September 2027 or 2028) and any dual-career needs you want to flag.
A sample opening line, for illustration only: “I am applying for the tenured Associate or Full Professor of Economics position at NYU Abu Dhabi. I am a labour economist whose work on migration and wage-setting has appeared in leading general-interest and field journals, and I would be ready to take up the post in September 2027.”
Research statement
Keep it to three to five pages. Open with the question that ties your work together, then group papers into two or three strands rather than listing them one by one. End with a forward agenda for the next five years, including data you plan to collect and students you could involve. Committees for senior posts read this section to judge whether you will stay productive after the move.
Teaching statement
NYUAD runs a liberal arts college alongside graduate programmes, so show you can teach core undergraduate economics well as well as specialist electives. Name actual courses. If you have taught very international cohorts, say so, since NYUAD students come from more than 120 countries.
What the selection process looks like
The advert only says applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Economics searches at research universities usually follow a familiar pattern, so expect something close to this:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Screening | The search committee reads CVs, papers and statements |
| Long list | Committee members read writing samples in detail; letters may be requested at this point |
| Finalists | Reference letters collected for senior candidates who delayed them |
| Campus visit | Job talk, meetings with faculty and leadership, often a teaching discussion |
| Offer | Salary, research funds, housing and start date negotiated; senior hires also go through tenure review |
| Start | 1 September 2027 or 1 September 2028 |
Common mistakes
- Sending a junior-market packet. A job-market paper and three letters is the wrong shape here; senior files lead with a body of published work.
- Ignoring the teaching statement because the load is light. It is a required document and the committee reads it.
- Not explaining why Abu Dhabi. A generic letter suggests you are using the offer as leverage elsewhere.
- Choosing five recent papers instead of five representative ones.
- Assuming 27 November 2026 is safe. Rolling review means the shortlist can form before then.
Who should apply and who shouldn’t
Apply if you hold tenure (or have an equivalent record) at a research university, publish regularly in strong refereed journals, and would welcome a three-course load in an international liberal arts and research setting. Economists working on development, trade, migration, energy or the Middle East and Asia may find the location an advantage for their research, but the advert is open to any field.
I would think twice if you are a fresh PhD or an assistant professor without a tenure-level record; NYUAD runs separate searches for junior ranks. Hold back too if you cannot commit to living in Abu Dhabi for most of the year, because this is a resident faculty post. If you are a student or early-career researcher looking at the Gulf, our guide to UAE scholarships covers funded study routes.
Similar senior jobs open now
| Role | Institution | Salary | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate/Full Professor of Management, Stern at NYUAD | New York University Abu Dhabi | Not stated | 12 November 2026 |
| Associate/Full Professor, Human-Computer Interaction | MBZUAI, Abu Dhabi | Competitive (not stated) | 30 June 2027 |
| Assistant Professor in International Political Economy | Durham University, UK | GBP 48,337 to 57,666 | 7 January 2027 |
| Tenure-Track Professor/Associate/Assistant Professor, Epidemiology | The University of Hong Kong | Competitive (not stated) | 28 April 2027 |
About NYU Abu Dhabi and living in Abu Dhabi
NYUAD admitted its first class in 2010. The advert describes it as the first full liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East run abroad by a major American research university, and NYU also has campuses in New York and Shanghai. NYUAD’s own fast facts list students from more than 120 countries and over 370 standing, visiting and affiliated faculty from more than 50 nationalities. On rankings, the advert notes that Times Higher Education places NYU (all campuses together) among the top 30 universities in the world; NYUAD is not ranked separately.
Abu Dhabi is the UAE capital, and the campus is on Saadiyat Island. For cost-of-living planning, the large items are housing and international school fees, which is why the housing and education subsidies in this advert matter. Ask for the specific subsidy amounts in writing before you accept an offer.
FAQs about the NYU Abu Dhabi economics professor job
What is the deadline for the NYU Abu Dhabi professor of economics job?
The THE listing closes on 27 November 2026. NYUAD reviews applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled, so applying earlier is better.
What is the salary for a professor of economics at NYU Abu Dhabi?
No salary is stated. The advert describes very competitive terms with research funds, housing and children’s education subsidies, and a relocation allowance; pay is agreed at offer stage.
Can assistant professors apply for this NYUAD economics post?
The post is advertised at associate or full professor level with tenure, and senior candidates get strong preference. An assistant professor would need a record that already looks like tenure level.
When do I need to submit reference letters?
Three references are requested through Interfolio. Senior candidates may delay having letters sent until they know they are finalists.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026 against the Times Higher Education Unijobs listing 417014 (posted 28 October 2026), NYU Abu Dhabi’s fast facts page, and earlier NYUAD economics adverts on EconJobMarket and the Chronicle of Higher Education for how past searches were run. Salary, subsidy amounts and the exact tenure terms are not published. We will update this page if NYUAD changes the deadline or closes the search.
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