About
the Institute

The Institute, made possible through a generous gift from the Berkley Family Foundation—established by William Berkley, chair emeritus of NYU’s Board of Trustees—reflects NYU’s longstanding commitment to addressing real-world problems through perceptive listening, rigorous scholarship, pragmatic action, and collaboration. Each year, many of the Institute’s events will convene elected officials, experts, and students to focus on one major national civic problem from multiple perspectives. From there, students will work together—despite their differences of opinion and party—to listen constructively and, in turn, to design concrete solutions for long-term progress. 

The Institute’s inaugural theme, The Changing Lives of Boys and Men, will address an unfolding crisis among a generation of young men and boys who are falling behind previous cohorts of males regarding health, education, work, and civic engagement. The Institute will bring people who are addressing this crisis from across the political spectrum—Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives—into civil conversation with one another on NYU’s campus.

Students will be at the heart of the Institute’s work. A select group of undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to public service and engaging across divides will be accepted into the Institute’s Student Fellows program, which will provide them with the opportunity to listen in new ways, and to participate in dialogue, events, and seminars aimed at deepening their understanding of the annual theme. The fellowship will culminate in the production of a collaborative policy paper offering their shared findings and solutions.

The Institute will also host public events, visiting scholars, and opportunities for engagement that are open to the entire NYU community.

Drawing on NYU’s global network of campuses and academic centers, the Institute will offer public events and curricular experiences that will expose Student Fellows to a range of ideological perspectives, cultural landscapes, and geographic contexts as they deepen their understanding of the annual issue area. Through these integrated experiences, students will experience firsthand how listening and civil discourse can yield solutions to pressing civic challenges in real time.