02/07/2009 | Creative Arts, Arts & Humanities

View from the Top: Dr Pari Sara Shirazi, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts Asia

By: Tim Rogers

With research-led academic departments in areas as diverse as film making, theatre, dance, cinema studies and theatre design attracting international students to the heart of New York’s artistic community

around Greenwich Village and Washington Square, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts is one of the most prestigious universities of its kind. Founded in 1965, the Tisch name has become synonymous with excellence and innovation in graduate arts education perhaps no more so than in 2007, when the Tisch School of Arts Asia (http://www.tischasia.nyu.edu.sg) was opened for the first time in Singapore. Dr Pari Sara Shirazi, president of the Tisch Asia campus spoke to QS topgradschool.com’s View from the Top about some of the most exciting aspects of moving New York to Asia.

“We say to graduate students, come to Singapore and Asia is your campus,” announces Dr Shirazi, president of New York University’s first international teaching campus anywhere in the world. “We are coming to the end of the second academic year and we have had a really, really great two years,” she says. ”Students have had work accepted into festivals way beyond our expectations – our new students are already very talented. Obviously it is too early to say what the long-term impacts are, but we have very high hopes indeed.”

As vice dean of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Dr Shirazi became the architect of the Tisch School's special and international programs and collaborations, designing and implementing various non-degree initiatives and curricula to compliment and enhance the School's existing departments. Her expertise in business, finance and her belief in global education have yielded great benefits for the Tisch community. She has developed arts enrichment programs for educators, pre-college programs for high school students, introductory arts courses for non-majors, special semester programs for visiting students and many international programs. The founding of Tisch Asia in Singapore owes much to Dr Shirazi’s drive and determination.

The campus has successfully attracted students from more than 20 countries, adding a further international element to the Asian campus study environment.

At present, Tisch Asia offers three masters programs: animation and digital arts, dramatic writing, and film - all of which result in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree awarded by New York University. Each of the three programs lasts two academic years and offers the same curriculum as is available on the New York campus, albeit with the opportunity to study and conduct project work in a uniquely Asian context. Since the foundation of Tisch Asia in 2007, the campus has successfully attracted students from more than 20 countries, adding a further international element to the Asian campus study environment.

Dr Shirazi explains how important the considerations were behind Tisch moving to Asia: “This is the very first venture of New York University to have a degree-granting campus overseas. In order to achieve this I had to come up with criteria to keep the brand and the curriculum exactly the same. In no way did we want to produce something that could be seen by others as ‘Tisch Lite.’” To ensure that standards are exactly the same in Singapore as they are in New York - a particular important concern for prospective masters students considering studying at the new campus - Dr Shirazi reassures students that this has been a central part of their focus. “There are three important aspects that guarantee the quality of Tisch Asia – the excellence of the curriculum, the admissions of students and the hire of faculty – and all these remain the responsibility of staff and systems in New York.”

Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of Tisch Asia for any prospective graduate student interested in pursuing a program in the creative arts is the familiarity with one particular member of staff – Hollywood filmmaker and storyteller Oliver Stone, a graduate of Tisch New York. Dr Shirazi recalls how the appointment of Stone as artistic director of the Singapore campus came about. “Being very honest, it was wishful thinking on my part. I like his films and we knew he was interested in Asia. When we asked him he said ‘yes’ very quickly. He travels to the campus twice a year, teaches students and is very hands-on. I was there with him last time and he brought in actors and directed a piece with students - I have never seen them so into what they were doing – it was wonderful! He knows every student and their project by name, watches them all and provides feedback.”