Brain Drain to Abu Dhabi, Continued

Hilary Ballon

First Mariët Westermann. Now Hilary Ballon [via].

An architectural historian who taught for 20 years at Columbia University (where she was professor of art history and archaeology), and who was also curator of last year's well received three-part exhibition, Robert Moses and the Modern City, Ballon is now associate vice chancellor for academic programs and campus planning for NYU Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2010.

She co-authored with Westermann the recent report, Art History and Its Publications in the Electronic Age. Westermann, the vice chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi, was formerly director of the university's Institute of Fine Arts, New York. She is now working out of NYU's Washington Square campus.

Classes will be co-educational and will (according to the press release) be conducted according to "practices consistent with the prevailing standards at NYU's Washington Square campus, including adherence to its standards of academic freedom." That's a relief. But will construction of the campus accord with human rights standards?

The sweetener is that Abu Dhabi is not only funding the whole project but "has also made a commitment to NYU that will enhance the University's investment in faculty and programming." (Translation: Big Bucks).