NEW YORK, NY October 13, 2007 —New York University has made an agreement with the government of Abu Dhabi to build a campus in the Persian Gulf Emirate. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

FERTIG: The campus in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, will serve 2000 students when it opens in three years. It's being built by the government of Abu Dhabi, and NYU hopes it will attract students from throughout the Middle East, Europe and South and Central Asia.

Vice Chancellor Mariet Westermann says students and faculty in the Islamic state will have the same personal and academic freedoms as in Washington Square.

WESTERMANN: On the Abu Dhabi Campus we will have a special royally decreed Academic Freedom Zone

FERTIG: And, she says NYU will control campus security. Classes will be offered in English and will be co-ed, with undergraduate and graduate courses.

For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.