Even though spacious, grass-carpeted grounds may not be one of the assets listed on its financial books, New York University's publicity posters still proclaim, "We have a first-class campus: New York City."

And a recruiting brochure for the university's drama department proudly declares, "Our teachers are not just college professors--they're the world's elite in the performing arts."

At first glance, the statements seem wildly outrageous. But in fact, they're scarcely exaggerations.

New York City, a unique and dazzling international metropolis, is a world center of finance, politics, culture, and entertainment--and the acknowledged world capital of contemporary art. Broadway has long been a synonym for theater, and SoHo is the Mecca of every artist. A city teeming with money, talent, and opportunity--full of hidden traps and temptations, but also bursting with dreams and vitality.

Manhattan is the heart of New York City, and New York University, renowned for its departments of film, drama, and contemporary art, is located in Manhattan's artistic and cultural nucleus: Greenwich Village. Some overseas Chinese students quip that the reason NYU has so distinguished itself among its thirty-some rival colleges and universities in New York City can be credited to its excellent "feng shui"--its prime real estate, in plain English.

Compared with Columbia University, also in New York City but Ivy League and over two centuries old, NYU is just a kid brother. Columbia is firmly on top in traditional fields and the humanities, but in newer departments such as film, drama, computers, and business management, brash and dynamic NYU comes into its own. In fact, concentrating on the contemporary and up-to-date is right in line with the university's founding goals.

In 1831, at a time when most students in American colleges and universities were members of the privileged classes and when the Greek and Latin classics dominated the curriculum, New York University was founded with the express purpose of providing "a system of rational and practical education fitted for all and graciously opened to all," regardless of national origin, religious beliefs, or social background, as John Brademas, the university's current president, adds.

From its original 158 students and 14 professors to today's 46,000 students and more than 5,000 faculty members, NYU has continually grown. Its fourteen schools and colleges are distributed among six different chunks of precious Manhattan real estate. Its school of business is located right on Wall Street.

NYU's strategic location is one reason for the strength of its faculty. Many of its business professors are Wall Street financiers, and its law professors are experienced judges and attorneys. Other professors outside of class may be editors at magazines or publishing houses, curators of museums, or corporation consultants. A common characteristic is their rich practical experience and professional expertise.

Besides its superb location, another factor in attracting faculty is the university's spirit of freshness and openness. Hsiung Chieh graduated in political science from National Taiwan University and earned a doctorate from Columbia University. But he chooses to teach at New York University, the key reason being that "there's no racial prejudice."

Equipment and facilities at NYU are topnotch, too.

The university is home to eleven libraries, containing over 3 million volumes. Its graduate department of art history cooperates closely with the Metropolitan Museum. And its film studios and cutting rooms contain enough gadgets to excite the imagination of any budding young Steven Spielberg.

Besides a practical curriculum, its flexible scheduling is another notable feature of the university. Some people joke that NYU's graduate departments are "night school."

Most undergraduate classes are held during the day, but the graduate schools are designed to provide professional people with an opportunity to continue their studies after work, and so most graduate classes are held in the evening. As a result, the student body seems to transform itself every day as the sun goes down, with jeans and sweat shirts yielding place to tailored suits and designer handbags.

Next to academics, the greatest concern for students thinking of studying abroad is the question of adjustment.

"Adjusting's not much of a problem here," many voices concur. For Chinese students, New York is one of the easiest places to feel at home away from home. Familiar Chinese faces and voices can be seen and heard everywhere, Oriental food is offered in restaurants and specialty stores, Chinese books, magazines, and newspapers are readily available. "All you need to do to cure homesickness is run over to Chinatown," quips Kuo Yun-kuang, who is studying for a doctorate.

Just because there are so many Chinese people in New York, some students feel it's hard for them to improve their English, and there may be some truth in this.

Ts'ai Ling, an NYU math professor, maintains that New York is the center of the U.S. melting pot. Here the student can meet people of all nationalities, and can come to understand and learn about all kinds of customs and cultures. He recommends that Chinese students in New York take advantage of the city's diversity to open themselves up and actively make friends there. Another professor suggests that overseas Chinese students live with students of other nationalities and not restrict their circle of friends to other Chinese, lest they miss out on the whole point of studying abroad.

Indeed, since New York is such a rich, diverse, and multifaceted metropolis, wouldn't it be a waste to go there without taking in as much as possible?

[Picture Caption]

NYU's main library, the Bobst Library, covers two floors above ground and two below. The student utilization rate is very high.

"Suppose your classroom was a movie theater." A theme for a high school essay becomes reality at NYU.

Washington Square--the heart of the NYU campus.

Street artists are a common sight around campus. Here a film student focuses on one painting on glass.

NYU's business school is located near Wall Street, so expert teachers are easy to find. The building on the right is the World Trade Center.

The catalogs in the main library are computerized.

Graduate students in art history use the Metropolitan Museum as a research site.

"Suppose your classroom was a movie theater." A theme for a high school essay becomes reality at NYU.

Washington Square--the heart of the NYU campus.

Street artists are a common sight around campus. Here a film student focuses on one painting on glass.

NYU's business school is located near Wall Street, so expert teachers are easy to find. The building on the right is the World Trade Center.

The catalogs in the main library are computerized.