Behavioral Science
Government Leaders

Behavioral Science for Government Leaders

Behavioral Science for Government Leaders brings together global experts and regional practitioners to equip policymakers to design smarter, fairer, and more effective public policy.

The program is developed through a close collaboration between the Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID) at NYU Abu Dhabi and the Behavioral Science Group (BSG) at the Office of Development Affairs.

Program Highlights

Expert-led insights: High-level sessions exploring recent advances in behavioral science and policy design, delivered by leading international experts.
Applied, hands-on learning: Interactive case studies and policy examples that translate behavioral evidence into practical tools for real-world policy challenges.
Collaborative exchange: Guided dialogue with international and regional practitioners to refine strategic thinking, share perspectives, and build durable policy capability.

Press release

The NYU Abu Dhabi campus

Key details

Program start

The program will begin at 8:45am on Monday, February 9.

Participants are kindly asked to arrive no later than 8:30am to allow sufficient time for registration and badge collection.

Program dinner

The dinner will on Tuesday, February 10, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm at:

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

Nation Towers, Corniche, Abu Dhabi

stregisabudhabi.com

Speakers

Learn from Global and Regional Leaders in Behavioral Policy. Sessions are led by an exceptional faculty of internationally recognized experts and practitioners.

David Halpern, CBE

President Emeritus, The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT)

Director, Downing Battcock Institute

Zeina Afif

Senior Social Scientist, World Bank

David Yanagizawa-Drott

Professor of Economics, University of Zurich

Faisal Naru

Founder, Think Test Do

Nikos Nikiforakis

Professor of Economics and Director, Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID), NYU Abu Dhabi

Schedule

Day 1 - February 9

Day 2 - February 10

Day 3 - February 11

Day 4 - February 12

Location

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Address

New York University Abu Dhabi

Humanities Building (A-6)

Room 001.B (ground floor).

Saadiyat Island

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

Directional signage will be available on site, from the taxi drop-off at the NYU Abu Dhabi Welcome Center.