, ▁and ▁initially ▁approached ▁the ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates ▁about ▁establish ing ▁an ▁arts ▁inst itute ▁on ▁Ab u ▁D hab i ' s ▁Sa adi y at ▁Island , ▁developed ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁the ▁university ' s ▁arts ▁professional ▁schools . ▁After ▁Y ale ▁indicated ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁willing ▁to ▁offer ▁Y ale ▁degree ▁programs ▁at ▁the ▁proposed ▁inst itute , ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁dropped . ▁ ▁Le vin ▁and ▁National ▁University ▁of ▁Singapore ▁President ▁Tan ▁Chor h ▁Ch uan ▁discussed ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁joint ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁World ▁Econom ic ▁Forum ▁in ▁Dav os , ▁Switzerland , ▁and ▁eigh teen ▁months ▁later , ▁Le vin ▁and ▁Y ale ▁Prov ost ▁Peter ▁Sal ove y ▁circul ated ▁to ▁the ▁Y ale ▁fac ulty ▁a ▁prospect us ▁for ▁a ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁Among ▁the ▁given ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁initi ative ▁were ▁" develop [ ing ] ▁a ▁novel ▁curr icul um ▁sp anning ▁Western ▁and ▁Asian ▁cult ures " ▁and ▁better ▁prepar ing ▁students ▁for ▁" an ▁inter connected , ▁inter dependent ▁global ▁environment ". ▁ ▁Y ale - N US ▁College ▁was ▁officially ▁launched ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁College ▁held ▁its ▁ground - bre aking ▁ceremony ; ▁it ▁en rolled ▁its ▁first ▁class ▁of ▁students ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁Y ale - N US ▁inaugur ated ▁its ▁campus ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 2