Date: February 20, 2026
Location: 14A Washington Mews, New York, NY, 10003
Time: 5:30 pm
Overview: A Mile in My Shoes, the acclaimed traveling exhibition from the Empathy Museum, came to NYU in Fall 2025. It featured accounts from their famous collection alongside stories contributed by members of the NYU community, the exhibition explores our shared humanity through quiet moments of listening.
Through a collaboration between the Office of the President and Africa House, we will be amplifying one of the NYU voices featured, Prof. Offiong Aqua. Join us for an evening of insightful conversations as we walk a mile in Prof. Offiong Aqua's shoes.
Offiong Aqua holds a joint appointment as Clinical Professor in the Departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Communicative Sciences and Disorders at New York University. Born in Nigeria, he earned his M.D. from the Faculty of Medicine at Friendship University in Moscow in 1986, followed by postgraduate training in Facio-Maxillary Surgery. His career spans clinical practice, academic leadership, and global health advocacy across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
Professor Aqua is a faculty affiliate of NYU Africa House, where his work focuses on strengthening health systems and advancing global African health research. He played a leading role in establishing NYU’s academic partnership with the Ghana Ministry of Health, resulting in the launch of an NYU Steinhardt health-related course abroad in Accra, Ghana. A recipient of NYU’s Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award, he continues to collaborate with senior faculty across NYU on international initiatives addressing emergency medicine and health systems development.
Beyond academia, Professor Aqua has conducted a landmark Health System Audit for Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria—one of the country’s most economically significant regions—providing a framework still used for healthcare planning today. He is also the creator and host of The Offiong Aqua Show, a widely followed podcast that examines governance, accountability, and civic life in Nigeria through informed, independent commentary. His life and work reflect a sustained commitment to education, equity, and the building of durable institutions across borders.