Ba student wins top cybersecurity scholarship at New York University Abu Dhabi

Xavier College dux Krishav Kumar has capped off an outstanding academic year by securing a prestigious international scholarship to study cybersecurity at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The 18-year-old, from Ba, scored 384 out of 400 in the 2025 Fiji Year 13 Examination, finishing as the top student at Xavier College.

His subject scores were:

• English: 89
• Pure Mathematics: 100
• Physics: 99
• Accounting: 93
• Computer Studies: 96

His achievement was further recognised with a scholarship worth US$89,000 per year to pursue studies in cybersecurity at NYU Abu Dhabi, where several former Xavier students have studied in recent years.

Mr Kumar described the results as meeting his expectations, saying they reflected years of consistent effort, discipline and commitment to high personal standards.

“My greatest motivation has been the constant support of my parents, their high expectations and their contribution to my learning from childhood,” he said.

“I have also been inspired by leading examples and current innovations in technology.”

Mr Kumar said he had aimed to develop a broad range of skills from as early as Year 9, taking part in academic competitions, public speaking and athletics.

“These activities helped improve my overall performance, but I realised I needed to make adjustments to place greater emphasis on my examination subjects,” he said.

At the start of Year 13, Kumar said he made the deliberate decision to scale back on extracurricular activities to focus on meeting university entry requirements.

“Those activities still added value to my scholarship application,” he said.

Mr Kumar plans to pursue a career in cybersecurity and will study computer science at NYU Abu Dhabi, alongside professional certificate courses in areas such as penetration testing and digital security.

He described himself as a highly motivated student with a strong interest in problem-solving, technology and cybersecurity.

“I excel in mathematics, physics and coding, which naturally draws me to ethical hacking and digital security,” he said.