Does Humanitarian Aid Need to be Decolonized?
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021 | 1PM - 2PM
RSVP HERE
Speakers: 
Marcy Hersh and Melissa Garcia
Experts in policy and advocacy for gender equality in humanitarian and development aid
Please join Marcy Hersh and Melissa Garcia for a discussion of the colonialist underpinnings of humanitarian and development aid (with an intersectional gender lens), and more progressive approaches that are finally being considered.  They'll refer to specific programs they've worked on, including examples of both bad practices and more promising approaches.  Together, Marcy and Melissa have close to 30 years of experience working to advance gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian and development settings, including work with UN Women, UNFPA, Refugees International, Women's Refugee Commission and, most recently, Women Deliver.


CAREER PANEL SERIES: EPD
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 | 1-2:30PM (EST) | Zoom
Register here
Please note registration is compulsory. 
The Office of Career Services in partnership with EPD is inviting you to join a second career panel series where you will have an opportunity to meet and connect with SIPA alumni from four different professional areas within EPD. The session will include four breakout rooms with 3-4 speakers. Each student will have an opportunity to participate in two 30-minute breakout room sessions. We ask that you indicate which panels you'd like to attend by registering in advance using this link. Note that this event will not be recorded. To see a list of confirmed speakers, click here.  













Tackling the Challenges of Global Poverty: The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 4-5 PM (EST)
Register here | Zoom Link
Join the Columbia Economic Society for an information session and conversation with Dr. Benjamin Olken, MIT professor and director at J-PAL, and Emily Sylvia, Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. It was founded and is co-directed by 2019 Economics Nobel Laureates, professors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo.
This event will cover everything from what J-PAL does with randomized control trials and a research case study to how they build their partnerships and how to get involved.

COVID: Notes from the First Year with a Gender Lens
Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 6-7:30 PM EST
Register here

Join GPPS to reflect on COVID's gendered dimensions including impacts on labor market inequalities, care work, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. In addition to discussing these troubling effects reverberated through society by the ongoing crisis, panelists will discuss opportunities for advocacy and policy change going forward. This event will include an hour long panel moderated by Yasmine Ergas, followed by 30 minutes for Q&A.



Food for Thought: A Virtual Cooking Class with the Migrant Kitchen
Thursday, March 25th, 2021 | 5:30PM
RSVP at: http://cglink.me/2e9/r1053893

Come join us for a virtual cooking class with The Migrant Kitchen, one of the city’s most exciting new restaurants!  Co-founder Nas Jaber will teach one of their signature recipes, cauliflower shawarma, and discuss the restaurant's philosophy, cultural heritage, and initiative to support the immigrant communities in NYC.
Feel free to cook along, drink, eat, or just chill with us on the chill Thursday evening of March 25th :) Please RSVP for the Zoom link and ingredient list for this recipe.




Conversation with Obama Foundation Scholars
Youth, Education and Employment: Insights from Bangladesh, Jordan and Mongolia
Friday, March 26, 2021 | 9:30-10:30 AM (EST)
Register here to receive Zoom link.  

The speakers will include:
Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, Founder and Managing Director of YY Ventures in Bangladesh
Hamza Arsbi, CEO, Mind Lab in Jordan
Maralmaa Munkh-Achit, Former Executive Director, Zorig Foundation in Mongolia

To learn more about them, click here. 




United Nations Roundtable Conversations - Networking Event
Friday, March 26th, 2021 | 12PM - 2PM
RSVP HERE
After the huge success of the event last year, we are excited to host the discussion virtually this time. We have shift the conversation online, connecting experts and students based in all parts of the world! This exclusive event will host nearly 25 UN staff members, and give students the opportunity to speak with them in intimate small group discussions about their work and experiences and how they contribute to the role of the United Nations to foster development, cooperation, peace, human rights, and prosperity. Unlike other networking events, this virtual roundtable conversation format will ensure students have significant face time with UN officials, opening the door for meaningful relationship building. Five to six students will share a breakout room with one or two UN staff members to discuss about their work in depth. 

Book talk: “Farewell to Arms: How Rebels Retire Without Getting Killed” with prof. Rumela Sen
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | 1-2pm
Registration HERE

How, in the absence of institutional mechanisms, do Maoist rebels in India quit an ongoing insurgency without getting killed? How do rebels give up arms and return to the same political processes that they had once sought to overthrow? In Farewell to Arms, Prof. Rumela Sen goes to the rebels themselves and breaks down the protracted process of rebel retirement into a multi-staged journey as the rebels see it.



Racism and International Organizations 2021 Speaker Series
Thursday, April 1, 2021 | 1:00PM - 2:00PM ET
Registration Link: https://sipa.campusgroups.com/IOUN/rsvp_boot?id=1035640
This year, we mark the 20th anniversary of the Noureddine Amir, Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will discuss processes, politics, impacts and partnerships of the CERD and its role to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
 

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UPCOMING OCS EVENTS

Brankas Briefing
When: Monday, March 22, 2021
Time: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Brankas is the leading "Open Banking" fintech startup in Southeast Asia. We provide the API technology that powers digital financial services and unlocks new opportunities to reach the unbanked and underbanked across the region. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Miami Homes for All Briefing
When: Monday, March 22, 2021
Time: 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Miami Homes For All's mission is to prevent and end homelessness in Miami-Dade County, which we pursue through our affordable housing and youth homelessness initiatives. Internships are open to all students, and full-time opportunities are open to U.S. Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens. Work will be done remotely until at least Fall 2021. Application submitted to info@miamihomesforall.org followed by two rounds of interviews. Candidates usually notified within 4-6 weeks. Our organization is actively recruiting individuals in order to affirmatively further our organization's diversity and inclusion. Black individuals and other people of color represent 25% of staff and 45% of our board. Hispanics represent 60% of the board of directors and 75% of staff. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Virtual Information Session
When: Monday, March 22, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Registration is required. Register here.

Shift Briefing
When: Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Time: 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Shift is a career advancement company where current and former members of the US Military discover careers, acquire and demonstrate new skills, and embark upon new job experiences at the best companies in the world. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Career Series: Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy
When: Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
 At the Career Series, you will meet with SIPA alumni and other professionals to discover various career paths within the HRHP concentration. YOUR REGISTRATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL YOU FILL OUT THIS GOOGLE FORM: https://forms.gle/Rs1kgJQeh4fbLMWF9. The HRHP Career Series will host four (4) breakout rooms. The categories are as follows:

1. Financing Human Rights and Humanitarianism (ex: General Service Foundation)
2. Organizational Leadership in HRHP (ex: United States Peace Corps)
3. Service Provision (ex: City of Seattle)
4. Research, Analyst, and Policy Positions (ex: International Committee of the Red Cross)

Confirmed panelists may be found here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18nHgywb0KHAmWpsbCWqqQ_TUNNUJRJLalRp1Qi3iCsM/edit?usp=sharing (this list will be continuously updated).

For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Career Series: Economic and Political Development
When: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

At the Career Series, you will meet with SIPA alumni and other professionals to discover various career paths within the EPD concentration. YOUR REGISTRATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL YOU REGISTER ON ZOOM

The EPD Career Series will host four (4) breakout rooms. You will have an opportunity to participate in two 30 minutes breakout sessions. The categories are as follows:

1. Financial Inclusion (ex: UN - IOM)
2. Monitoring and Evaluation, M&E (ex: IPA)
3. Tech in Development (ex: World Bank Group, Innovation and Digital Economy)
4. Education Policy / Education Tech (ex: USAID)

For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Get to know our McKinsey Black Network and Hispanic Latino Network for APDs
When: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Fireside chat with Masha Gloukhovski
When: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Time: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Join us for a fireside chat with: Masha Gloukhovski, Managing Director, Head of Sovereign Advisory, JPMorgan Chase William Foster, VP/Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody's Investors Service. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Delivery Associates Briefing
When: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Time: 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Delivery Associates works with a range of clients across the US education sector, serving both governments and those who support them, all with a common purpose: to help them to deliver better outcomes for the people that they serve. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Mercy Corps Briefing
When: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Time: 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Information Session
When: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. It was founded and is co-directed by 2019 Economics Nobel Laureates, professors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Please register on SIPALink AND fill out the form below to register for the event: https://forms.gle/5MMd4oc3pAXmnvd99
For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Find Your Place at Citi Hong Kong
When: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

One Acre Fund Briefing
When: Friday, March 26, 2021
Time: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies 1 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Positions are available in: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. For more information and to register CLICK HERE.
 

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JOBS, INTERNSHIPS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Check out this week's OCS New Job and Internship Opportunities CLICK HERE and Upcoming Deadlines for Jobs and Internship Application CLICK HERE.

Migration Mini-grant
Migration Working Group is providing a mini-grant of $200 to SIPA students wanting to undertake a project related to migration. We accept projects from individual or group applications (groups encouraged). The project must be related to migration, can be either international or US domestic-focused. See poster or follow the link for how to apply: http://cglink.me/2e9/r1053886




The MPA-EPM Program is hiring! 
The MPA in Economic Policy Management (EPM) program is looking to hire a work study student for the spring through the summer. Click here to learn more and apply. 

Central Square Foundation 
Project Manager and Project Lead, Research Monitoring and Evaluation Team
Location: Delhi, India 
Click here to learn more about the position and apply. 

SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy Summer & Fall 2021 Employment
The center is looking to fill out the three following type of positions: Departmental Research Assistants (appointed/salaried), Research Administration Assistants (hourly), and Student Assistants (hourly). For more details about the positions click here
Click here to apply. 

UN WOMEN 
Coordinator for UN Women’s Global Programme on “Engendering Fiscal Stimulus Packages and Recovery Efforts Adopted in Response to the COVID-19 Health and Economic crises”.
Click here to learn more about the position and apply. 

Inter-American Dialogue Summer 2021 Internships 
This summer, the internship program will be remote. The different positions, with descriptions and requirements are available here. 

Interns have expansive duties and play a vital role in the Dialogue’s daily activities. The Dialogue’s internship program provides students and recent graduates with training and experience for careers in the public and private sectors. Past interns have gone on to pursue jobs with a wide variety of international organizations, government bodies, think tanks, consulting firms, and private corporations. Application deadline is March 26th at 5pm EST. 

EPD Alumni Chat about International Development Consulting and Networking
Zaki Raheem (MIA EPD '08), Senior Specialist, Enterprise Development & Entrepreneurship, DAI and Adjunct SIPA Professor, MSME Development. If you missed it, watch the recording HERE. You can also access the slides HERE.
 

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STUDENTS SPOTLIGHT

Parth Arora is an MPA student, graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 2015 with an engineering degree and a minor in management. He joined Capital One as a product analyst servicing new-age digital banking products like Alexa. Parth built on his experience in data-based strategy creation and decision making by leveraging data to optimize lending decisions for Capital One's credit card business in the UK. Parth returned to India in 2018 and joined the EdTech team at Central Square Foundation. In his ~ 3 year tenure at CSF, Parth launched and supported Top Parent and Rocket Learning, EdTech initiatives that are helping ~200,000 low-income children in improving basic literacy and numeracy skills at home on parental devices. His experience, while being tremendously exciting, has also grounded him with the challenges that come with investing in tech-based interventions for human development, an intellectual question that led him to pursue a MPA program at SIPA. At SIPA, Parth is the President of the Technology and Innovations Student Association. He is also a Research Assistant with the Technology and Policy Initiative. working closely with Dean Merit Janow to curate tech and policy research at SIPA, organise events and raise funds for the initiative. 

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PICK OF THE WEEK

Operation Varsity Blues (Netflix)

A deep dive into the fraudulent methods used by Rick Singer to get the children of rich and famous families into top U.S. universities.














Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is a 2020 popular science book by journalist James Nestor. The book provides a historical, scientific and personal examination of breathing, with a specific interest in contrasting the differences between mouth breathing and nasal breathing.












 

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EPD OFFICE HOURS

José Antonio Ocampo, EPD Co-Director
Sign up online: https://tinyurl.com/officehours-ocampo

Jenny McGill, EPD Co-Director and Workshop Director
Sign up online: https://tinyurl.com/mcgill-oh

Ilona Vinklerova, EPD Manager
Sign up online: https://sipa.campusgroups.com/meetings/1060915/IlonaOH_spring2021 

Séléna Batchily, EPD Program Assistant
By appointment at ssb2200@columbia.edu

Saiful Salihudin, EPD Program Assistant
By appointment at sas2409@columbia.edu