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Hello EPDers!
Hopefully you have been keeping warm and bundled up in this cold weather and taking care of yourself. The semester has already kickstarted with some really amazing courses, course conflicts, capstone meetings, full classes with no seats, and snow! We wish you all the best for the final shopping week and hope you get all the courses you want. Fingers crossed.
Also, we are currently planning an EPD welcome back social for you, so please stay tuned for updates!
This week’s newsletter includes:
- EPD Courses with available seats
- EPD and SIPA events
- Events Happening at Columbia
- Career Advancement Center Events
- EPD Office Hours
EPD Courses with available seats
Here is an updated list of spring EPD courses with available seats. As a reminder, the last day of online registration is Friday 1/26.
EPD Core Courses (with openings):
Instructor: Olivier Nay
Monday, 4:10 - 6:00 PM
Call #: 14137
The course will provide participants with analytical perspectives and arguments from the social sciences so that they can better understand and analyze political development both as a process of historical transformation and, in the post-colonial world order, as a set of international policies influenced by great powers and international institutions. The course will also explore practical implications for policymaking. Throughout the course, participants will acquire general knowledge regarding concepts, theoretical backgrounds in social sciences, and the main debates guiding international policies. The course will also help participants grasp emerging issues in the field, such as the hybridity of political orders, the question of the resilience of societies, the emergence of new post-colonial political dynamics with the growing influence of the BRICS countries, and the question of environmental politics from a global perspective.
Instructor: Andrew Simons
Section 1: Thursday, 11:00 - 12:50 PM
Call #: 10236
Section 2: Thursday, 2:10 - 4:00 PM
Call #: 10237
The course has two objectives: 1) to explore how economics can be used to understand development and 2) to provide tools and skills useful in policy work. In the course we will describe the basic facts surrounding the development process, and use economic theory to make sense of these facts and to identify gaps in our understanding. We will also learn about the toolkit of development economists that are used to fill in those gaps. These will include analyzing real world data and thinking in terms of causality and its relevance for policy.
Instructor: Eric Verhoogen (NOTE: Prof. Verhoogen will be on leave in 2024-25 so students who wish to take a class with him should enroll this semester)
Section 1: Thursday, 9:00 - 10:50 AM
Call#: 10245
Section 2: Thursday, 2:10 - 4:00 PM
Call#: 10246
Pre-requisite: SIPA U6400 (students who haven't taken U6400 but are comfortable with higher level math and/or have strong background in economics are encouraged to enroll in this course. Please reach out to Prof. Verhoogen if this applies to you and request a permission to be enrolled by OSA).
This is an advanced course in development economics, designed for SIPA students interested in rigorous, applied training. Coursework includes extensive empirical exercises, requiring programming in Stata. The treatment of theoretical models presumes knowledge of calculus. Topics include: the economics of growth; the relationship between growth and poverty and inequality; rural-urban migration; the interaction between agrarian institutions in land, labor, credit, and insurance markets; prisoner’s dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent themes: Are markets efficient, and if not, in what specific ways are they inefficient? What are the forces driving development and underdevelopment? What are the causal links between poverty and inequality and economic performance? What is the role of interventions by states or civil organizations in bringing about development? The course will integrate theoretical ideas and empirical analysis, with an emphasis on questions relevant for economic policy.
EPD Focus Area Courses (with openings):
Instructor: Akbar Noman
Wednesday, 2:10 – 4:00 PM
Call #: 10233
This course focuses on economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa from a political economy perspective. It is divided into three sections. The first section examines the broad economic trends, policies and strategies of the past 50 years. The Washington Consensus and the lost decades are examined in some detail. The focus of this part is on economic growth and structural change, notably the controversies around economic policies and institutions. In the second section the course turns to socioeconomic dimensions and aspects of development including poverty, inequality, employment, health, education, and gender. The final section concludes with an examination of the implications of climate change, debates around foreign aid and an overview of what we have learned.
Instructor: Rumela Sen
Monday, 2:10 - 4:00 PM
Call #: 10240
This seminar is an advanced introduction to contemporary South Asia, one of the world’s most diverse regions. The course is open to SIPA students interested in the region, even if they do not have any prior background in South Asia. The readings will also cater to those students who know more about the region, but want to deepen their knowledge about predominant social, political, and economic issues in the politics and policymaking of South Asia. In this course we will look into various aspects of interaction of the state, society and market in South Asia with an aim to evaluate (a) how comparative social science illuminates South Asia and (b) how analysis of specific cases in South Asia contributes to general theorizing about politics. The focus of the course is analytical. We will use the South Asian experience to address some of the central questions in politics and policymaking.
Instructor: Radha Kulkarni
Course dates: Fri/Sat, Jan 26 & 27, Feb 2 & 3, Feb 9 &10 (Fridays: 11 - 1:20pm, Saturdays 10:30-12:50pm)
Call #: 14143
The aspirations outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are in jeopardy as the world faces cascading and interrelated global crises and conflicts. It has become increasingly apparent that traditional funding modalities are falling tragically short to meet the financing requirements in addressing the SDGs - currently estimated to be around US$4.2 trillion per year. Hence, there is an urgent need to leverage alternative and innovative sources for financing development initiatives. This course will explore the intersection of development finance, strategy, and policy. It will examine the landscape of traditional development financing, provide an overview of various innovative development financing mechanisms, and reflect on the process for adapting them in particular contexts. The course will be highly interactive, involving six classes taking place over three weekends, with leading experts as guest speakers, and practical activities including an individual opinion piece, a group project and presentation, and a simulation exercise.
Instructor: Marcelo Medeiros Coelho de Souza
Section 2: Thursday, 4:10-6:00 PM
Call #: 14141
A proper development strategy must be inclusive and sustainable. Policies to fight poverty, alleviate all inequalities, and promote social mobility are the focus of this course. It deals with emerging and persistent issues in developing countries: the design of a social safety net, biodiversity and sustainability, education, gender and racial inequalities, public health, labor policies, fiscal and social responsibility, the distributive aspects of fiscal policy, taxation, and government size and efficiency. The course combines problem-based learning and lectures.
Instructors: Savita Bailur
Friday, 11:00 – 12:50 PM
Call #: 10719
The course takes a theoretical and critical look at the field from the instructor’s many years of experience working in technology and development, from organizations as diverse as Microsoft Research India to UN Women. ICTs have the power to fundamentally transform the lives of billions. Yet technological solutions are often offered as a “silver bullet”, not grounded in broader socio-economic networks. The course will discuss several case-studies in order to ground theory in practice, and will introduce students to several initiatives which have enabled “development” through ICTs, such as India’s Aadhaar, Kenya’s M-Pesa and others. We will also have participation from invited guest speakers. Through a group assignment, students will apply the principles and good practices explored in the course to develop a concrete digital development proposal. Students who are interested in careers in international development with a focus on technology will find this course a useful foundation.
EPD and SIPA Events
- EPD Course Advising Session
Date & Time: Monday, Jan 22, 2024 | 1 PM – 2 PM EST
Location: IAB, Room 1302
- Climate Justice Series: Environmental Casteism and Climate Disaster
Date & Time: Friday, Jan 26, 2024 | 10 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Location: Online event
The humanitarian impact of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities, which have historically contributed the least to climate change, is now recognized in scholarship and policy. The question of financial payments–from developed to low-income countries– for loss and damage resulting from climate change was front and center recently at the world’s largest climate gathering, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). What has received far less attention is climate justice within countries, such as India, that have deep-rooted and intersecting structures of inequality based on caste, gender, and religion.
Please join the Ambedkar Initiative at the Institute for Comparative Literature & Society, the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, the SIPA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Climate & Engagement (DEICE) Committee, Columbia Climate School, and South Asia Institute for a series of discussions examining social and economic justice issues related to climate change and energy transition in India. The first session, “Environmental Casteism and Climate Disaster,” will focus on how the climate crisis is reinforcing the vulnerabilities of oppressed communities and highlight the importance of an anti-caste framework for research and practice.
Two experts, scholar Srilata Sircar and Pulitzer-Grantee Journalist Suprakash Majumdar, will be in a conversation moderated by Deepali Srivastava, editor of CGEP’s Energy Explained. Dr. Anupama Rao, director, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, and the convenor of the Ambedkar Initiative will deliver welcome remarks. This series honors the legacy of Columbia University alum and India’s civil rights icon, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891–1956) as an economist and an environmental rights leader, whose vision builds a bridge from past to present.
Click here to register!
Other Events Happening at Columbia
- Pop-Up Concerts: Ian Antonio, percussion and Josh Modney, violin
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 6:00 PM
Location: Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
“I imagined the two instruments as two travelers, moving along a simple landscape, with all of its slight or grand changes” states composer Linda Catlin Smith as she sets the scene for Dirt Road—an hour-long work written for the unlikely combination of percussion and violin. The spellbinding percussionist Ian Antonio and virtuosic violinist Josh Modney, Miller regulars, join together to perform selections from the striking work.
Free admission • Doors open at 5:30PM, music at 6PM
Onstage seating is first-come, first-served.
- COP28/Climate Justice: A Chat with Dr. Ariam L. Torres Cordero
Date & Time: Thursday, January 25, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10027
CCS DEIAAAJ Informed Practices with ACE (action for climate emergency) present a COP28 Post-Reflection Action Guide with Dr. Ariam Torres-Cordero of University of Puerto Rico. In the aftermath of COP28, the urgency for global action against climate change remains more evident than ever. The decisions made during the conference regarding climate mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage have profound implications for ecosystems and the lives and livelihoods of people today and in the future.
In Person viewing will be held in Conference room 253.
- Film Screening & Discussion. "RAMPART"
Date & Time: Friday, January 26, 2024 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: International Affairs Building, Harriman Institute Atrium, 12th floor
Please join the East Central European Center and the Njegoš Endowment for Serbian Language and Culture for a screening of RAMPART, followed by a Q&A with the director Marko Grba Singh. Moderated by Aleksandar Bošković.
Marko Grba Singh’s films are improbable explorations, with a particular interest in the multiple oneiric lines of flight that an image may reveal. Every element is the beginning of a possible mapping of a world existing in between materiality and dream, history and tale, presence and strangeness. The play is limitless, and a hypnotizing tenderness crosses every shot – a serene curiosity towards everything.
RAMPART, his first documentary feature, recollects the ghosts and memories of his empty childhood apartment in Belgrade. The family VHS archive from 1998-99 is revisited and re- signified, bringing to the present a family life unfolding, marked by traumatic historic events and by their bonds and desires. Dreams are probably the most definite residues of childhood, and the quiet movement for the film.
On Saturday, January 27 at 7:30, the Anthology Film Archive will also be screening RAMPART, hosting Marko Grba Singh, as part of an event co-sponsored by the East Central European Center and UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art.
Click here to register!
Career Advancement Center Events
- International Rescue Committee Information Session
When/Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, including the conflict in Ukraine and the crisis in Afghanistan. They help to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster, and are proud to fight for a world where women and girls have an equal chance to succeed. The session will be an introduction to IRC as well as internship opportunities for the IRC Home Study and Post Release Services program and the Technical Advisors and Program Officers within the Safety Health and Education Technical Unit.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- Imago Global Grassroots/SIPA 2024 Fellowship Information Session
When/Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Our Summer Fellowship Program draws on talented, inquisitive, and entrepreneurial graduate-level students who are working towards a degree in a field related to international development or business administration. Selected Summer Fellows go through an in-person on-boarding process in Washington D.C. to take an in-depth look at the organization, the clients with whom they will be working, and the activities and objectives to be achieved during the summer. After the in-person on-boarding, fellows are assigned to one or multiple projects in one of the Imago offices. Join us in this info session to learn more about the Imago Summer Fellowship Program.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- Thinkathon - Greater Good Challenge, Information Session
When/Time: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 @10:00 am - 11:00 am
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
SIPA students and alumni have the opportunity to participate in a Thinkathon - Greater Good challenge that addresses SDGs. Columbia in collaboration with UNICC (United Nations International Computing Centre) is offering this opportunity to collaborate as part of a 3-5 person team and address 1 of 2 prompts/challenges. Challenge 1: Digital Diplomacy, Challenge 2: Quality Education.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- Career Chat with Noga Hurwitz, Product Manager - Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe
When/Time: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: IAB 413
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Join Noga Hurwitz, Product Manager - Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe for a discussion on her career path, her role and team, and advice on breaking into the space.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- State Policy Fellowship Information Session
When/Time: Thursday, January 25, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Join this webinar to learn more about the State Policy Fellowship, a project of the State Priorities Partnership, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. We'll provide an overview of the program, answer questions about the application process, and give you a chance to hear from program alumni. To learn more about the program, please visit https://www.cbpp.org/careers/state-policy-fellowship-program.
Applications are due on February 29th, 2024, at 11:59 ET. Please register for and join the information session using the following link: https://cbpp.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkdOiurDwiG9KQohQUkYx2ir26BOFEvd--#/registration
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- Career Chat with Paulo Speroni, UN Global Compact
When/Time: Monday, January 29, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Join SIPA alum Paulo Speroni, Manager of Strategy, Governance and Innovation at PRME, UN Global Compact for a discussion covering his time at SIPA, his own job search, and his current work at UN Global Compact. Paulo will also provide advice on navigating networking in the US as an international student. Please bring your questions for Q&A.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for Intl Students: The ABCs of International Student Career Planning
When/Time: Monday, January 29, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Marion Pratt of Duke Sanford will lead a session on how international students need a plan A, plan B, and plan C for their job search.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services Employer Information Session
When/Time: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Student Registration: GSAS, TC and SIPA students can register here: https://bit.ly/ColumbiaEmployerCS101 and the event password is: Columbia24.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- Career Chat with Lijing Sun, Long River Investment Management Limited
When/Time: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Join SIPA alum Lijing Sun, Founding Partner of Long River Investment Management Limited (ex-Global Head of Strategy and Analytics, HSBC) for a career chat covering her time at SIPA and career path since graduating. Lijing will also provide advice on networking in finance for international students. Please bring questions for Q&A.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for Intl Students: Overview of the US OPT, CPT, and H1-B.
When/Time: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
US Immigration Attorney Mark Rhoads of McCandlish Holton, PC will walk through the intricacies of work permitting and status for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. Facilitated by Laura Sheehan of Georgetown University.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency/SIPA Employer Information Session
When/Time: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: IAB Room 413
Dress Code: Business Smart
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required
Join a recruiter from NGA to learn about opportunities at the agency.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for International Students: Diplomatic Visas (G4)
When/Time: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
The G-4 Visa: How and Where to Find and Apply. Led by Rebecca Aman of Johns Hopkins University.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for Intl Students: Opportunities at Multilaterals and the G4 Visa
When/Time: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Led by Rebecca Aman of Johns Hopkins SAIS, this session will explore opportunities at multilaterals as a strong option for international students.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for Intl Students: Telling Your Story as an International Student
When/Time: Thursday, February 1, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Co-led by Sara Jones of AU SIS and Jamie Polliard of DU JKSIS, international students can explore how to craft a narrative that emphasizes the value of their international background and experience.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for International Students: Navigating Networking in a Culture Not Your Own
When/Time: Friday, February 2, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
Navigating your New Network: How to find and make connections in the U.S. - led by Emmylou Griffith of University of Pittsburgh.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
- APSIA Career Sessions for Intl Students: Navigating your New Network
When/Time: Friday, February 2, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted
International students can learn about how to find and make connections in the US and abroad, led by Emmylou Griffith of the University of Pittsburgh GSPIA.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
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