From: Economic and Political Development Concentration
Date: February 5
Subject: EPD Newsletter | February 5, 2024


Hello EPDers!

The month of February has started and this means so many things. Yes, love might be in the air but we are talking about getting deeper into the semester and letting go of procrastination before the midterms hit. No worries though, there is still a lot of time to have fun with friends and make memories before the second years graduate in May (happy sobs).

Meanwhile, EPD has a lot of exciting events lined up for you so check out this week’s newsletter!

This week’s newsletter includes:

  • EPD and SIPA events
  • 2024 Global Elections - Show your interest via survey!
  • Events Happening at Columbia
  • Career Advancement Center Events
  • EPD Office Hours

EPD and SIPA Events

  • EPD Internship Panel 

When: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 | 1-2 PM
Where: Room 407

Join us for the EPD Internship Panel! Discover the valuable insights and experiences of our second-year students as they share their internship journeys with our eager first-year students. Get ready to be inspired and gain valuable knowledge to kickstart your own internship adventure! 

Register here.

  • The “Third UN”: Impacts, Access & Barriers of NGOs at the United Nations

When: Monday, February 12, 2024 | 1-2 PM
Where: Room 407

A range of non-state actors regularly engage in UN discussions and processes. These include intellectuals, scholars, think tanks, NGOs, private sector companies, and the media. Collectively, they are often referred to as the “Third UN” that interacts with member states, as well as the international bureaucracies of UN entities. NGOs often hold a special role in bringing voices from the ground to the diplomatic parquet in New York and Geneva, asking for state accountability and infusing new ideas into multilateral deliberations. How do NGOs access UN processes, what determines their impact, and what barriers continue to exist that hamper their influence? What distinctions can be made between international and grassroots NGOs and how can UN civil society participation systems promote justice and equity? Join us for an engaging panel discussion with:

Panelists

  • Wook-Jin Chang, Chief of NGO Branch, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
  • Maithili Pai, Programme Officer, Civil Society Access and Participation, International Service for Human Rights on the access and politics of access of human rights NGOs to UN processes
  • Moderator: Professor Daniel Naujoks, Director, International Organization & UN Studies, Columbia-School of International and Public Affairs

Register here. 

  • Career Chat with EPD Alum

When: Friday, February 23, 2024 | 12PM (noon) - 1 PM
Where: Room 407

Zaki is a director at DAI Sustainable Business Group supporting projects with USAID, FCDO, World Bank, corporate and foundation clients. He also serves as a technical lead for DAI's engagement with the global accelerator's network (GAN) and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). At SIPA, Zaki teaches a course on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development and serves as a team advisor for the SIPA Dean's Challenge entrepreneurship competition.

Zaki will speak about his experience as an international development consultant and will provide valuable tips on how to tailor a resume for development consultancies and how to approach networking.

(Food will be provided)

Register here.

  • TMaC Series on AI + Disinformation in the Elections

TMaC is doing a wonderful series on AI and disinformation on the elections taking place around the world this year. You can find the details on the series of speaker sessions in the poster below.

  • Global Elections 2024: Seeking Your Feedback

Two billion voters in over 60 countries will be heading to the polls (or have already done so) for national elections in 2024. Is your country one of them? We'd like to hear from you! We're gauging student interest for a potential event about global elections in hopes of giving you the opportunity to talk about issues important to you, and discussing the wide ranging effects that elections have both domestically and internationally. Click here to share your interest. 

Other Events Happening at Columbia

  • Master Class in Translation with Angela Rodel  

When: Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: IAB, Room: Marshall D. Shulman Seminar Room, 1219

Angela Rodel is the winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize for Her Translation of Georgi Gospodinov's Time Shelter

Please join the Harriman Institute for a deep dive into the poetry and prose of Georgi Gospodinov. Starting with a look at his poetics and an attempt to translate his “I’m Dying a la Pasternak” (an ironic reference to the Russian writer's famous poem “Winter Night”), we will then turn to a passage from his novel Physics of Sorrow, that uses much of the same word and sound play in prose. 

KNOWLEDGE OF BULGARIAN OR OTHER SLAVIC LANGUAGE NOT REQUIRED.

12:00 Lunch & 1-3:00 Master Class

The master class will be followed at 3:30 by a reading from Rodel's translations and conversation with Harriman Director Valentina Izmirlieva.

You can register here.

  • Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y

When: Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 8:00 PM
Where: Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York

The multifaceted drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. is “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation” (The New York Times). Claiming eight successful albums of his own, Owens has also gained special attention for his performances on Grammy Award-winning albums by Kurt Elling and The Christian McBride Big Band. For this performance, he brings his Generation Y ensemble - a quintet comprising some of the most dynamic young jazz musicians on the scene, dedicated to moving the music forward, with a love of the jazz tradition.

Get tickets here.

  • The Sisterhood: How Black Women Writers Changed American Culture

When: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Buell Hall, 515 W. 116 St., New York, NY 10027
Room/Area: East Gallery

The Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race presents an evening in celebration of The Sisterhood: How a Network of Black Women Writers Changed American Culture (Columbia U.P., 2023)

A Conversation with the author, Courtney Thorsson (GSAS ’09)

And two members of the Sisterhood:

  • Margo Jefferson
  • Patricia Spears Jones
  • Moderated by Farah Jasmine Griffin

Co-sponsored by the Institute for Research in African American Studies, the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, the Department of English and Comparative Literature, the Columbia School of the Arts, the Barnard Department of Africana Studies, and the Barnard Center for Research on Women.

You can register here.

Career Advancement Center Events 

  • John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Information Session

When/Time: Monday, February 5, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm 
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required

The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 12-month Department of Defense (DoD) leadership development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. Established by John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019, this program provides the DoD headquarters staff offices with the ability to recruit and develop future leaders from across the United States. Fellows are provided with challenging developmental opportunities and flourish into problem solvers, strategic thinkers, and future leaders. The Program instills a spirit of public service and a commitment to the larger DoD community. Fellows that successfully complete the program are eligible for conversion into a position with the DoD.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Summer Internship Employer Briefing

When/Time: Monday, February 5, 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us. At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere. We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference. In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • Elevate ESG Employer Information Session

When/Time: Monday, February 5, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: IAB 413
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

Join SIPA alum Carmelina Palmer (Supply Chain Consulting) and Jennifer Burczynski (HR) to learn about opportunities at Elevate. Elevate is open to sponsorship and hiring graduates with the STEM OPT extension. 

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • The Rockefeller Foundation

When/Time: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

The Rockefeller Foundation strives to solve global challenges with lasting impact.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Information Session

When/Time: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required

The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 12-month Department of Defense (DoD) leadership development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. Established by John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019, this program provides the DoD headquarters staff offices with the ability to recruit and develop future leaders from across the United States. Fellows are provided with challenging developmental opportunities and flourish into problem solvers, strategic thinkers, and future leaders. The Program instills a spirit of public service and a commitment to the larger DoD community. Fellows that successfully complete the program are eligible for conversion into a position with the DoD.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • Career Chat with Laura Pulecio, Wikimedia Foundation

When/Time: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: IAB 413
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

Join SIPA alum Laura Pulecio Duarte, Specialist - Tech Public Policy and Comms at the Wikimedia Foundation, for a chat about her work and careers in the space. Bring your questions for Q&A. 

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • U.S. EPA Hiring Webinar

When/Time: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required

We are hiring! Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a virtual hiring webinar on February 7, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET. You’ll hear from EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, EPA hiring specialists, and current EPA employees at the event.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • 2024 CPT Info Session

When/Time: Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

Are you a SIPA student who requires CPT for an internship? Do you have questions about your internship requirements? Come and Join Carla Espinoza, Associate Director of Career Advancement Center, for a Zoom Info Sessions on the CPT process!

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • Alumni Panel: Empowering Professional Growth in Diverse Workspaces

When/Time: Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

The “Empowering Professional Growth in Diverse Workspaces” panel aims to explore the distinctive aspects of professional growth for individuals from historically underrepresented groups, providing a platform for sharing experiences and valuable advice from SIPA Alums and DEI Mentors. Panelists will highlight their post academic journey and how their graduate matriculation prepared them for their former and current roles.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Information Session

When/Time: Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required

The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 12-month Department of Defense (DoD) leadership development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. Established by John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019, this program provides the DoD headquarters staff offices with the ability to recruit and develop future leaders from across the United States. Fellows are provided with challenging developmental opportunities and flourish into problem solvers, strategic thinkers, and future leaders. The Program instills a spirit of public service and a commitment to the larger DoD community. Fellows that successfully complete the program are eligible for conversion into a position with the DoD.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • Beacon Global Strategies Information Session

When/Time: Monday, February 12, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 
Where: IAB 413
Dress Code: Business Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: Permanent US Work Authorization Required

Beacon’s mission and growth goals leading to career opportunities including paid part time internships for current graduate students and full-time positions for those who completed their graduate programs. Being a part of the Beacon team -Exposure to national security experts and policy drivers, bi-partisan teams dedicated to impactful societal contributions, highly collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing at all levels.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

  • 2024 CPT Info Session

When/Time: Thursday, February 15, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Virtual
Dress Code: Casual
Work Authorization Requirement: All Work Authorizations Accepted

Are you a SIPA student who requires CPT for an internship? Do you have questions about your internship requirements? Come and Join Carla Espinoza, Associate Director of Career Advancement Center, for a Zoom Info Sessions on the CPT process!

For more information, CLICK HERE.

EPD Office Hours

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