Archive for February 2014

ISP Highlights

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Thursday, February 27th, 2014 
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Highlights for ISP concentrators this semester have included the ISP Crisis Simulation and the ISP Faculty Career Panel.  The day-long crisis simulation is held each year as an experiential learning opportunity for students interested in international affairs, diplomacy and military strategy. This year’s crisis simulation centered around a hypothetical U.S. intervention in Syria in which regional powers and non-state actors vied for control. Students on six teams represented either a state (the U.S., Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Russia) or a fictional terrorist organization modeled after Al Qaeda. During the simulation, each team had to devise a strategy that would allow it to accomplish its specific political objectives while dealing with constraints and uncertainty that modeled the risks actual decision-makers might face in a similar situation. By the end of the day, the students had come to understand some of the difficulties associated with operating in a dynamic environment with incomplete information and limited time to reach their goals.

The Faculty Career Panel featured five ISP faculty members, all of whom exemplify the unique mix of academic, practical and policy expertise to be found within the SIPA faculty. The professors shared reflections on their experiences as U.S. government analysts and advisors at the CIA, the Congressional Budget Office and the Senate, as well as at organizations such as the RAND Corporation, the Brookings Institution and the Aga Khan Foundation. Collectively, their careers have taken them around the world, including to Russia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the former Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). The professors gave short presentations about their own career trajectories and shared their advice to students newly entering the field. The presentations were followed by a reception during which students had the opportunity to speak with faculty one-on-one and seek advice about their own career aspirations.

In addition, SIPA organizations such as the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies and its Center for International Conflict Resolution host a number of events throughout the semester of interest to ISP students.  In January, the Saltzman Institute hosted United Nations Deputy Secretary- General, Jan Eliasson, who spoke of the changing geopolitical and economic landscape that world leaders will face in the years ahead. This week, the Institute will present “A Day in the Life of CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence,” with SIPA Professor of Professional Practice Peter Clement. The Center for International Conflict Resolution at the Saltzman Institute has hosted a number of events on diplomacy, mediation and peacebuilding, including its Alvaro de Soto Conversation Series, which featured Peruvian and UN diplomat Alvaro de Soto and former U.S. Ambassador Chester Crocker on the challenges facing the contemporary field of mediation.

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It’s FAFSA Time!

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 
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Admitting the best applicants and getting them here is always on our mind.

Students admitted to SIPA are considered for scholarships (presuming you had submitted your application by the fellowship deadline), but if you need additional assistance from student loans or Work Study, you will need to complete the 2014/15 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA.  To do so, go to www.fafsa.gov.   The information collected on the FAFSA will be used by the SIPA Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility for student loans available from the federal government and possible work study jobs.

If you completed the FAFSA as an undergraduate, you’ll be familiar with the process, although as a graduate student, no parental information is necessary.   If you have a PIN number that you used as an undergraduate, use the same one.  If you have never completed a FAFSA before, you will need a PIN in order to complete the FAFSA; you must go to www.pin.ed.gov, which is linked from www.fafsa.gov.

When you complete the FAFSA, designate Columbia University as the recipient with our school code number, 002707, in Step 6 of the FAFSA.

Do not wait until you have received an admission decision to complete your FAFSA.  While there is no absolute deadline approaching, you should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible; we recommend that you do so by about March 1 for a timely review.  Also be aware that this is an annual form, and you will need to complete the 2015/16 FAFSA for your second year should you wish to borrow or be considered for a work study position.  If you are only interested in SIPA scholarships and do not wish to borrow loans, you need not complete the FAFSA.  You can, however, submit a FAFSA later if you decide that you do want to explore student loan or Work Study options.

The FAFSA is a lengthy form that collects a lot of information.  If you are completing the FAFSA for the first time, it can be confusing.  If you have any questions or need any assistance, contact us at 212-854-6216 or email us at [email protected].

 

Note: Do not complete a FAFSA if you are an international student.  It is used to determine eligibility for aid available only to US citizens and permanent residents.

 

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Categories : Paying for SIPA
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Do you have plans next week?

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Friday, February 21st, 2014 
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Here’s a list of  SIPA events happening next week…  It’s going to be a busy week.

 

FROM MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014 THROUGH FRIDAY, MARCH 07, 2014

New York – Where the Energy Manifests Beauty

All Day Event, International Affairs Building, 12th Floor

Alexander Movshovich’s exhibit, “New York – Where the Energy Manifests Beauty” presents bold images of New York City—places we probably never visit, and likely, would have a hard time finding.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014

 

Bangkok Shutdown? Thailand’s Political Crisis

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 918

Brown Bag Lecture with Duncan McCargo, Senior Research Affiliate, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University; Professor of Political Science, University of Leeds. No registration required.

Sponsor: Weatherhead East Asian Institute

 

Flexible Diplomacy in Today’s Uncertain War and Peace: UN Envoys and the Mediation of Intrastate Conflicts

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1302

Brownbag lunchtime discussion with Elodie Convergne, visiting scholar at Columbia SIPA; and Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Director, Center for International Conflict Resolution, and Arnold A. Saltzman Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia SIPA.

Sponsor: Center of International Conflict Resolution

 

More Than Meets the Eye

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Avery Hall, Room 115

A talk by Vanessa Monique Smith.

Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies

 

SAI: A lecture by Prabhat Patnaik

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm, Knox Hall, Room 208

A talk by Prabhat Patnaik, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Sponsor: South Asia Institute

 

Tibetan Intellectuals in the 1940s

6:15 pm to 7:45 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 918

Modern Tibetan Studies presentation with Heather Stoddard, Professor Emeritus of Tibetan Studies, Institut National des Langues et Cultures Orientales (Paris). No registration required.

Sponsor: Weatherhead East Asian Institute

 

Protest, Police, and Rights: When Good Protests Go Bad

7:15 pm to 9:00 pm, Journalism School, World Room

Todd Gitlin, Oxana Shevel, and 2014 Paul Klebnikov Russian Civil Society Fellow, Olesya Gerasimenko will discuss the successes and failures of recent protests.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

 

Neither Donkey Nor Horse: Medicine and the Struggle Over China’s Modernity

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 918

Lecture with Sean Lei, Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, Taiwan; 2013-14 Member, Institute for Advanced Study. Moderated by Eugenia Lean, Associate Professor of Chinese History, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University. No registration required.

Sponsor: Weatherhead East Asian Institute

 

Counterinsurgency and Peacekeeping Operations in Western and Central Africa

6:10 pm to 8:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1302

An event with Brigadier General Jean-Luc Friedling, BG French Army, and Head of Military Mission and Advisor to the French Permanent Representative to the UN, and Adrien-Basseyni Diarra, Fellow at the Georgetown University Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Center for Security Studies. Discussing Counterinsurgency and Peacekeeping Operations in Mali and Central/West Africa.

Sponsor: Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

 

A Day in the Life of CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1512

An event with Professor Peter Clement, Former Deputy Director for Intelligence for Analytic Programs, CIA, and Visiting Professor of Professional Practice, School of International and Public Affairs.

Sponsor: Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and the Harriman Institute

 

Book Talk: Ali İğmen, Speaking Soviet with an Accent, Culture and Power in Kyrgyzstan

4:15 pm to 6:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1219

Ali İğmen, Associate Professor of History, California State University, Long Beach, will give a book talk on Speaking Soviet with an Accent.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

The Economy in 2014: The Importance of Job Creation and Leadership

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1512

Lecture by Duncan Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext.

Sponsor: The SIPA Finance Society

 

Fueling Up: The Economic Implications of America’s Oil and Gas Boom

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1501

A presentation and discussion with Trevor Houser, Partner, Rhodium Group; Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; and co-author, Fueling Up.

Sponsor: Center on Global Energy Policy

 

The Earth Institute Practicum in Innovative Sustainability Leadership: Low-Carbon Transportation

6:10 pm to 7:00 pm, Havemeyer Hall Room 209

Speaker: Lori Ardito, First Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation.

Sponsor: The Earth Institute

 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014

 

The Educational System in Brazil and its Higher Education

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 802

Talk by Gabriela Rizo, Professor at UFRRJ, Brazil.

Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies

 

The Corpse Had a Familiar Face: The Slow Demise of Media Freedom in the OSCE Region

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1219

Representative Dunja Mijatović will review developments and significant cases across all regions of the OSCE and touch on the issues of journalists’ safety, Internet freedom, the rule of law and the way forward.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

After Sochi: Russia and the World

2:15 pm to 4:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1512

Timothy Frye, Kimberly Marten, and Stephen Sestanovich will discuss the future of Russia, post the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

Sijo Workshop with Prof. David McCann

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Kent Hall, Room 403

Sijo Workshop with Professor David McCann. No registration required.

Sponsor: The Center for Korean Research

 

Development Workshop: Lori Beaman

4:15 pm to 5:45 pm. International Affairs Building, Room 1101

As part of Columbia University’s Spring 2014 Development Workshop, Lori Beaman, Assistant Professor of Economics at Northwestern University will present her recent work.

Sponsor: Center for Development Economics and Policy

 

10 Years of the First PhD in Sustainable Development: Research Challenges in Sustainable Development

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Low Memorial Library, Rotunda

Moderator: Merit E. Janow, Dean, School of International and Public Affairs; Professor, Practice of International Economic Law and International Affairs; Panelists: Joseph E. Stiglitz, University Professor; Co-director, Sustainable Development PhD Program; Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The The Earth Institute; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development; Professor, Health Policy and Management; Co-director, Sustainable Development PhD Program.

Sponsor: The Earth Institute, School of International and Public Affairs

 

Russia in East Asia: Imagination, Exchange, Travel, Translation

6:00 pm to 6:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1512

A mini-conference that explores the cross-border perceptions, connections, and cultural exchanges between Russia and its neighbors in East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan.

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

Luuk van Middelaar on Europa after the Euro Crisis: Political Change, Public Discontent?

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 707

A talk with Dr. Luuk van Middelaar drawing upon the analysis offered in his book The Passage to Europe (Yale U.P, 2013) as well as upon his experience in the EU “frontlines” as speechwriter to the European Council President (since 2010). Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, will provide comments.

Sponsor: European Institute

 

Crossing Paths: The Diversity in Mexico-US Migration

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Barnard College, 3rd Floor, Sulzberger Parlor

Mexican Mondays Lecture Series with Filiz GaripM, Harvard University.

Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies

 

 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

 

Discussion with Jawad Nabulsi

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 403

Discussion with Jawad Nabulsi, Egyptian Revolutionary; Professor Anya Schiffrin, Director, International Media, Advocacy, and Communications Specialization, SIPA.

Sponsor: International Media, Advocacy and Communications Specialization

 

Alternative Transition Paths: Does Pressure from Below Matter for Democracy?

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 802

A talk with Professor Robert R. Kaufman, Rutgers University.

Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies

 

SAI: Shujaat Khan (sitar) and Samir Chatterjee (tabla) in Concert at Miller Theatre

8:00 pm to 10:30 pm, Columbia University, Miller Theatre

The South Asia Institute presents Shujaat Khan, sitar; and Samir Chatterjee, tabla in concert at Columbia University.

Sponsor: South Asia Institute

 

 

For event details, click here.

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Categories : Columbia University, SIPA

Seeple Snapshot: Denise Mitchell

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Thursday, February 20th, 2014 
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denise copy
 
Name: Denise Mitchell
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Year Graduated Undergrad: 2011
Undergraduate Major: English

 

Before you came to SIPA, what were you doing?

Before I came to SIPA, I worked at a few nonprofits. The first one in D.C., and that was actually an education non-profit that worked with independent schools. And then I did some traveling, I took some classes. I came back to Brooklyn and ended up working with a non-profit in East New York which was really involved with community development and arts education. I have been pretty non-profit focused.

What are you studying at SIPA?

I’m studying urban and social policy as my concentration, and my specialization is management. We joke that it’s the liberal arts degree of SIPA and I definitely feel like I get a very well-rounded education through that.

What’s been your favorite part about SIPA so far?

It’s hard to choose. I think definitely the diversity of the students. I’m continuously in awe of my classmates. Everyone is from a different country, everyone speaks five languages, everyone has traveled and lived in places that you’ve only really seen on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Everyone is just really well-rounded. I’m continuously impressed by my peers.

Do you have a favorite class that you’ve taken?

I really liked Critical Issues in Urban Public Policy with [former New York City] Mayor David Dinkins. As a native New Yorker, it was a really amazing experience to see this man who, when I was growing up, was mayor and now he’s my professor and I see him every Tuesday. And he brings in a number of really dynamic speakers. It’s just great because it’s a lecture series in every class.

Where do you see yourself after SIPA?

I see myself everywhere after SIPA. I’d like to open my own non-profit, preferably before graduating in New York City. I’d like to spend a few years working abroad doing international development work. I’d like to come back to New York City and get involved in public policy. And that’s the great thing about SIPA. You feel like you can literally do anything after leaving here.

 

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Categories : Academics, Meet Seeples, SIPA
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SIPA Faculty’s New Book is Out

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Tuesday, February 18th, 2014 
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Sestanovich

Dr. Stephen Sestanovich, a professor of international diplomacy and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the United States ambassador-at-large for the former Soviet Union from 1992 to 2001, has a new book out.  He joined SIPA’s faculty in the fall of 2001 as the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of International Diplomacy.  Professor Sestanovich is also the director of the International Fellows Program.  He currently teaches the “US Role in World Affairs” course at SIPA.

Professor Sestanovich’s new book, Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama looks at sweep of U.S. foreign policy since 1940s.  It upends the accepted notions of widely known events and shows how personalities can play as important a role as events in creating policies. Sestanovich argues that, “there is much to learn from the history of American foreign policy, but that we can’t learn it from the sepia-tinted versions of the past that have dominated public discussion in recent years.”

SIPA will host an event in recognition of Professor Sestanovich and Maximalist on March 26 at 6 p.m. in the International Affairs Building.

Read more about Maximalist at knopfdoubleday.com

For Stephen Sestanovich’s complete biography, click here.

 

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—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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