Archive for November 2014

SEEPLES Perspective: What’s your specialization?

sarah  

Sarah Park – East Asia Regional Specialization

What did you do before SIPA?

Prior to SIPA, I was a litigation paralegal at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a law firm based in New York.  After two years in Paul, Weiss, I went to South Korea for a year as a Fulbright fellow to conduct research about North Korean refugees.

Why did you choose to specialize in the East Asia Region?

Growing up in China as a Korean-American, I’ve always been interested in U.S. relations with East Asian countries, more specifically Korea and China.  At SIPA, I wanted to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights through a combination of the human rights concentration and the East Asia specialization.  Through the East Asia specialization, I have taken courses with North Korea experts like Professor Sue Mi Terry.  Moreover, the specialization has helped me learn more about East Asia from a variety of perspectives, including security, human rights, economic, and political.

What do you plan to do after SIPA?

Upon graduation, I would like to work on U.S.-Korea relations in the public sector, think tanks, or NGOs.  I also hope to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights in some way.

 

 FT

Filip Tucek – East Central Europe Regional Specialization

What did you do before SIPA?
Before joining SIPA, I worked first for the Government of the Czech Republic and then as EU Affairs Advisor for Senator Tomas Grulich in the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Having practical experience, in addition to educational background in international affairs, has been extremely helpful for me at SIPA.

Why did you choose to specialize in the East Central Europe Region?
I have specialized in East Central Europe Region as my pre-SIPA interest and work had focused on the region. Moreover, the courses offered in this specialization are taught with some of the world-leading experts and learning from them is a fascinating opportunity. In general, I believe that specializing early on from the studies at SIPA gives a student a competitive advantage and allows to maximize the SIPA experience.

What do you plan to do after SIPA?
After SIPA, I plan to keep working in policy consulting and policy research focusing on security policy in Central and Eastern Europe. I would prefer to stay in the United States.

 

Sharing thanks around the world

SIPA works to foster a community that is racially, culturally and intellectually diverse. Every year, SIPA is representing 75 or more countries, as our students bridge divide of language, culture and national origin. Nearly half of our 2014 class are international students. They hail from 87 different countries, calling Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and Sweden home. With SIPA’s world-renowned, globally-focused education, these students (and future classes) will influence dynamic change around the world. That’s something we at SIPA are truly thankful for—and there’s no better time to share thanks than now. While Thanksgiving is predominantly celebrated in Canada and the United States, there are plenty of things to be thankful for all around the world. Many countries celebrate their own harvest festivals, rituals and customs with a similar message of giving thanks. In honor of our diverse student body, faculty and staff, we thought we’d share a snapshot of what those celebrations look like across the globe. Here’s what those celebrations look like, near and far:

(Source: TravelChannel.com)

Thanksgiving

This Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th, the Admissions Office will be closed in recognition of the American holiday, Thanksgiving. Please be aware that we will not respond to phone calls or emails until Monday, December 1st when we reopen after the holidays.

We encourage you to learn more about our programs and application here. Long holiday weekends are excellent opportunities to get started on the application!

As a reminder, our upcoming deadlines for fall 2015 entry are January 5th, 2015 (for fellowship consideration) and February 5th, 2015 (the final application deadline).

Have a wonderful holiday!

Photo courtesy of Inga Sarda-Sorensen

Photo courtesy of Inga Sarda-Sorensen

Why SIPA is the place for you

intersection sign

We know selecting a graduate school is no easy task. There are several options each applicant must weigh to ensure they’re making the right decision for their future. SIPA appreciates the fact that everyone’s priorities and desires are multifaceted and evolving‑–and that’s something we understand quite well.

As the world’s first and most global public policy school, SIPA produces and shares new knowledge on the critical public policy challenges facing the global community. We train young leaders to engage multiple levels of governance and to reach effective solutions.

And those young leaders are creating real-world solutions as we speak. SIPA students and graduates are accomplishing so much in the global community, from developing dynamic Kickstarter projects for global news to teaching vocational training programs for HIV/AIDS affected communities overseas.

By showcasing outstanding “Seeple” accomplishments, we know you’ll get a glimpse into what your own future will hold at SIPA. Here’s a look at how our current students and graduates are becoming the global leaders of tomorrow, today:

Lauren Greubel, MPA ’15, traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, to present at the First Global Forum on Youth Policies. She spoke about the importance of addressing needs of youth through education and engaging youth in the design of education systems.

Christina Hawatmeh, MIA ’14, was featured in the Village Voice this week for her startup, Protestify, which tracks protests around the world and connects activists, protesters and citizen journalists with professional journalists.

Todd Miner, MPA-ESP ’11, was honored with a NASPAA Spotlight Award for “outstanding contributions toward solving public-sector problems.” The award reflects Miner’s work as a director at Friends of Rockaway, in which he helped lead recovery efforts in one of the New York City neighborhoods hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Happy reading!

 

More on the Application Essays

With our Early Action deadline behind us and our January 5 (deadline with fellowship consideration) and February 5 (final deadline) deadlines approaching, we’d like to provide some more information on our application essays.

For general essay tips, we recommend checking out our blog entry on writing a strong essay.

For the MIA/MPA program applications, the following essays are required:

  1. Personal Statement
  2. Describe future self to future employer, or current self to future employer
  3. Optional Essay

A quick tip on the Personal Statement

In addition to sharing your personal story, this is an opportunity to indicate a clear trajectory for your professional and personal development. This is the chance to share how SIPA can fit into your path for moving forward. We encourage you to be as detailed as possible when writing this essay.

What to include on the Future Career Essay

The purpose of this essay is to provide a space for prospective applicants to identify their professional strengths and establish a ‘personal pitch.’

Imagine writing a short cover letter to your ideal employer.

  • What skills would you want to highlight?
  • What previous experience makes you an exceptional candidate?
  • What professional qualities do you bring to the table?

More on the Optional Essay

Please keep in mind that this is an optional essay. If you feel that you do not need this additional space, then do not feel obligated to fill in this space. However, if there is something you feel you could not express in other areas of the application, please use the optional essay to share this with the Admissions Committee. This is your opportunity to highlight what makes you unique as an applicant, or to offer greater detail into a part of your application that you feel you should address. We’re looking for the whole picture on our applicants, so the more information you provide, the better.

Our SIPA community prides itself in having a diverse student population, made of a myriad of personal and professional stories. We look forward to reading your essays and learning more about YOU!

peer advisor group photo

"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

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

Boiler Image