Archive for June 2009 – Page 2

International Summit on Job Creation and Workforce Development

Even though it is summer at SIPA and many of our students are dispersed around the world completing internships, activities at the university focused on policy issues do not stop.  Evidence can be found in a summit that took place yesterday, featuring a keynote address by NYC Major Michael Bloomberg.

“Job Creation and Workforce Development”
Thursday, June 25, 2009, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Low Memorial Library, Columbia University in the City of New York.

New York City Global Partners, Inc, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Local Economic and Employment Development Programme, and Columbia University in the City of New York are pleased to convene this summit, which brings together governmental leaders, policy professionals, and renowned intellectuals from 21 nations.

Cities represented are Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Athens, Baltimore, Barcelona, Belfast, Brussels, Budapest, Calgary, Caracas, Copenhagen, Dublin, Fortaleza, Hong Kong, Kolkata, London, Manila, Miami, Milan, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tokyo, Toronto and Vancouver.

This international summit will showcase successful initiatives from New York City and around the world that improve the technical skills and quality of the urban workforce and meet the needs of critical and growing sectors of the economy.

During the summit’s public program, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and leaders from Barcelona, London, Santiago, Shanghai, and the OECD will discuss programmatic solutions and implementation strategies that strengthen the urban workforce.  This event is part of a two-day dialogue between New York City leaders and their counterparts from around the world.

To learn more and view a list of presenters, please visit:

www.universityprograms.columbia.edu

New Student Photo Entry #4

The following photos come from Jamal Haider, incoming MIA student.

Photo Taken at: Sigiriya Rock Fort in Sri Lanka
Description: This picture was taken at the Sigiriya Rock Fort in Sri Lanka during my visit to the country in March 2008. The Fort was built by King Kashypa around 1650 years back. The entrance to the upper part of the fort was constructed to look like a lion’s head. The king actually went into the lions mouth to get to his personal quarters. The massive paws you see is what is left of the construction now.

Photo Taken at: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Description: An Indonesian fisherman fishing for crustacians, shrimps and little fish to sell at the local market. The net and a bucket is all that they use to catch fish in these rough waters.

Photo Taken at: Ghorra Gali, Pakistan
Description: The picture was taken in a remote village of Ghorra Gali in the Murree District of Pakistan while I was hiking from Ghorra Gali to Islamabad with the Asian Study Group. The total distance was 28 km and it took us 8 hours to complete. This little lady was sitting on the road playing with rocks. She seems unhappy with the passing strangers as none of them brought any sweets or treats for the kids.

New Student Photo Entry #3

These photos come from incoming MIA student Emily Donnan.

This is a photograph taken in a rural village in Malawi during the summer of 2008; I volunteered with the organization “World Camp for Kids” and spent six weeks helping to provide HIV/AIDS and deforestation education to over 1,800 Malawian children.  In this photo I am building a solar oven with one of our students out of cardboard and tin foil.  I hope to merge joint interests in child welfare and sustainability at SIPA.

This is a photo of me reading to my new nephew in June 2008; I am ecstatic to be an Aunt!

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The following comes from new student Rostyslav R. Korchysnkyy who will be entering the PEPM program.

This photo was taken in late May, 2009 in the Carpathian mountains, Western Ukraine. Colorful and intricate craftsmanship of the 18-th century clothing of Hutsuls, an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders who for centuries have inhabited the Carpathian mountains, mainly in Ukraine, but also in the northern extremity of Romania, as well as in Slovakia and Poland.

New Student Photo Entry #2

The following photos are from Peter Chin, incoming MIA student.

This is a photo of myself taken on top of Mayan ruins in Belize.

This is a photo of me holding up the Taj Mahal in India, taken last September.

New Student Photo Entry #1

A few photos have started to roll in and I will work on getting them posted over time.  Thank you so much to all who have already responded!  First up, Diana Rodriguez, incoming MDP student.

  • Place taken: Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, in the northern Peruvian Amazon (close to Iquitos)
  • Description: These are children of the Cocama ethnic group who live in San Martin de Tipishca, a small town right by the Samiria River in the Peruvian Amazon Basin.  Leonela Ahuanari, the girl at the left end of the picture makes and sells necklaces and bracelets with seeds found in the rainforest. With proceeds from her sales she buys school supplies for herself and her cousins (also shown in the picture).  Leonela’s father, Manuel and his brother, William, started an ecotourism project to generate income for their community.

  • Place taken: San Roque de Cumbaza, San Martin Region, Peru
  • Description: half an hour away from the city of Tarapoto, Peru, there is a small town right by the Cumbaza river in the Peruvian Amazon Basin.  Walking through the town to reach the river, I saw this chair holding a delicious fruit called “zapote” that is widely available in February and March. The composition of the chair against the doorway was stunningly beautiful.

"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

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