Author Archive for Columbia SIPA – Page 52

a little bit of money can go a long way

Students sometimes come to us asking for money to make up the difference between tuition and their savings.  Sometimes it’s as low as a few hundred dollars so wouldn’t it be nice to know you have a scholarship to fill the gap?

The American Foundation of Savoy Orders has called for applications for the 2014-2015 Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships.  The scholarships are available for North American residents.  Three $2500 scholarships to full time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in the Humanities and Fine Arts or International Studies will be offered based on scholastic achievement and financial need.

For students applying for the International Studies Scholarship, please note that students will be expected to periodically attend Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) briefings at sessions relating to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations with which the Savoy Foundation is registered as a NGO. Scholarship recipients will be required to write brief summaries of each meeting they attend. A Foundation representative will supervise and guide the student’s activities at the United Nations.  Enrollment in a college or university within reasonable proximity of the United Nations is required.

Please click here for the scholarship guidelines and the application.  Application along with required materials must be completed and received on or before May 15, 2014 in order to be considered.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated will notify 2014-2015 Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarship recipients by July 30, 2014.

Please direct all questions regarding the application process or candidate eligibility to:  [email protected] or by calling 212.922.1100, ext. 245.

 

A Little Planning Goes A Long Way: How To Maximize Your SIPA Experience From Day One

You have been accepted to SIPA and have decided to attend. Your housing has been secured and your concentration and specialization have been selected. You are now ready to embark on the first year of SIPA. But before you finalize your class schedule and show up for orientation, it is essential to recognize that maximizing your graduate school experience begins on day one. Luckily, we have these tips from SIPA veterans on how to make every moment of your first year count.

 

Take Professional Development During Your First Semester

This way, you will take the course with the majority of your classmates and will be able to use the skills taught for your internship search and informational interviews right away.

 

Consider Enrolling In Core Requirements During Your First Year

Though many students grumble about delving into economics and statistics, completing these courses right away will make you eligible to enroll in courses for which these are prerequisites. Again, the majority of your classmates will choose to take these courses early on, making it easier to find study partners and notes from that lecture you slept through.

 

Start Looking For Summer Internships…Now

Though August and September may be too early to start application processes for these coveted positions, it is important to think about what ideally you want to be doing this summer from the get-go. Start by calling SIPA alums who have taken your desired path, having career services edit your resume, and taking the time to research possible opportunities online and through SIPALink.

 

Get Involved

Now is the time to explore different clubs and organizations that interest you. Joining these groups are a fantastic way to meet your new classmates and explore professional opportunities with like-minded peers. Especially because life at SIPA quickly gets very busy, join these groups and become committed to them before you’re drowning in reading and midterms. ​

 

Inside The Minds Of SIPA Students: May Edition

Seeples, as SIPA students are affectionately called, are always a busy bunch. Whether they are rallying against injustices in Venezuela, preparing for international travel to North Korea, or interning at the United Nations, students are always on the move and always pursuing their interests. However, the end of the semester means that students are more swamped than usual. Here are some of the things occupying SIPA students’ brain space at the moment:

Finals

Ah, the dreaded F-word. With May just a day away, SIPA students are in crunch mode as their classes quickly wind down and final exams lurk around the corner. Long nights in the library have become the norm, and study sessions with friends abound. Though SIPA students are a high-achieving group, many students just want to teleport themselves to the end of the month when their exams will have ended and they have diplomas in their hands.

Assistantships

Student Affairs recently released the first round of assistantships, which notifies first-year students of the jobs they will work at in order to receive their fellowship funding. Seeples are excited by the prospect of having part of their tuition funds figured out, and many are weighing how to pay the remainder of the balance.

Jobs

Second-year students are in the throes of the all-encompassing job search, which requires them to dance between informal coffee meetups, interviews, and the dreaded, aforementioned final, all while keeping their eye focused on….

Graduation

The culmination of second-year students’ class work at SIPA is quickly approaching. On May 22, second-year students will be recognized for their late nights spent cramming in Lehman, hours toiled over group projects, persistence finishing the economics and statistics requirements, and general all-around hard work. May 22 feels so close, and yet, so far…

 

Professor Goldberg’s Financial Services Sector in the 21st Century: Final Case Presentations at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York

I had the pleasure of taking Professor Richard Goldberg’s course, Global Financial Services Sector in the 21st Century, during the fall semester of 2013. It was a valuable experience to learn from a 25-year Wall Street veteran who has covered the financial sector for international M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) and worked at various global banks.  Professor Goldberg is actively involved with the Columbia University community in general, and particularly with the IFEP concentration.

The  course  provided  a  framework  within  which students  could  evaluate  and  understand  the  global  financial services industry.  In class, we explored perspectives such as the current and future roles of the major financial services participants, key driver s influencing an industry that has always been characterized by significant change, and strategic challenges and opportunities facing today’s

financial services CEOs. That said, this course is tailored so that students with various backgrounds can follow and appreciate all of the materials read and discussed. The assigned readings were current, applicable to today’s financial markets, and focused on what was important.

 goldberg class

In particular, Professor Goldberg’s course taught how a SIPA student might look at global financial institutions from a different perspective, focusing more on global macroeconomic and political risk over just simple returns. For example, we learned about how regulatory changes in the capital markets could affect the global strategy of a financial institution, and how a supermarket  approach may  be  of  benefit  to  one  institution  but  a  boutique  approach  might  be  better  for  another,  depending  on  a  financial  institution’s strengths. Understanding the dynamics of policy and financial markets is a valuable proficiency that this course teaches.

Clearly, the guest speakers (from banks and asset managers) and the two presentations were the highlights of the course. For example: For the final case study, we divided our class into teams. Each group recommended specific strategies to senior management at Bank of America Merrill Lynch New York headquarters that could potentially strengthen the bank’s position in the financial markets. Senior executives provided feedback to all teams on how our suggestions would or would not be feasible in the current marketplace.

This live presentation to professionals was a unique experience, especially for students who have not worked much prior to attending SIPA. The skills acquired in this course will serve students well in several sectors; however, it’s tailored for careers in finance, banking, management consulting, and policy-making. I encourage students with various backgrounds to take Richard Goldberg’s course, because it teaches rich information, offers great opportunities, and is entertaining.

Posted by Andreas Maerki, MPA ’14, IFEP

Bill de Blasio, 109th Mayor of New York City is back at SIPA

The Honorable David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor of the nation’s largest city and the first African American Mayor elected in New York City hosts the David N. Dinkins Leadership & Public Policy Forum each year.  The forum provides a vehicle for analysis, focus and dialogue around the dynamic elements of urban policies, programs, and initiatives.  This annual forum has addressed many of the challenging issues including education, the environment, labor, tourism, immigration and fiscal crises that successful and urban ecosystems must contend with.

This year’s Forum (the 17th annual forum) is proud to welcome New York City’s 109th Mayor, Bill de Blasio, to present the keynote speech.  Mayor de Blasio, a SIPA alumnus joins the Forum’s legacy of keynoters that includes notables such as US Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Kirsten Gillibrand, Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Charles Rangel, Mayors Ed Rendell, Michael Nutter and Michael Bloomberg, and labor leaders John Sweeney, Lillian Roberts, Randi Weingarten and Dennis Rivera to provide the featured address.

Registration is closed but this event will be live streamed on Friday, April 25th through our website as well as archived for future viewing.

To watch past Forums, click here.

"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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