Author Archive for Matt Clemons – Page 61

Want to go help the business and policy world go green? SIPA Can Help Pave the Way

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 
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The following was prepared by SIPA student Joshua Huneycutt, a second year MIA student concentrating in Energy and Environmental Policy.

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Here in the admissions office we get a number of applicants who are interested in coming to SIPA to study sustainability.  In particular, many applicants are interested in the nexus of business, environment and society.   As many of them already know, and as I’ll explain to you, SIPA is a fantastic place to be to explore this interaction.

SIPA allows students to focus on environmental policy studies, and offers students a wide variety of classes relating to business sustainability, green markets, and CSR.  With courses such as “The Role of Government in Advancing Corporate Sustainable Development” and “Financing the Green Economy: Markets, Business & Politics,”  SIPA has a growing repertoire of classes that help future leaders incorporate environmentally-sound business practices into their careers, whether they choose to work directly in Corporate Social Responsibility / Sustainability or in other disciplines.

In addition, there are a number of degree programs and institutes at Columbia that allow SIPA students interested in sustainability to explore various aspects of this complex issue.  From the Earth Institute’s greater focus on developing countries, to their more business-oriented MS in Sustainability Management, networking and learning opportunities abound at Columbia.

In addition to the various courses SIPA offers and the related institutes and degree programs in the greater Columbia community, you’ll find that Columbia is dedicated to being a forum for the exchange of leading-edge ideas in sustainable business practice.  If you’re in the New York area, consider attending one of these upcoming Columbia-sponsored event events:

Monday 2/15: Leadership on the Pathway to Sustainability

A lively evening of discussion and debate by prominent leaders in global, national and local sustainable development.

Please look for more details about the panelists and the night’s proceedings on our website CERC Home.

Where: Rotunda of Low Memorial Library
Monday, February 15th, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm.

Thursday 2/18: Innovative Method of Green Energy Finance

Moderated by Earth Institute Executive Director and Master of Public Administration Program in Environmental Science and Policy Director, Steve Cohen. The goal of the panel is to collaborate on innovative methods of green energy finance. The discussion is co-sponsored by the Earth Institute and the SIPA’s Energy and Environment Program and will feature the following participants:

Location: Faculty House, 64 Morningside Drive

Please RSVP to Youngmi Jin at [email protected]

or 212-854-1214, by Monday, February 15, 2010.

Tuesday 2/23: MAKING GREEN FROM GREEN: Investment Opportunities in the Wake of Copenhagen

Is there Hopenhagen after Copenhagen – Professor Jeffrey Sachs, noted author and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia will discuss the current landscape for sustainable business investment. Tuesday, 23 February 2010, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Location: JP Morgan Chase – 277 Park Avenue  – 17th Floor
Register Now Click here to buy tickets!!! http://www.cbsacny.org/store.html?event_id=810
For more information email [email protected]

All month: Clean Tech Month at Columbia Business School

Clean Tech Month is an event series running in February 2010, jointly sponsored by Columbia Business School’s Green Business Club and Energy Club. It aims to provide the many members of our clubs interested in the clean tech and renewables space with opportunities for in-depth learning and industry exposure.  There are at least seven more events going on this month; check it out!
http://cleantechmonth.com/Home_Page.php

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Categories : Admissions
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The Power of a Thank You

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Friday, February 12th, 2010 
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I cannot speak for everyone, but when I receive a genuine thank you from someone it typically makes my day.  Email and a verbal “Thanks” are great and I do appreciate them, but what I am really talking about it is a thank you card, and most often one that is received randomly.   Don’t take this entry for a plea, rather see it as advice.  In other words, I am not trying to  encourage people to send me thank you cards.  What I am doing is encouraging you to consider sending them to those that have assisted you with the admission process, or for that matter, life in general.

Tops on the list might likely be those that you asked to write a letter of recommendation for you.  Although writing a letter of recommendation is not particularly grueling, it does take time.  That is time the writer could have spent doing something else and yet they set aside the time to help you out.  It might be nice to receive a token of your appreciation for the effort.  You might have already done so, but if you have not, taking a minute to send a card, type out an email, or even make a phone call might make someone’s day.

Next up might be those that did not make your “top 3” cut for recommenders to SIPA but who played a role in helping you with the admission process.  It could be anyone.  Maybe the person who proof read your personal statement or the Registrar who answered your desperate plea to send a transcript on short notice.

Beyond the admission process,  I think it is just a good habit to think of creative ways to express your thanks at unexpected times.  For example, the other day I was thinking about the first boss who took a chance on me many, many years ago.  Every so often we will exchange emails, but I thought it would be nice to send him a thank you card out of the blue.  It’s a win-win really, I feel good for sending it and I hope it will brighten his day to receive it.

This is just something that was on my mind while riding my bike to work the other day – take it or leave it.

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Categories : Columbia University
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A Night to Remember

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Thursday, February 11th, 2010 
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The following was written by Kristoffer Tangri, a second-year SIPA student from Germany pursuing a MIA degree with a concentration in International Security Policy.

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It is the time of the year again where clueless first year students complain about their in boxes filling up with spam while second year students go on a ticket hunt from unsuspecting victims. Ask any recent SIPA graduate about their most cherished memory of their time at SIPA – it will be this very special night in spring – SIPA Follies. Dual degree students from around the world fly back to New York just for this event. For one night and night only, the International Affairs building will become the place where magic happens, friendships are being made and history is written.

This year the night falls on April the 24th – three months from now and yet, preparations have already begun. Fundraiser parties are being organized; exotic dancers are cast around campus and members of a highly prestigious selection committee judge ideas and proposals by sanguine students.

What makes this night so very special? Some say it is the beer that is flowing like water and others point to the fact that graduation time is near. As a Follies 2009 alumnus, however, I know that none of these points matter compared to the real reason this event has become legendary. Unfortunately, first year students have been spotted reading the admissions blog and I cannot risk unsettling the ticket market. You will need to wait until April 2011 to become part of this defining moment in a life as a SIPA student.  Song, dance, comedy, video, intrigue . . . this event has it all.

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Although videos make up only a fraction of the event itself, hopefully this video provides a taste of the festivities.

Ever wandered what Year One at SIPA could look like?

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Categories : Admissions, Columbia University
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SIPASA Elections

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 
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The following was contributed by Anesa Diaz-Uda, a second-year MPA student.

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The climatic end of my time as a SIPASA board member came way back on Thursday, November 19th – Election Day.  My last charge on SIPASA was to organize and run this election to determine the incoming SIPASA board.

Despite the immense amount of work leading up to Election Day (by myself, the rest of the Board, and all the candidates), Election Day came and went without a hitch.

The polls opened at 8am, and closed at 4pm.  At 4pm we ceremoniously broke into our ballot box (a duck-taped shut cardboard box), and began counting ballots.  Each of the programs electing boards had different color ballots to make counting easier for us.  We counted right on the 4th floor (across the way from the Admissions Office), and had our results within a few hours.

Election Pic

We coordinated with the Deans, and announced our results at the Deans/ SIPASA monthly Happy Hour at the 6th floor lounge.  The lounge was packed with students, faculty and administrators waiting in anticipation for our results –nerves not as high with all the wine available.

100% of MPA DP students, 59% of MIA students, and 50% of MPA students voted.  Clear winners were determined (no run offs were necessary –thank goodness!), and the drinking/ dancing commenced on the 6th floor with DJ Rob.

Election Pic 2

GLIPA (Gays and Lesbians in International and Public Affairs) continued the festivities with their Thanksgiving Kick-Off Party at Madame X.

In all the day and our term ended on a high note. To read more about the election, you can follow this link to one of our school news papers.

Election Pic 3

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Categories : Meet Seeples, News
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Grassroots Diplomacy in the Middle East

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Friday, February 5th, 2010 
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The following was contributed by Nora Gordon, an MIA student concentrating in Human Rights.

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On Wednesday, January 27,  I had the honor of participating in an event on campus entitled, “Grassroots Diplomacy in the Middle East.”  The event was co-sponsored by the Arab Student Association, the Conflict Resolution Working Group, The Middle East Institute, and the UN Studies Program Working Group, and was organized by the American Mideast Leadership Network (AMLN).

The event focused on issues of grassroots diplomacy in Syria and showcased AMLN’s United States-Syria Grassroots Diplomacy Program.  We began with a presentation by AMLN’s founding director, Rami Nuseir, and a question and answer session with Dr. Mazin Adi, the permanent representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations.

mazin

Following Dr. Adi, three SIPA students, Heidi Rosbe, Nick Jaeger, and myself (Nora Gordon) spoke about our experiences with the United States-Syria Grassroots Diplomacy Program of which we were participants in 2009.  Ms. Rosbe and I discussed our work as co-facilitators of the conflict resolution dialogue sessions which were a main component of the program, and we all discussed our experiences as a participants and travelers in Syria.

panel

The question and answer session after the presentation was particularly interesting.  Audience members wanted to know about women’s rights, the controversy over the occupied Golan Heights and other issues regarding US-Syrian relations.  These questions were difficult, but it was important to bring up these issues that are crucial to discuss in order to develop diplomatic relations between the two countries.

At the end of the event, it was inspiring to hear Dr. Mazin Adi emphasize the importance of AMLN’s efforts.  “Because of the program,” he said, “we now have 12 additional citizen ambassadors that have visited Syria.”

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The American MidEast Leadership Network (AMLN) is a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Arab-American community in the United States and to bringing together American and Middle Eastern students and young professionals in cultural exchange programs that give these future leaders a more thorough understanding of each other’s cultural, religious, and political lives.

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Categories : Columbia University, Meet Seeples, News
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—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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