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a city of shining lights: an inside look at urban and social policy

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, September 19th, 2013

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SIPA’s location in New York City provides an ideal opportunity for students to learn about the workings of one of the most dynamic cities in the world. The Urban and Social Policy (USP) concentration attracts a very diverse group of students from the public, private and non-profit sectors who are interested in managing city governments and non-profit organizations, and designing and analyzing policies across a variety of sectors. USP students enter SIPA with backgrounds in teaching, immigration law, non-profit program evaluation, urban transportation systems, public health, and many more areas.

USP classes are taught by faculty members with extensive academic and professional experience. Mayor David Dinkins, the former mayor of New York, offers a unique perspective in the two courses he teaches to USP students every year. Professor Ester Fuchs, the Concentration Director, served as Special Advisor to the Mayor for Governance and Strategic Planning under New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2001 to 2005 in addition to her many years of teaching experience at Columbia. A number of other full-time and adjunct faculty members draw on their experience as city planners, high level officials in city government, and executive directors of non-profit organizations. They are experts in immigration, organizational management, housing policy, social movements and several other fields.

Students can choose between the Urban Policy and the Social Policy track. Both tracks equip students with strong skills in policy analysis, program management and evaluation. The Urban Policy curriculum offers focus areas in the following fields: Urban Politics and Governance; Management in Urban Public Sector or Not for Profits; Urban Social Policy; Urban Economic Development, Planning and Land Use; Sustainability and Environmental Policy; Housing Policy; Education Policy; Health Policy; Crime, Safety and Security Policy; and Employment and Labor Policy. The Social Policy track provides students with the analytical tools, management skills and knowledge needed to design, implement and evaluate the outcomes of social policies that aim to increase access to economic opportunity in marginalized populations and manage economic and social risks, such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, crime, recidivism, homelessness and sickness.

The concentration hosts The Global Mayor’s Forum each semester, featuring mayors from cities in the U.S. and around the globe. USP also hosts a series of roundtables, panel discussions, and brown bag events offering students the opportunity to hear from leading practitioners in the field. Additionally, USP hosts field trips for students to local museums, organizations, and historic sites.

USP graduates pursue careers in leadership levels within city, state and federal government, political campaigns, non-profits and NGOs, think tanks, philanthropic foundations, social enterprises, and academia. During their time at SIPA, many students pursue internships with the New York City government as well as with leading non-profit organizations, consulting groups, and think tanks coming up with innovative solutions to urban and social challenges. A sample of employers who hired USP graduates is available here http://new.sipa.columbia.edu/careers/employment-statistics/career-paths-by-concentration.

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Categories : Academics, Application Tips, Columbia University, Meet Seeples, SIPA

Tags : career, concentration, education, Ester Fuchs, Global Mayor's Forum, governance, health, housing, immigration, labor, management, Mayor David Dinkins, security, USP

EE and its toolkit

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Monday, September 16th, 2013

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The Energy and Environment (EE) Concentration provides students with the analytical tools and knowledge to address society’s vital economic and environmental challenges, and to train world-class leaders in public, private, and nonprofit careers in the fields of energy and environment.

EE students obtain a solid background in technology, politics, management, economics, quantitative techniques, market and regulatory structures, and policy analysis. Our world-class EE faculty members work in and with energy and environment industries, solving pressing issues, and providing a range of cutting-edge insights as researchers, practitioners, teachers and leaders.

EE students are career-ready professionals with the tools and skills for success through:

1. A comprehensive set of courses to build the analytical, technical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are tied to key issues now and in the future;

2. Consultancy workshop projects that provide real client experience with private multinational corporations, governments, and NGOs; and

3. Targeted career events, internship search support, networking opportunities, and relationships with employers.

Our distinctive approach places EE students at the center of the richest ecosystem of intellectual resources in the world, with over 100 distinct courses in Energy and Environment available to our students. This access is enriched by strong collaboration with Columbia University’s think tanks, such as The Center on Global Energy Policy and The Earth Institute, bolstered by the unparalleled access to the industry and capital markets activities of New York City.

Our graduates are highly sought after by global consulting firms, financial institutions, local and national governments, multinational corporations, nonprofits, global NGOs and social enterprises. Come visit and see why Columbia SIPA is the best place to study Energy and Environment anywhere in the world.

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Categories : Academics, Columbia University, Meet Seeples, News, SIPA

Tags : concentration, consulting, energy, environment, management, policy, quantitative, renewable, social enterprises, think tanks

Interview with SIPA MIA candidate, Henry Fernandez

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Friday, September 13th, 2013

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Name: Henry Fernandez

Degree: MIA

Concentration: Energy and Environment

Specialization: Management

Brief Background: I studied Political Science at Binghamton University and I am currently pursuing a Masters in International Affairs. Before joining SIPA, I worked as an International Program Manager for Columbia University’s Environmentally Socially Sustainable Economic Growth Program in rural Dominican Republic. Our program partnered with the Presidential Commission on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to reverse trends of resource degradation and economic depression.

What attracted you to SIPA? Energy! Before coming to SIPA I knew I wanted to work in the energy space. When applying to graduate schools it was important to choose a program that would give me the quantitative tools and policy analysis skills required to tackle the global energy challenges we face. SIPA’s Energy and Environment program offered the right combination of financial skills and policy tools that I consider important for understanding the global energy landscape. I also knew that being in New York would give me access to a wide range of professionals and industry insiders that visit the city and drop by Columbia’s campus to interact with students. This is unique to Columbia!

What experiences do you think prepared you at attend SIPA? Work experience! While working in international development I learned how to adapt to different situations. Adaptability is an important skill to possess as a graduate student. As most things in life, graduate school is about making adjustments and sometimes working outside your comfort zone. SIPA students may be required to take classes that are not of interest to them or may be assigned to work with people that have different world views or possess different work styles. Adaptability enables students to get the most of out of their graduate school experience and teaches invaluable life lessons.

What kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate? Upon graduation I intend to work in the energy sector. My goal is join a company’s strategic planning or business development department and work on crafting business strategies that contribute to the company’s financial growth.

What has been the best part of your SIPA experience? The best part of being a SIPA student is the access we have to world-class professors. Being able to sit in a classroom and engage in dialogue with the world’s experts is one of SIPA’s strongest assets. Professors at SIPA are committed to training tomorrow’s leaders and are always willing to offer professional guidance inside and outside the classroom. For example, this summer I was working on a project and needed some direction. I emailed one of my professors –who was in a different part of the world- and managed to schedule a call to discuss the challenges I was facing. That kind of commitment from one of the industry’s most respected practitioners makes a big difference in your graduate experience.

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Categories : Academics, Admissions, Columbia University, Meet Seeples, SIPA

Tags : EE, management, MIA, PA, student interview

Summer in the Amazon: Reliving Hakuna Matata

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, September 12th, 2013

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During the summer I had the privilege to work with Fundacion Runa in Tena Ecuador. Located in the middle of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Fundacion Runa specializes in commercializing Guayusa (a tea native to the land and sacred to the Quichua Community). Since its creation initiation in 2010, Runa has earned “Fair Trade” labeling through FAIR TRADE USA due to its organically grown products. The foundation offers different internships directly related to the product including agro-forestry research, social impact studies and community development.

As the community development intern, I focused on working with the FAIR TRADE social premium fund. Under Fair trade agreements, 15% of all Guayusa sales must be redirected to the community. Other fair trade organizations have help fund schools, buses to schools and health clinics for women. The purpose of my internship was to establish goals and set deadlines for projects that the Guayusa Co-Operative could work on in the future. My assignment over the two months was to focus on issues pertaining to children and women of the Quichua community.

I was able to do research by talking to different members of the community and working with children for three hours every other day. It was difficult at first because of the lack of trust and because most of the work I did set the foundation for the future. I was also able to find resources through local “children defense fund” and work with them on children issues including rights and harassment. For two months, I was able to witness poverty but also help the foundation set a plan for women and children in the Quichua Community: Immediate necessities include simple first aid kits for each community and operational schools throughout the academic year.

I was also able to establish a youth council for teens in “Alto Tena” with the sole purpose to voice their opinions on how and what to fund for their communities. The youth council will provide a voice to the youth and hopefully allocate funding for things they need: operational schools, health clinics, etc.

The work was challenging. I visited communities in the middle of the rainforest; sometimes not accessible through cars or busses. I experienced the Quichua culture: tried delicacies (larvas), checked out the Fincas, learned a couple of words in Quichua and even attended school with the children.

The internship solidified my interest in local domestic issues and how to solve them using a different perspective. I was also able to put into practice management techniques learned in class.

post submitted by Eder Gaona-Macedo, MPA 2014, concentrating in Urban and Social Policy (USP)

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Categories : Academics, Columbia University, Meet Seeples, News, SIPA

Tags : Eder Gaona-Macedo, fair trade, internship, PA, summer, USP