Recently, one of our dual-degree students, Anthony T. Scott, MPA ’16, IM ’16, emailed us about his first week abroad (and his summer in Baltimore, Maryland). Tony is currently studying in São Paulo at Fundação Getulio Vargas Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo, which is one of the leading academic institutions in Latin America. I won’t give too much away in his letter below, but he’s having a blast!
Archive for Brazil
Anthony Scott, MPA USP
I love Baltimore; let me know if you want to visit so I can give you an insider’s guide! I was born and raised around the westside of Baltimore, and believe the city has great potential and opportunity to demonstrate how to gentrify with minimal displacement of current residents.
I survived my first few weeks at SIPA! People go back to school for a variety of reasons, and my starting in January is a bit “off cycle”, but regardless of the reasons, it’s always a transition. I’ve gone from working 8 hours a day (8 hours and 45 minutes to be exact) and being DONE with work, to always feeling like I should be studying. I’ve gone from waking up at 5 am to commute 1.5 hours to work, to waking up at 8 am, walking to school in 10 minutes, and realizing that my first class isn’t until 2:10PM. I’ve gone from having some leisure income, to having loans…again.
Regardless of the transition, the one thing I can say is that SIPA provides you with SO much support. During orientation, you have peer advisors who give you all the secrets from how best to register for classes, to where to find good pizza and cheap (but good) beer. Your deans and academic advisors are SUPER responsive, even about the most trivial matters. They really want to see you succeed, and ease your (over-achieving) anxieties and concerns. *smile* Oh, and your financial aid and career services people are also very helpful. Whatever your doubts about funding SIPA are, once you actually get here, there are TONS of scholarships, and opportunities internally and externally (everyone wants to hire SIPA students) to fund your education. I fully expect to have my tuition covered next year. The BEST resources, however, once you come to SIPA–and I mean THE BEST–will be your fellow classmates. I know it may sound trite, but SIPA isn’t kidding when they tell you to get to know your classmates because they will be future leaders. People at SIPA have already been leaders! Your classmates are coming from such diverse backgrounds, sectors, life experiences, countries…I mean, you name it. My first class was in Economic Development in Latin America, and the professor was bombarded by questions from engaged students who were actually from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, etc…there was also a Frenchman, who wanted to clarify a point about the French Revolution vis-a-vis post-colonial civil wars…needless to say, it was a fascinating discussion.
In my Brazil Seminar class, all I had to do was express interest in urban planning in Brazil, and another classmate spoke up, gave me her card, and told me she used to work for the city of Rio de Janeiro. Another student gave me books and articles to research, and yet other students said they were from the Columbia Architecture, Planning School and were going to Rio this summer to work with leaders in the favelas on inclusive development. I mean…REALLY? SERIOUSLY? Your classmates and faculty members are your assets, and they are the most down-to-earth, unassuming people you’d ever want to meet. They really make the SIPA community a collaborative, welcoming, and socially and intellectually stimulating community, and make it well-worth the transition!
Honestly, whatever your doubts about moving to New York, the cost of SIPA, the demanding coursework, etc., I promise you it’s worth it. SIPA is a very strong network, both in the U.S. and overseas, especially if you want to be a leader in international and public affairs. Take it from someone who is taking out loans: It’s worth it.
I can’t wait to welcome you to the SIPA family in the fall!
I spent my summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My professional and academic interests are on politics and development in Latin America, particularly on innovation in the public sector. My decision to spend my summer in Rio de Janeiro came as a mixture of academic and personal curiosity. On one side, I was familiar with some of the innovation efforts been carried out by the Secretary of Education of Rio and I was eager to learn more about their programs. On the other side, despite its political and economic importance for Latin America I knew very little about Brazil. Hence, the offer to intern at the Secretary of Education of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro came just in time and I was ready to depart to my destination.
The Secretary of Education of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (SME) is in charge of the municipal red of schools of Rio de Janeiro, that is, a total of 1.076 schools including kinder garden and elementary level, with 633.449 students enrolled and 42.536 teachers. The challenges of the public system are numerous and diverse, especially for the schools located in dangerous areas.
In order to improve the quality of education in public schools and the quality of life of the communities where they are located, the current Secretary of Education, Claudia Costín, along with her team started to implement several very interesting initiatives. One of these initiatives, for which I had the opportunity to work, is Escolas do Amanhã, which was created for schools that were in favelas recently pacified. Given the weak presence of the government in these communities, the program changed the structure of these schools to include services that supported the community, like health and parenting services.
Another unique program currently in place is called GENTE, which promotes a new concept of school that fully integrates the new educational technologies and places the student in the center of the learning process. The pilot school for the program is called Escola Municipal Andre Uraní and it is located in Rocinha, the biggest favela of Rio. I also had the opportunity of working with the team from GENTE, visit the pilot school and learn some of the philosophy behind their model. In the case of GENTE, all the students are given a laptop computer through which they do most of their learning. This is possible thanks to Educopédia, an online platform of digital classrooms where students learn the curriculum while teachers follow their progress and evaluation, also included in the platform.
I spend a total of two months and a half in Rio de Janeiro. The internship was inspiring and very interesting, as it was the rest of experience in the country. The city is beyond beautiful, the culture is vibrant, the juices are natural and the beaches are amazing. I was lucky enough to be in Rio during the Confederation Coup, the visit of the Pope and the starting of the protests that are still taking place all over Brazil. It was a great summer indeed.
Posted by Giuliana Irene Carducci Sanchez, 2-Year SIPA MPA, concentrating in EPD with specialization in Management
The semester just began and we are already have a great roster of speakers and discussions scheduled. Below is a flavor of the events happening at SIPA next week. Some of these events are opened to the public, so you are welcome to register for those events (if you are interested in a particular topic). See more events on the SIPA Web Calendar.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
CGEG: Reforming Europe Out of the Crisis — Nordic and Danish Perspectives and Solutions
10:00 am to 11:00 am
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
A conversation with Villy Søvndal, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark. Registration required.
Sponsor: Center on Global Economic Governance
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
Ramush Haradinaj on “Challenges to Kosova’s Democratization and European Integration”
11:00 am to 12:15 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1219
Discussion with Ramush Haradinaj, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosova and Chairman for the Alliance for the Future of Kosova. Event facilitated by David L. Phillips, Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.
Sponsor: Institute for the Study of Human Rights
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
Moral Interventionism: The Gas Question and Syria
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Heyman Center, 2nd Floor Common Room
A roundtable discussion addressing the issue of moral interventionism from the perspectives of political theory, international security, and the history of peacekeeping.
Sponsor: European Institute
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
China/Brazil: Two Tales of a Growth Slowdown
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 802
Talk with Octaviano Canuto, Senior Advisor on BRICS in the Development Economics Department.
Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
CGT Undergraduate Film Screening: “Ten Years of Terror”
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 918
The Undergraduate Committee on Global Thought invites you to a film screening of “Ten Years of Terror” followed by a discussion with director, Brad Evans. The film explores the impact of 9/11 and reflects on the subsequent political and military responses.
Sponsor: Committee on Global Thought
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
Remembering Edward Said
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Cinema
On the tenth anniversary of the passing of Professor Edward Said, we invite you to join us as we reflect on his legacy. We will also screen excerpts from documentaries on Edward Said.
Sponsor: Center for Palestine Studies with the Department of English and Comparative Literature, the Heyman Center for the Humanities, and the Middle East Institute
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
CGEG: FED Tapering and the Fortunes of Nations
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1512
Panel discussion with Guillermo Calvo, Director, Program in Economic Policy Management and former Chief Economist, Inter-American Development Bank; Jan Svejnar, James T. Shotwell Professor of Global Political Economy; Director, Center on Global Economic Governance (CGEG), Columbia SIPA; Andrés Velasco, Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia SIPA; former Finance Minister of Chile; with introduction by Miguel Urquiola,Vice Dean of SIPA.
Sponsor: Center on Global Economic Governance
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
Effective Policies in Poverty Reduction Beyond the Millennium Development Goals
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
A lecture and discussion on effective policies in poverty reduction with José Antonio Ocampo, Professor of Professional Practice and Economic and Political Development Concentration Director at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and Esther Duflo, Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sponsor: Economic and Political Development Concentration
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
Geopolitics of the Global Energy Revolution
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1512
A presentation by Carlos Pascual, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the U.S. State Department.
Sponsor: Center on Global Energy Policy
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
Comfort Women Wanted
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 918
A video screening and panel discussion with Chang-Jin Lee, visual artist; Charles Armstrong (moderator), Professor of History, Columbia University; Elazar Barkan, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Pablo Castillo-Diaz, Protection Analyst, Peace and Security at the UN; Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women’s Studies and Professor of Humanities, University of Delaware; Joyce Yu, UN Resident Coordinator. No registration required.
Sponsor: The Center for Korean Research
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
CGEG: French Proposals for the Future of Europe, with Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
CGEG: Lecture with Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister. Registration and ID required.
Sponsor: Center on Global Economic Governance
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
Abe and the LDP Are Back. Now What?
4:15 pm to 5:45 pm
Davis Auditorium, Room 412
Ninth Annual Lecture on Japanese Politics with Gerald L. Curtis, Burgess Professor of Political Science, Columbia University. Moderated by Hugh T. Patrick, R.D. Calkins Professor of International Business Emeritus; Director, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School. Followed by reception. Registration required.
Sponsor: Weatherhead East Asian Institute
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
Russian Politics and the Sochi Olympics
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
The Italian Academy, 1161 Amsterdam Ave 5th Floor Conference Room
A discussion among experts focusing on the influence that this global event has on Russian politics, and vice versa.
Sponsor: Harriman Institute
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
New Avenues for Global Illicit Drug Policies
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
Presentation and discussion on global illicit drug policies with Otto Perez Molina, President of the Republic of Guatemala, and Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. Moderated by Professor José Antonio Ocampo, Director of Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA. Registration required. CUID only.
Sponsor: Economic and Political Development Concentration, Institute of Latin American Studies
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Building Resilience in a Climate and Resource-Constrained World: Investment Strategies and Policy Innovations
3:30 pm to 4:45 pm
Alfred Lerner Hall, Satow Room (5th floor)
A presentation by James Cameron, Chairman and Founder of Climate Change Capital on how investment in sustainable energy, low-carbon, and resource-efficient infrastructure is expanding rapidly and what this means for investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs.
Sponsor: Center on Global Energy Policy
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Development Workshop: Jan Christoph von der Goltz
4:15 pm to 5:45 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1101
As part of Columbia University’s Fall 2013 Development Workshop, Jan Christoph von der Goltz will discuss his latest paper. Topic and paper title to be announced.
Sponsor: Center for Development Economics and Policy
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Do you want to make a profound difference on global poverty and climate change? A book talk with Sam Daley-Harris
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Earl Hall, Auditorium
A book talk with Sam Daley-Harris, author, activist and founder of Results Global Microfinance Campaign and Citizen Climate Lobby on the 20th anniversary edition of his book Reclaiming Our Democracy.
Sponsor: Columbia’s Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, Economic and Political Development Concentration, Management Concentration
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Cuba-U.S. Relations: Possibilities for the Future
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
Lecture with Dr. Josefina de la Caridad Vidal Ferreiro, Director, North America Division, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations. Doors open at 6:00 p..m. Registration required. Seating is limited; first come, first seated.
Sponsor: Institute of Latin American Studies
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Tadeusz Dabrowski: Twelve Poems From Black Square
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1219
Tadeusz Dąbrowski will be reading from his book, Twelve Square. A discussion with Anna Frajlich will follow.
Sponsor: Harriman Institute
Join Brazil in celebrating its Day of Independence (Sete de Setembro). Today Brazil celebrates its 190-year old independence from the Portuguese.
Brazil will also host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
But even bigger news is that Columbia SIPA will be in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, September 10th and Sao Paulo on Wednesday, September 12th. If you are just thinking about pursuing a graduate degree in international affairs or knee-deep in the application process, stop by the APSIA fair and meet with Columbia’s Senior Assistant Dean Urbano Garza — He’s a sweetie.
Of course, if you’re not in Brazil but would still like to meet with us, check out our recently updated Recruitment Schedule. We may be in your area… Or visit us in New York.
We’re looking forward to meeting you.
"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
