What is the future of women and work? Can the workplace adapt to meet women’s (and men’s) aspiration and ambitions, both professionally and personally? Will the changing economy, and the changing nature of work itself, solve some problems or create new ones?
Join us for a panel discussion co-sponsored by New America Foundation on October 31st at 12:00pm in the International Affairs Building.
For more information and to register for this event, click here.
The SIPA Admissions & Financial Aid Office is still under repairs (see earlier post) and so our tiny team has been temporarily jammed in
to the outer office space of two shared faculty offices on the 8th Floor of the International Affairs Building. At first glance when you step off the elevators, you’re not sure if you’re in the right place — we appear to be a call center of sorts (the opposite of our warm and fuzzy group) in the middle of a construction site (see photo). However
, you will still be greeted with warmth if you come by, although you probably will not hear us singing our version of Kumbaya –the Director of Financial Aid has banned us from singing while we are all sitting in close quarters; but we will share our Insomnia cookies or pastries from the Hungarian Pastry Shop (if there are any left).
So where is this going… Just to keep you in the loop of what’s to come… We’re still making sure all our incoming students are happy and getting all the necessary information needed to prepare them for their arrival on campus for Orientation in a month . We have set up a couple of community groups and updating the Welcome site — there has been a lot of chatter, which is always a good sign of people’s engagement and excitement. We are also in the process of putting together our 2014 program applications; the spring MIA/MPA application will be available by late-August and the application for the MIA/ MPA/ MPA DP fall term will be available in early September. In addition to the already planned fall trips we will make to meet you on the road at various graduate school fairs and APSIA forums, we are arranging times for you to come visit us in New York through class visits (will be offered beginning in late September after our students have settled into their classes), information sessions, and SIPA-sponsored events.
If you are thinking about graduate school, you should use this summer to research various schools and programs (because not all programs are the same — within a school there may be a few — at SIPA, we have seven), definitely invest time into searching for scholarships (every dollar helps) and you would hate to learn later you missed the deadline to apply. We will continue to post information about fellowships opportunities that we hear about too. And of course, plan your fall visits; make sure a stop at SIPA is on your travel itinerary — if we don’t have cookies, we’ll definitely offer you a good karma lollipop and some sound advice :).
If you are preparing to embark on the SIPA adventure this fall to spend the next two years of your life in New York City, here is some advice on what you should definitely try and do before boarding that plane.
Pack Light
I know, you are permanently moving to New York for at least the next two years, and might feel tempted to bring along those pants that you may someday want to wear, or that old lamp you love. But New York is crowded, and space is not precisely a surplus commodity. Whether you live in Columbia housing or on your own, most likely you will have a small room, and an even smaller closet.
Read a novel
For those of you who like reading novels; this will probably be one of the first pleasures cruelly swiped away from your life by grad school. There is so much to read for every class, that reading a novel simply becomes a luxury that a SIPA student cannot afford. So use this summer to indulge in those fictitious adventures, as they will be deeply missed.
Save
New York is an amazing city, but it can also be amazingly expensive. If you want to have an occasional dinner at a nice restaurant, go to a concert, or take a taxi to avoid a 2-hour ride back from Brooklyn on a Saturday night, you should try and save some money to help you enjoy the city more.
Go see nature
You’ve heard the song. New York is indeed a unique concrete jungle where dreams are made of. But as fascinating as skyscrapers can be, they can also be overwhelming. So make sure you get a good dose of wild mountains and blue oceans before you head this way.
Get some rest
SIPA will be lots of fun, but also lots of work. You will have endless nights in our basement library, for which you will need plenty of energy to help you cope. So get some serious sleep and rest before going back to school.
Let go of your prejudices
If you are coming to SIPA, you are probably already on track, but it doesn’t hurt to think about this once in a while. New York is a truly diverse place, and that is a central part of its magic. So open your mind and be ready to learn from other worldviews, cultures, careers and human beings. The more prepared you are to learning new things, the better your experience will be.
Be ready to be merry
Grad school, for most of us, happens once. Chances are this will be the last time in your life to be a student at a formal academic institution. Be consciously grateful for the endless opportunities, experiences and freedom the next two years will give you.
Just like before, this is by no means an exhaustive list. Just an example of one event per day that interests me on our campus!
Thursday
Title: Starting and Running Your Own Business
Sponsored by: Urban and Social Policy Concentration and Management Specialization
What is it? In this dynamic new workshop a successful entrepreneur shows what it takes to plan, establish and run your own business. Key areas of discussion include: Deciding what business to start; Moving from an idea to launch; Finding seed money; Structuring your business; Finding and keeping customers
About the Presenter: Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart career coaching; co-founder of FBC Films independent film production; founding member of Comic Diversity stand-up comedy; and partner of Redseeds Consulting executive search.
Friday
Title: SIPA Gala!!!!
Sponsored by: SIPA Student Association
What is it?: Basically prom for grad school! Dancing, drinks, hors d’ouevres and fancy dress. Held at Capitale NY.
Saturday
Title: Workshop on Sustainable Development
Sponsored by: The Sustainable Development Doctoral Society (SDDS)
What is it? The workshop is hosting graduate students from around the world who will present their cutting edge research on sustainability across a range of topics such as: water conservation, urban planning, agriculture, biodiversity, disasters, health, climate change, forests and energy.
Sunday
Title: Spring Into Yoga
Sponsored by: Columbia Art of Living
What: Guided yoga session led by a professional Yoga instructor. Breath, stretch, and sweat. Open to all levels.
Monday
Title: Gender, Rio+20, and the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Sponsored by: Economic and Political Development concentration, Gender Policy Working Group and SIPA Environmental Coalition.
What is it?: Talk with Eleanor Blomstrom of Women’s Environment and Development Organization.
About the Speaker: Eleanor worked on climate change projects ranging from green roofs to waste management to adaptation with the Earth Institute, the Clinton Foundation and the World Bank. She has community development experience in the areas of agriculture and womens empowerment with organizations in Nicaragua and Nigeria. Her current work is informed by a professional background in bilingual elementary education with a focus on race and gender equity in public schools. Eleanor holds a Master of International Affairs in Urban and Environmental Policy from Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelors degree in Environmental Sciences.
Tuesday
Title: Eurasian Pipelines: Roads to Peace, Development and Interdependencies?
Sponsored by: The Harriman Institute for Eastern European Studies
What is it?: A talk as a part of the 7th Annual Harriman Institute Colloqium “Geo-Eco Politics, Eurasian Energy and (elusive) Transparency.”
About the Speakers: Confirmed speakers for the event include Jalil Jumriany, Director General, Ministry of Mines, Afghanistan; Andrey Konoplyanik, Adviser, Gazprom Export; Steve LeVine, author of “Oil and Glory”; Ekpen Omonbude, Commonwealth Secretariat and author of “Cross-border Oil and Gas Pipelines and the Role of the Transit Country”; David Onoprishvili, Chairman, Budget and Finance Committee, Parliament, Georgia
Wednesday
Title: A Strategy for Sustainable Development in the United States
Sponsored by: The Earth Institute
What is it?: Annual University-wide talk by sustainability expert and SIPA Professor, Jeffrey Sachs
About the the Speaker: Jeffrey D. Sachs is the Director of the Columbia University Earth Institute; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development; Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon on the Millennium Development Goals.
We’re always telling prospective students that one of the advantages of choosing SIPA is that there’s so much to do on the Columbia campus. You could have a different University sponsored academic or social adventure every day of the week! I decided to be a good graduate student and support my claims with some hard data. There is way more happening next week than I’ve listed below, but I decided to include one event per day that I might consider attending. I want to point out to you that these were not hard to find. I simply searched my gmail inbox for “events” and various emails about the following (and more) appeared! (PS. Let us know if you like this post. I would be happy to run one of these every week!)
Sunday
Columbia Art of Living presents free yoga classes with certified instructors. Open to all levels. They also sponsor meditation workshops and a “Yoga Remix” dance party earlier this semester. To find out more about Columbia Art of Living, click here.
Monday
“Out with Detectives: Policing Bangkok” Professor Duncan McCargo who will share his recent fieldwork with the Thai police. Lunch will be provided. (Always a plus for us grad students.)
Tuesday
Learning Lunch with Professor Dirk Solomons, Director of the Program of Humanitarian Affairs. Student can sign up to discuss International Organizations with this world renowned Professor in a casual and intimate setting. You can find out more about Professor Solomons, here.
Wednesday
Pussy Riot: The Sequel, A witness theater performance by Varvara Faer (Teatr.doc, Moscow) about Pussy Riot, the women punk group now famous for singing the prayer Mother of God, drive Putin away! in a Russian church, and their subsequent prosecution. Ekaterina Samutsevich, one of the members of pussy riot will join the discussion via Skype. More info here.
Thursday
Empire of Dogs: Canines, Japan, and the Making of the Modern Imperial World,
A Brown Bag lecture with speaker, Aaron Skabelund, Assistant Professor of History, Brigham Young University
Friday
Public Health Career Fair and Networking Day with the Mailman School Some employers in attendance include, Deloitte Consulting, Mt.Sinai Hospital and the Department of Public Health.
Saturday
THATCamp Feminisms East, hosted by Barnard College An informal, collaborative conference dedicated to exploring innovation in the digital humanities with a focus on feminist interventions. For more info click here.
posted by: Nancy Leeds, SIPA 2nd Year student
"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
