Archive for Harriman Institute

The Unexpected Product of Mentorship at SIPA: A Shout-Out on Late Night TV

My name is Katherine Kirk, and I am a second-year MIA student concentrating in International Security Policy with a specialization in Russia and the Former Soviet States. In addition to the traditional SIPA specialization, I am completing the Harriman Institute’s Certificate Program in conjunction with my SIPA degree to deepen my regional expertise. A native of the D.C. metro area, I came to SIPA directly from Yale University, where I received my BA in Global Affairs.

Last Monday, on my final day of class, I received a surprise call from my sister, who informed me that Stephen Colbert had just quoted my work on The Late Show. Needless to say, this was not what I was expecting from my last day at SIPA. To back up slightly — this spring I enrolled in Alexis Wichowski’s course, “Technology, National Security & the Citizen.” The course focused as much on developing real-world skills as it did on teaching specific course material, and so rather than more traditional academic papers, Professor Wichowski’s assignments include a briefing document and an original op-ed. It was the latter assignment, which I began in March, that brought my words to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 3.

While conducting research for my capstone project ­– an analysis of Russian active measures on Twitter targeting Americans with content about the Syrian conflict – our team came across a study on Russian trolls’ participation in the online vaccine debate, which I used as a foundation for Professor Wichowski’s assignment. She told us at the beginning of the semester that the op-ed assignment usually resulted in at least one student’s work being published, but at the time it seemed a hypothetical prospect. Luckily for me, Professor Wichowski had other ideas, and encouraged me to submit the piece for publication. I took her advice, and shopped the op-ed to a handful of outlets before it landed at Foreign Policy. With the help of their fantastic editing team, I refined and expanded the piece, which appeared on the Foreign Policy website at the beginning of April.

I was thrilled with the article’s initial reception and grateful that it drew much-needed attention to Russia’s less overtly political information warfare operations. Little did I know that, when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert began work on a segment about Russian trolls and the online vaccine debate, my article would be one of their primary sources, which Colbert quoted when the segment went live on May 3.

Whatever I expected from my time at SIPA, it certainly did not include a shout-out on late night television. Writing and publishing my first opinion piece was one of the most impactful experiences of my SIPA career. Mentorship from SIPA’s faculty gave me the expertise to develop thoughtful opinions, the skills to put them into writing, and the voice to promote those opinions in the wider world.

Kick Start the Semester

There is something going on all the time at SIPA, this week is no different (classes begin today).

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

The Sustainability Essentials Training Program (SET) Online Information Session (DETAILS)

12:30 pm to 1:15 pm Online

Sponsor: The Earth Institute

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014

The Relationship Between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union: What Went Wrong?

A panel discussion with Ambassador Charles Ntwaagae, Permanent Representative of Botswana; Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya; and Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein, former President of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.  (DETAILS)

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1501

Sponsor: UN Studies Program

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014

Establishing Effective Labor Oversight in Honduras

Holly Hammonds, Co-Founder of GlobalWorks Foundation and Member of Honduras Labor Framework Oversight Committee, and Jeff Hermanson, Director of Global Strategies, Workers United and Member of Honduras Labor Framework Oversight Committee, will discuss their labor standards project in Honduras.  (DETAILS)

12:45 pm to 1:50 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 802

Sponsor: Economic and Political Development Concentration

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014

Reception for SIPA Dean Janow in London

SIPA Dean Merit E. Janow cordially invites you to a reception for SIPA alumni and other invited guests in London. Join us to welcome the new dean and hear what the future holds for SIPA.  (DETAILS)

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Waldorf Hilton, Aldwych WC2B 4DD, United Kingdom

Sponsor: Office of Alumni Affairs

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014

CGEG: Challenges to Democracy and Rule of Law in Central Europe – A Lecture by Gordon Bajnai, Former Prime Minister of Hungary

Lecture by Gordon Bajnai, Former Prime Minister of Hungary and Leader of Together 2014 Electoral Alliance; with Victoria de Grazia, Blinken European Institute, Columbia University; Jan Svejnar, Center on Global Economic Governance, Columbia University; and Alan H. Timberlake, East Central European Center, Columbia University. Registration required.   (DETAILS)

3:30 pm to 5:30 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1512

Sponsor: Center on Global Economic Governance

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014

Women, Soft Power, and the New Diplomacy: From the Cold War to Hillary Clinton

As political leaders increasingly rely on dialogue and normative power versus sanctions and warfare in inter-state relations, women have risen to the forefront of international affairs. A panel of diplomats, military officers, and historians will investigate the accelerating use of soft-power solutions in diplomacy and female leaders’ role in the trend.  (DETAILS)

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1501

Sponsor: European Institute

 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014

BP Global Energy Outlook 2035

A presentation by Mark Finley, General Manager, Global Energy Markets and U.S. Economics, BP. (DETAILS)

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Faculty House, 4th Floor Skyline Room

Sponsor: Center on Global Energy Policy

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Nuclear Weapons Effects, Proliferation and Policy

An event with Col. Robert Spalding, United States Air Force, on the Air Force’s nuclear enterprise to include ICBMs and Bombers, as well as briefly discussing submarines.  (DETAILS)

12:15 pm to 2:00 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1302

Sponsor: Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Turkey and the EU: The Future of a Complicated Relationship

Meltem Müftüler-Baç is Professor of International Relations and Jean Monnet chair at Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey and an Affiliate Professor at the University of Stockholm from 2013 to 2016. (DETAILS)

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1512

Sponsor: European Institute

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Nuclear After Fukushima: Policies, Practices, and Problems

A public lecture by Lady Barbara Judge CBE, Former Chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and currently Deputy Chairman of TEPCO’s Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee and head of its task force on nuclear safety.  (DETAILS)

5:30 pm to 6:45 pm at Faculty House, 4th Floor Skyline Room

Sponsor: Center on Global Energy Policy

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Russian Law and Judicial Reform: Think Again

Kimberly Marten will chair a panel discussion with Timothy Frye, Kathryn Hendley, William Partlett, and Maria Popova on Russian law and judicial reform.  (DETAILS)

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the International Affairs Building, Room 1501

Sponsor: Harriman Institute

 

SIPA Events for the Week of September 23

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

 

Going on this week at SIPA

Tuesday

Title: U.S. Shale Gas & Pacific Gas Market: Pacific LNG Trade & Gas Pricing Issues

Sponsored By: Center on Global Energy Policy

What is it:  Forum with Adam Sieminski, Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration; and Chris Smith, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wednesday

Title: 2013 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Sponsored by:  Columbia University School of Arts

What is it:  Columbia University School of the Arts Visual Arts Program, in association with the Fisher Landau Center for Art, presents the 2013 MFA Thesis Exhibition, encompassing work by the 26 artists who will graduate from the program this May.

Thursday

Title: Can Haitian Story-telling, Imagination and Oral History Traditions Influence Popular Environmental Risk Perception?

Sponsored by: The Earth Institute

What is it: Panel with Sabine Marx, Managing Director, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED), Columbia University; Laura Simms, Award-winning Performer, Writer, Educator; Jean Refuse, Director, Haitian American Foundation for Cultural Exchange; Moderated by Tatiana Wah, Director, Haiti Research and Policy Program, and Alex Fischer, Associate Director, Haiti Research and Policy Program, Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development (CGSD), The Earth Institute, Columbia University.

Friday

Title: Late Imperial Epistemologies: A Eurasian Studies Workshop
Sponsored by: Harriman Institute
What is it: Conference about Late Imperial Epistemologies in Eurasian Studies.

Saturday

Undergraduate move out, no campus events

Sunday

Title: SIPA Graduation Party

Sponsored by: SIPASA

What is it: Join us at the SIPASA Graduation Party for one final night together as the Class of 2013! Celebrate under the stars with all your second year friends at The Empire Hotel Rooftop.

 

What’s going on at SIPA this week?

 

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.

Click here for more details.

 

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 women’s 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 University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s 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.

 

"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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