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Kofi Annan to Speak at SIPA’s Graduation
Former United Nations Secretary-General, Nobel Peace laureate, and SIPA Global Fellow Kofi Annan will address the School’s approximately 750 graduates at SIPA’s graduation on Saturday, May 14. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on the south lawn of Columbia University.
The seventh Secretary-General of the UN, Annan is credited with revitalizing the institution and its global brand. A native of Ghana, he served as Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006 and was the first to emerge from the ranks of United Nations staff. He was a tireless advocate for human rights, the rule of law, the Millennium Development Goals and Africa, and sought to bring the organization closer to the global public by forging ties with civil society, the private sector, and other partners.
Other speakers during the graduation ceremony will include Dean John H. Coatsworth, new Associate Dean for Student Affairs Caroline Kay, and SIPA Student Association co-presidents Saptarsi Bandyopadhyay (MIA ’11) and Lauren Quillian (MPA ’11).
The winners of SIPA's Distinguished Teaching Awards will be recognized: Scott Barrett and Alan Brott. The awards are offered in two categories – Professor Brott won for courses with enrollment of 45 students or more, for teaching “Accounting for International and Public Affairs;" Professor Barrett won for courses with fewer than 45 students, for teaching “Climate Change Policy." Each receives a $1,000 prize and was selected by students through an online ballot that featured six nominees in each category. The nominees were the top performers in the quantitative portion of course evaluations for the spring and fall 2010 semesters.
The 18 recipients of SIPA's graduation awards will also be recognized: the Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson Award for Human Values in International Affairs; George C. Marshall Prize for Strategic Studies; Leous/Parry Award for Progressive Sustainability; Raphael Smith Memorial Prize; and the Harvey Picker Prize for Public Service.
Additional graduation information for SIPA students is available here.
Columbia University’s Commencement will take place on Wednesday, May 18, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on College Walk. The University will confer degrees on more than 11,000 candidates.
Additional information on the University Commencement and other Columbia schools’ graduation ceremonies is available here.
Alex Burnett, updated May 4, 2011