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Aakash Doshi, MIA 2010: Second year MIA student concentrating in International Energy Management and Policy
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Aakash Doshi is a second-year MIA student concentrating in International Energy Management and Policy (IEMP). Originally from Philadelphia, Aakash spent four-years prior to SIPA working on Wall Street in asset management and credit derivatives trading. At SIPA, he served as executive member and MIA/MPA class treasurer on the School of International and Public Affairs Student Association (SIPASA) board.
Additionally, he was a “mismanager” of SIPA Follies, an annual comedy production of mythic proportions as well as director of the 2010 Columbia University Energy Symposium. Aakash serves as a teaching assistant for International Capital Markets for the IEFP concentration.
What has been the best part of your SIPA experience?
"The Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t have a definition for the SIPA experience, but it goes without saying that the Stalinesque edifice on 420 W. 118th Street in New York City will forever change you. Good people are sine qua non for a good education and that is the heart and soul of SIPA. It is a diverse, dynamic and amazing student body that provides for a prodigious experience socially and academically. You will make new best friends and make contacts that last a lifetime at SIPA. With the forced group work of many classes, it is kind of hard not to!"
SIPA features lots of events for students to attend. Is there any interesting presentation that you have attended that you could comment upon?
"Through my active participation in student government and other cultural and academic organizations on campus, I have been fortunate enough to attend many formal dinners, networking receptions and roundtable discussions. Recently, I attended the Tenth Annual Global Leadership Awards Dinner hosted by SIPA, where the school honored Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek International and Nigerian World Bank economist, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The event also featured high-level SIPA alumni and faculty from around the world and was an excellent networking opportunity. Also, some of the most enriching memories I have from SIPA have been the countless panels, speaker-series and conferences held on the 15th floor ranging on topics from the financial crisis to the Gaza Strip."
Have you taken classes at other Columbia Schools?
"I have sat in on some lectures at the engineering school and business school, but in general, have found most of the classes at SIPA adequate to my needs."
Can you comment specifically on some exciting things about your concentration?
"Energy is the most capital intensive industry in the world and crucial for economic development and poverty reduction. Imagine harnessing power from wind to cool your home or constructing an oil rig that digs a mile into the earth’s surface to provide fuel for your automobile. SIPA’s energy and environment program is world-class and unique in how it combines a policy, markets and technology approach in studying this massive and complex sector.
The nascent concentration has been undergoing rapid growth and takes great steps to ensure that all facets of the energy spectrum are touched upon."
What advice would you give a first-year student?
"Get involved! You will learn so much about leadership, management and communications through active participation in student groups. Also, soak up every moment; the two years fly by."
[July 2010]