Aerial View of Columbia University

Global Research & Impact

Developing frameworks for positive action

From climate and energy to the future of democracy, we are defining issues where we can make the biggest impact — in our interdisciplinary research, in our teaching, and in our impact on policy.

Addressing Five Global Policy Challenges

Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo shares how SIPA is taking on complex, pressing global issues like geopolitical stability; energy and climate policy; technological innovation and its impact on people; how to share prosperity; and preserving democratic governance. 

Jack Lew
Professor Jack Lew
Faculty

“I’ve always been an optimist.”

Visiting professor Jack Lew brings decades of public service experience to the classroom.

Jack Lew, a former U.S. treasury secretary and White House chief of staff, taught the Spring 2022 course Democratic Institutions Under Stress. In it he explored the core principles of constitutional democracy, starting with a close reading of the United States’ founding documents and proceeding through key institutions, from citizenship and elections to the branches of government, the military, and the press.

Hagar Hajjar Chemali
Hagar Hajjar Chemali MIA ’04
Alumni

Finding the Absurdity in Geopolitics

Hagar Hajjar Chemali MIA ’04 is the host and creator of Oh My World!, an award-winning “next generation news media brand” that finds her breaking down world affairs in weekly, 10-minute YouTube videos.

“People want to laugh, and there’s so much absurdity in geopolitics,” Chemali says. “And in world news, it’s like free content on a daily basis—it’s easy for me to make fun of it. And I’m very sensitive when things are very serious or very upsetting, but there is still a lot there that we can poke fun at.”

I am passionate about reducing global inequalities and creating opportunities for marginalized and underserved communities.

Leselle Vincent MPA-DP ’22

“I want to help Beijing solve air pollution.”

Yifan Li MPA ’22

“Information operations are designed to erode trust in democratic systems, and to intimidate and silence critical voices.”

Camille François MIA ’13