Columbia SIPA Hosts GPPN 2025 Conference to Celebrate 20 Years of Global Public Policy Collaboration
On March 5–7, Columbia SIPA welcomed students, faculty, and deans from around the world as host of the 2025 Global Public Policy Network (GPPN) Conference — organized by SIPA’s Office of Student Affairs in an effort led by Associate Dean for Student Affairs Tsuya Yee and Assistant Dean Haniya Rizwan. This year’s conference marked the 20th anniversary of the international policy education consortium.
The annual GPPN conference brings together the next generation of public leaders to present bold, innovative policy proposals addressing today’s most pressing global challenges. It also offers students a unique opportunity to showcase their projects to the deans of eight leading public policy schools and connect with peers from around the world.
Founded in 2005, the GPPN includes Columbia SIPA, Sciences Po Paris, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, the Hertie School in Berlin, Fundação Getulio Vargas's Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP) in Brazil, and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The network promotes cross-border dialogue on public policy and administration, and offers dual degree programs that enable students to study at two member institutions to gain a global perspective on governance and leadership.
This year’s theme, “Policies and Innovations that Foster Sustainable Development,” emphasized the urgent need to advance environmental, economic, and social progress amid rising climate threats, growing inequality, and development gaps in vulnerable regions.
In line with this theme, four interdisciplinary teams represented SIPA at the conference:
Team “ClimaScope – Empowering Sustainable Investments” —Muhammad Usman Goraya, Monica Jacqueli Maddela Villasis, and Riya Kaustubh Gavaskar introduced a green investment strategy that uses machine learning and GIS mapping to direct municipal bonds toward climate-vulnerable communities across the US.
Team “Renewable Energy-Powered Desalination for Coastal Bangladesh” — Akshay Kalyan, Navya Sinha, Janhavi Chanda, and Divya Sridhar proposed a hybrid financing framework to scale mobile solar-powered desalination units, aiming to combat water salinity and strengthen health resilience in coastal communities.
Team “A Strategic Framework for Financing Nature-Based Solutions in Latin America” — Maria Jimena Jurado Giraldo, Aruja Singh, Anum Hamid, and Silvia Juliana Vargas Rueda developed a policy blueprint to help integrate nature-based solutions (NbS) financing into multilateral development bank portfolios, promoting biodiversity and climate resilience across the region.
Team “Clean Crop – Supporting Sustainable Rice Across Farmers, Customers, and Carbon Markets” — Maitreyi Menon, Celine Andriana, Erica Wu, and Sara Haris presented a digital platform designed to connect Indian rice farmers with sustainable buyers and carbon markets, offering training and capital access while promoting methane-reducing practices.
Professor Scott Barrett, Lenfest-Earth Institute Professor of Natural Resource Economics at Columbia University, gave a keynote lecture with insights on the economics of global cooperation. The event culminated in a finalist pitch round, judged by a distinguished panel of faculty and deans from GPPN member institutions.
A team from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy took home the first prize for their innovative policy proposal, “Debt-for-Nature Swaps: An Innovative Solution to India’s Mangrove Restoration and Coastal Resilience Challenge.” The project outlined a bold financing mechanism — restructuring national debt to fund a Mangrove Restoration and Coastal Resilience Fund (MRCRF) — designed to protect the vulnerable Sundarbans region of India while supporting local communities and biodiversity.
Maggie Keyworth, a student in the Munk School’s dual degree program (MPA/MGA) with the London School of Economics, said: “Presenting at Columbia University for the GPPN Conference was an incredible experience, and sharing our work with brilliant peers from around the world to exchange new insights was truly an honor. The recognition was a meaningful reminder of what can be achieved when diverse perspectives come together to tackle pressing policy issues with creativity and purpose.”
Reflecting on his experience at this year’s GPPN Conference, Muhammad Usman Goraya, SIPA MPA student and member of the ClimaScope team, remarked: “The GPPN Conference was a powerful reminder that public policy transcends borders — it was absolutely inspiring to connect with peers from across the world who are equally committed to creating sustainable, inclusive solutions for humanity’s shared future.”
