Below is a sampling of current opportunities community members can engage with Columbia Global Centers.
Research
Research plays a fundamental role in all our activities at the Columbia Global Centers. It is the resource that we use to tap into the Columbia University faculty expertise and then implement that on the ground to improve the livelihood of communities.
In response to the global refugee crisis, several programs have been launched at the centers to support displaced scholars. Some examples include the following:
Early-career scholars with refugee status or who have been forcibly displaced are invited to apply for the Columbia Global Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program, a year-long fellowship at one of three Columbia Global Centers in Amman, Nairobi and Santiago. Following a successful 4-year pilot program in Amman, and with the Mellon Foundation's continued support, the program has expanded to offer 10 fellowships annually for the next three years.
The Mumbai Center partners with Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health to offer the Yusuf Hamied Fellowships, which are awarded annually for three research residencies in India to public health faculty at the Mailman School and to three faculty members in Indian educational institutions for short-term residencies at the Mailman School. In addition, the center launched in 2022 an ongoing project, Period of Life: Improving Menstrual Health and Knowledge in India that focuses on the relationship of menstruation to women’s health across the lifecourse. The project aims to broaden the understanding of the subject beyond menstrual hygiene and sanitation to education and research about the physical, psychological and social dimensions of menstrual health.
Co-sponsored by the Paris Global Center and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, the Displaced Artists Initiative was launched in 2023 to support artists who have had to leave their countries of origin due to extreme circumstances, such as war, natural disaster and political oppression.
Education
Global Center educational programs enable Columbia students to study a variety of subjects and enhance their local engagement towards a complete global experience. Our centers develop and facilitate various education and learning programs in collaboration with regional partners.
The Columbia Women’s Leadership Network in Brazil Program selects annual groups of professionals with the goal of creating a growing network of women who will contribute to the transformation of Brazil. Taking advantage of the talents and academic excellence of Columbia University, each cohort will consist of women working in different areas of public management, third and private sector from different parts of Brazil.
The Fellowship for Change program, led by Columbia Global Centers | Beijing in partnership with Qi Social Innovation Center, is a one-year Fellowship for students in China who will be entering Grade 10 or 11 in 2024 and are inspired to lead change. Through learning summits and mentor accompaniment, fellows research and connect with complex social and environmental issues, formulating and implementing solutions that address the root causes and inspire others.
Global Columbia Collaboratory is a free, virtual, not-for-credit global learning opportunity for currently enrolled undergraduate students from around the world. Taking part in the summer session provides a forum for learning about global issues from international experts, peers around the world, and on-site/in-country field experiences in the Brazilian Amazon, Cuba or The Gambia.
Istanbul will once again offer a Building Blocks Social Entrepreneurship Workshop for local high school students this summer. Launched in 2020, the workshop is organized in collaboration with Columbia University’s Building Blocks.
The Nairobi Center partners with Teachers College in a consortium, Building Resilience in Crisis through Education, headed by Oxfam IBIS aimed at building the resilience of learners, teachers and education systems by providing education to 31,150 youth in more than 22 schools in South Sudan and Northern Uganda.
The Nairobi Center has also been undertaking a nutritional study on Pediatric Oncology in collaboration with Columbia's International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition, headquartered at the Irving Medical Center, University of Nairobi, and Kenyatta National Hospital. The study involves training staff members at the pediatric department, and part of the objective is to research nutrition interventions on the incidence of malnutrition at diagnosis and during treatment.
Contribute to global conversations
As part of our commitment to knowledge and promoting scholarly discourse, we bring together Columbia University faculty, students, and alumni along with global scholars, regional experts, innovators, non-profit organizations, and government to discuss a range of issues and host thought-provoking events.
The Paris Global Center offers public events and supports local civic engagement and arts organizations. The center has also launched the Atelier podcast to highlight some of the unique discussions that take place at Reid Hall. Read more about the public programs at each center
Support
Make a gift to Columbia Global Centers and help support the mission of the network.