Dear colleagues,
I write to you from my home in Amman, Jordan, where I have been following shelter-in-place directives to stop the spread of COVID-19. The city has been in lockdown since March 18th, and I must say that it’s fascinating to experience a large, global crisis from the perspective of a small country like Jordan.
In my calls with the Global Centers’ teams across the world, before we turn to the business at hand, we share intimate stories of the creative ways our respective neighborhoods are coping and supporting one another. The irony of this pandemic is how, in these efforts, we feel strongly connected with so many others, yet have never been so alone.
Much of what I do is to globally connect people, institutions, and ideas, always with a full schedule of international travel. Now, with COVID-19, my challenge (and everyone’s challenge) is doing so from within four walls. How extraordinary that we live in an age where that is actually possible.
With this pandemic, in every country and at every level, our collective leaders’ cri de coeur must be adaptability, global cooperation, and shared solutions. Although we have not yet reached the apex of this pandemic's devastating impact, I am convinced our community will emerge stronger because these are the very values that Columbia University, under the leadership of President Lee C. Bollinger, embraces. These values are why President Bollinger founded the Columbia Global Centers in 2009, and why the Centers have grown to become an essential part of the University’s identity.
With the Global Centers located in nine countries and on four continents, and with ten years of on-the-ground, embedded work globally, we are uniquely positioned to bring to the Columbia community, and vice versa, our extensive assets and working partnerships with many of the world’s top leaders, experts, and institutions. And just as important, by being on the ground, we are able to identify and partner with the emergent groups and people doing the cutting-edge work of tomorrow, today.
As of now, all the Global Centers are working remotely, with the exception of the Beijing Center, which has been transitioning back to the office after working remotely since January. We have pivoted to developing online programming that builds on the critical value of our unique global network and its attendant ability to appeal to worldwide, regional, and Columbia community audiences.
The possibilities for what the Centers can bring to Columbia and the world are unbounded; we are creating content and experiences around critical, timely issues of concern, tapping into University resources and global expertise. Just yesterday, our Istanbul Center hosted a webinar on COVID’s impact on emerging markets with one of Turkey’s leading business experts. On Monday, our Rio and Santiago Centers hosted a discussion on COVID’s impact on the US Presidential election, and they are currently organizing an online, network-wide event to address domestic abuse, which is of rising global concern.
We also are leveraging our presence across the world to enhance Columbia’s brand in trusted media as a true global university. The Beijing Center, for example, curated regional media exposure for Columbia faculty, for a combined viewership of 10 million. Our Centers are looking to replicate that impact, reaching out to select regional media, and we have secured bookings for Columbia’s experts in multiple top outlets.
There is a lot more to come. As we finalize our plans in the next few weeks, my team and I will continue to be in touch about prospective collaborations, and we will share what you can expect to be coming down the line.
Let me end by saying that I am inspired by the empathy and concern many have expressed for our Centers and their teams, some of whom are working in locations with limited resources to mitigate the virus’s impact. I want to thank you for your continued support, and for the advice, perspective, and enduring commitment we receive from so many of you. I also want you to know that you and your families are on our minds, and that we wish you safety and good health.
Warmly,
Safwan