Joe Murphy, MA’19, Researches Urban Planning in Chile

Murphy spent four weeks in Chile participating in an internship through the Global Opportunities GO! Program.

September 10, 2019

In July and August, Joe Murphy, MA’19, spent four weeks in Chile participating in an internship organized through the Committee on Global Thought’s (CGT) Global Opportunities GO! Program.

This is the second time a master’s student participates in the GO! Program in Chile, with a third slated to come in October.

Based out of the Center for Territorial Intelligence (CIT) at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Santiago, Murphy’s practicum focused on researching Chile’s urban planning system, collecting data on metropolitan construction regulations, to provide the basis for an analysis of how such regulations have changed over time.

He also conducted a literature review concerning the theoretical and practical discussions surrounding the use of urban planning indicators. This review will help form a foundation for future indicator research at the institute. 

“Having focused my MA research on human rights and international development, my work at CIT represented a big shift to an area I had not previously explored in great detail. I found the experience of living and working in a Spanish-speaking context a hugely beneficial and enriching experience,” he says. “While I do not think I will return to the realm of urban planning in the future, I very much hope to return to this fascinating country, and to have further opportunities to broaden my cultural horizons, learn new things and meet people from diverse backgrounds.”

The Global Opportunities (GO!) program, which CGT has offered from 2017-2019, would link Masters in Global Thought students to research projects during residencies at Columbia Global Centers. GO! internships and experiences allow graduates to continue developing their reflections on global questions and hone their skills as researchers and writers.