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SIPA Profiles
Chris Busch, USA
SIPA/LSE Dual Degree, MPA, Environmental Policy (LSE)
"SIPA offers its students unparalleled opportunities, one being to participate in thedual-degree MPA with the London School of Economics. As a dual degree student, I have had the chance to exploit the resources of two of the world’s top universities simultaneously, meet students from all over the world, and earn two MPA’s. The MPA at LSE is different from that at SIPA and as such offers the dual degree participants a varying perspective on policy from that earned solely at SIPA. For me, the dual-degree with SIPA and LSE has created exciting work opportunities in both New York and London."
Shruthi Jayaram, India
LKYSPP/SIPA MPP/MPA Dual Degree, '08; International Economic Policy (SIPA), Economic Policy and Analysis (LKYSPP)
“The dual degree program has offered me many opportunities, the most important being the chance to study economic policy from the perspectives of two important decision-making centers, Asia and the United States. Applying the Asia focus at the Lee Kuan Yew School to the rigorous functional concentration of International Economic Policy at SIPA has allowed me to form a better understanding of economic policy formulation in both the developed and the developing world.”
Sun Joo Ahn, South Korea
LKYSPP/SIPA MPA Dual Degree, '08; International Energy Management and Policy (SIPA)
"A dual degree with SIPA provided me with well-balanced skills and perspectives. I obtained excellent analytical skills and understanding of public policy in Singapore, while at SIPA I was able to focus intensely on the energy industry. I greatly benefited from the experience of being based in both Asia and the US. I have little doubt that the dual degree, and more importantly, the applied knowledge embedded in the GPPN curriculum, will support me well in my professional career."
Frederique Camilleri
MIA Sciences Po Paris - SIPA 2005-2007; Concentration: U.N. Studies (SIPA), French Public Policy (Science Po)
"The dual degree has enabled me to study both French public affairs at Sciences Po and international affairs at SIPA. This unique combination of degrees from two of the most renowned universities in each field has not only taught me useful theoretical tools, but it has also allowed me to do exciting internships in both countries and to build an international network. I believe it will be a major asset as I intend to work on international issues in the French government."
Wilson Favre-Delerue
Sciences Po-SIPA 2003-2005; International Affairs at Sciences Po and International Media and Communication (IMC) at SIPA
“The Sciences Po/SIPA dual MIA degree gave me strong foundations to grasp the diversity and complexity of the world around us. It also gave me the appropriate tools with which I can work to confront the challenges deriving from this globalized complexity.”
Gaurav Gujral, India
LSE /SIPA MPA Dual Degree, '06 Economic and Political Development (SIPA), Public and Economic Policy (LSE)
"One of my primary motivations was to get the most out of the two years of the MPA program. The LSE and SIPA are both premiere public policy schools, but have fairly different orientations towards the MPA program. The LSE brings in a high degree of academic rigors and depth, especially with respect to the core courses and SIPA complements that with a plethora of courses across many functional areas. So essentially, you're gaining a diverse set of skills, built on a very strong foundation. The skills gained through the dual degree have enabled me to take on a highly challenging role in public-sector consulting with Accenture, which includes policy analysis, developing strategies for key government programs across different sectors and performing due diligence of public budgets and resources."
Erin Kenny
MPA, Social Policy (2004)
Astoria, New York
"I came to SIPA because I liked the international component to the program, and I was also interested in the dual degree with Columbia University's School of Social Work. I hope to work in the public sector, either government or nonprofit, addressing social policy issues, and the dual degree will be a great asset."
Adam Klauber
MPA, Environmental Science and Policy (2004)
San Francisco, California
"New York City is the cultural, artistic, financial heart of the United States. It helps drive the energy and future course of this nation and is a highly energizing place to live. SIPA's location in New York City makes it an ideal place to interact with people from many geographic and cultural backgrounds."
Wanda Muņoz, Mexico
Sciences Po/SIPA Dual Degree, '06; MIA, Economic and Political Development (SIPA)
“When looking for a Master Degree that combined International Affairs with Economic Development, this Dual Degree was the best option for me. It combined a European with an American experience while at the same time allowed me to develop my skills through research and internships in Cambodia, the Philippines and the United Nations. The Dual Degree definitely surpassed expectations. I learned a lot from school and internships but also from the all the marvelous people I met throughout. Now I work for a French NGO that advocates for disarmament at the international level and delivers development and emergency programs in over 60 countries—a job I had been dreaming of since I started high school in Mexico City some 13 years ago.”
Yariv Nornberg, Israel
SIPA/Sciences Po 2004-2006;ISP – Affaires publiques
"The SIPA – Sciences Po dual degree program offered me the opportunity to be exposed to a large range of perspectives on world affairs as seen from the opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Experiencing living in two cities like New York and Paris was by itself an unbeatable added value. Benefiting to learn from renowned academics as well as from senior level practitioners, while being surrounded by students coming from all over the world, better prepared me for professional life in the era of globalization."
Regina Akoth Ombam
PEPM (2002)
Nairobi, Kenya
"Having been out of school for seven years, I felt it was wise to enroll in a program that could teach me new and appropriate ways of policy analysis. PEPM was just that. It has helped me develop more realistic objectives regarding development of key sectors of the Kenyan economy. The program not only emphasizes economic theory but looks into the application of theory in the real world."
Peter Woodward
PEPM (2003)
United States
"My long-term career goal is to be involved in economic and political policy relating to the developing and transitioning economies of Russia and the Central Asian countries. In choosing schools, I was attracted to the brevity of the PEPM program and the fact that it is intended for mid-career professionals. After completing the program, I will work for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in the White House. I would not have had access to this opportunity, nor would I have qualified, if I had chosen another school."
Sangajav Bayartsogt
PEPM (2002)
Mongolia
"Compared to other programs, I found the academic curriculum of PEPM particularly appealing because of its focus on economic issues and policymaking. The program is well known in Mongolia because of the professional and policymaking achievements of its alumni. Graduates of the program are holding high-level decisionmaking positions in the Mongolian government."
Elizabeth Dunleavey
EMPA (2004)
"The EMPA has helped me to crystallize where I want to take my career. It gave me the impetus to look within my own organization to see where new opportunities lie and imagine what might be possible. In supporting my advanced education, my employer has made it clear that it wants people to bring new ideas and thinking into the organization. The EMPA program enabled me to do that, in a program well designed for full-time working professionals."
Nabeeha Kazi
MIA (2005) MPH (2005)
Kansas City, Kansas
"A good professor is one who can bring theory and practice to the table and foster a classroom environment where students are able to also learn from each other. I have found that at SIPA."
Anush Mazmanyan
PEPM (2002)
Armenia
"I heard from graduates of the program that PEPM is progressive and comprehensive, especially for students from transition countries, like myself, who need to study issues they missed in the past. My background in economics was in a 'planning system,' so I was looking for a program that could fill my theoretical gaps. Armenia needs a professional labor force that corresponds to international standards. Through PEPM I learned to look at the problems transition countries face from the other side and see possible solutions for their economic growth."
Priya Nagrani
MIA, International Economic Policy and Middle East Institute (2004)
Mumbai, India
"At SIPA I was given the flexibility to choose classes from different schools within the University and from many fields of international study, from media and communications to economic and security policy. SIPA is one of the best schools in the world in international affairs and is recognized as such."
Cecile Niang
MIA (2004)
Senegal
"I was working in international business development when I decided to change careers and move into development to support Africa. After graduation, I hope to work in multilateral organizations such as the World Bank."
Ernest Rodriguez-Naaz
EMPA (2002)
"In the not-for-profit arts and cultural worlds, I saw firsthand the trend toward management techniques that demanded greater analytical and quantitative grounding. The EMPA program gave me these tools, as well as a new lens through which to view public policy. In my cohort, we equally represented the nonprofit, private, and government sectors. Today, I am applying what I learned in the educational sector-introducing elected officials to better models of governance and policy-based decision making. But I can imagine using my skills equally effectively in any sector."
Merit Janow
Professor in the Practice of International Trade
Merit Janow brings to SIPA a range of experience in trade law and foreign economic policy. She is a former associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom, where she specialized in international corporate law. Previously, she served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan and China. In 2003 Professor Janow was appointed to the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a four-year term.
Jeffrey Sachs
Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University
For the past decade Jeffrey Sachs has played an outstanding role in the debate over global economics. He has advised governments in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia, and Africa on economic reforms and has worked with international agencies to promote poverty reduction, disease control, and debt reduction of poor countries. Sachs is special advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the Millennium Development Goals.
Elliott Sclar
Professor of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
An economist and urban planner, Elliott Sclar has published on topics ranging from transportation and land use to the health impacts of metropolitan sprawl. Outside the classroom, he has worked as a consultant to build grassroots institutions for community planning in Manhattan neighborhoods. He is currently co-coordinator of the Task Force on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers, one of eight task forces set up to aid in the implementation of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals.
Stephen Sestanovich
Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of International Affairs
Stephen Sestanovich, a distinguished scholar of Russia and the former Soviet republics, also has experience in policymaking at the highest level of the U.S. government. He served as ambassador-at-large and special adviser to the secretary of state for the newly independent states (NIS) and as the U.S. government's principle spokesperson on policy toward the region during a turbulent period in U.S.-Russian relations.