SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Economic and Political Development (EPD)

Letter from the Director

Despite the stunning pace of technological progress and high economic growth rates in some parts of the world, we continue to live with growing inequalities and unacceptable levels of poverty. According to the most recent estimates of the World Bank, 1.4 billion people live under extreme poverty (under $1.25 a day, which is equivalent at current prices of the old "dollar a day" marker of indigence) and more than double (3.1 billion) live under double that meager amount. UNICEF tells us that every year ten million children die before age five from preventable diseases and still a large amount of them do not finish primary education. In many parts of the globe, inadequate social protection systems, persistent violence, institutional instability and environmental degradation create complex poverty traps that condemn many to lives that are “nasty, brutish and short”. How to transform this morally unacceptable situation through effective practice and policies at global, regional, national and local levels remains one of the greatest challenges of our time.

The Economic and Political Development (EPD) Concentration attracts diverse students from around the world who are dedicated to the fight against international and national inequality, eradication of poverty and its causes, and the expansion of human development in the form of expanded rights and freedoms --civil and political as well as economic and social rights and freedoms. At EPD, we recognize that no silver bullet or simple solution exists to the human development challenges we face. Our approach is to provide students with a strong historically grounded awareness of the shifting trends and ideas in development and of track records of projects and policies. The idea is to equip EPD students with a critical analytical orientation to the practice of development and strong insights into successes that can be built upon through advocacy and key skills like Policy Monitoring and Evaluation.

At EPD, we encourage creativity and trespass of disciplinary boundaries by having our students choose a professional focus that can combine coursework across concentrations and programs such as Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs or International Economic Policy. Finally, we strongly believe in applying what is learned in the classroom to the world through public service in our own neighborhood, internships, policy projects and applied workshops. Through these avenues our students engage with a wide variety of actors in the world of development from international and regional institutions --the UN, the World and regional and sub-regional development banks-- and national government to small NGOs, social movements and socially responsible businesses, consulting firms and, of course, policy research. In the process, we develop close links between the university and the world of practice, generating mutually beneficial circulation of ideas and approaches and grounding theoretical coursework in the world of action.

I encourage you to join us in the lively development dialogue and debates at EPD!

José Antonio Ocampo
Director