Melissa von Mayrhauser
2014-08-25T03:05:02Z
The directors of Columbia's eight global centers gathered at Faculty House on Monday to start hammering out a long-term business plan for the fledgling network of international hubs.
That network has expanded rapidly—all eight centers having opened in the last three and a half years—but it's still unclear where the centers fit into Columbia's complex organizational structure.
These concerns prompted Safwan Masri, who became vice president for global centers in July, to call for the directors' summit, which started on Monday morning and will continue through Friday. At an introductory event Monday morning, Masri—who also directs the global center in Amman, Jordan—told the other directors that he wants the centers to become "part and parcel" of a Columbia education.
"In five years from now, if you look at the global centers, one noun that I'd like to emerge is permanence,'" he said. "Maybe locations will change, but permanence will lead to indispensability."
Masri also discussed the importance of finding ways for the centers to collaborate, clarifying the vague roles of their faculty steering committees, and standardizing their branding. He said that the centers' staffs will work together to reach out to other countries in their regions, partly because that "will help with fundraising."
"Now with the Rio center up and running, one of the things that we'll be looking for in Latin America is expanding beyond Chile and beyond Brazil into other Latin American countries," Masri said.
The directors have an extensive itinerary planned for the rest of the week, including discussions with student leaders and deans from several schools and meetings with administrators who handle admissions, public affairs, and technology. Masri told the other directors that the summit is intended to send a signal to the rest of the University that "we are here, and we are here in a very positive and very organized and very ambitious way."
Ipek Cem Taha, the director of the Istanbul, Turkey, center, also called for a "stronger bond between campus and the Centers" in a recent email to Spectator, saying that "the students, the professors, the alums and even the Trustees need to recognize the value of the Centers, and the synergy from the Centers."
Monday afternoon sessions on fundraising and budgeting were closed to the press, but Masri said at the introductory event that he wants to formulate a business plan for the centers by December. Thomas Trebat, the director of the global center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said in a recent interview that he also plans to write a business plan specifically for his center by the end of the year, as "the individual features of the individual country need to be recognized too."
Additionally, the directors started to articulate their plans for funding their centers primarily with local gifts. Karen Poniachik, the director of the center in Santiago, Chile, said at the summit that her center's current business plan is to "spend money on programming and putting our name out there," rather than adding staff.
But throughout the discussions of structure and funding, Masri returned to the idea that in order for the centers to be successful, the directors must convince schools and offices around the University to buy into the idea of the global centers. He noted that the Committee on Instruction originally rejected the Global Scholars Program—currently the only major opportunity for undergraduate to travel to the centers.
"It's a very important group on campus, and it's a group that we need to have a very strong relationship with," Masri said, referring to the Committee on Instruction.
The directors will meet with members of that committee, as well as with members of the newly formed Educational Policy and Planning Committee, later in the week. They will also take part in several events at University President Lee Bollinger's house, which Masri said reflects the importance of the centers to Bollinger.
"If you look at the time that we're getting in terms of the president's schedule, that's a big invitation," he said.
But if Bollinger puts a premium on the global centers, convincing students to do so is another matter entirely.
Paul LeClerc, the director of the Paris global center, said that the directors have to deal with the issue of "how hard it is to get students at Columbia and Barnard off this campus and having an educational experience abroad." LeClerc, a former head of the New York Public Library whom Columbia hired in April, argued that the University should create incentives that would induce 50 to 60 percent of undergraduate to study abroad.
"There are all kinds of factors that account from that, including the Core—that keeps students on campus for two years, and immediately after that they have to start majoring," LeClerc said.
Outside of the Global Scholars Program, which Bollinger will discuss at a summit event Tuesday evening, and the fifth-year study abroad program, there are currently very few ways for undergraduates to travel to or do research at the centers. Belay Begashaw, the director of the Nairobi, Kenya, center, said that the Nairobi center is preparing to launch a new semester abroad program for undergraduates, "Tropical Biology and Sustainability in Kenya."
Columbia's professional schools, meanwhile, already boast an array of programs at the global centers.
"Professional schools tend to have more resources, tend to have systems and funding in place to generate funding for important projects," Masri said. "That's less true for Arts and Sciences."
To that end, one of Masri's goals for this week is to convince Arts and Sciences department chairs—a group of whom are meeting with the directors on Wednesday—that they can benefit by working with the global centers. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences encompasses Columbia College and the School of General Studies, among other schools.
"Getting the buy-in of the Arts and Sciences faculty is incredibly crucial to our success," Masri said. "There's a history to that—some have been more embracing than others."
Trebat said in a recent interview that this summit and the directors' other efforts to build bridges with different parts of Columbia mark a crucial step forward in the centers' progress.
"I think that when these global centers are truly part of a global university, people are going to look back at this time and say that this is when it took its most important steps," he said.
news@columbiaspectator.com
... That network has expanded rapidly—all eight centers having opened in the last three and a half years—but it's still unclear where the centers fit into Columbia's complex organizational structure.
These concerns prompted Safwan Masri, who became vice president for global centers in July, to call for the directors' summit, which started on Monday morning and will continue through Friday. At an introductory event Monday morning, Masri—who also directs the global center in Amman, Jordan—told the other directors that he wants the centers to become "part and parcel" of a Columbia education.
"In five years from now, if you look at the global centers, one noun that I'd like to emerge is permanence,'" he said. "Maybe locations will change, but permanence will lead to indispensability."
Masri also discussed the importance of finding ways for the centers to collaborate, clarifying the vague roles of their faculty steering committees, and standardizing their branding. He said that the centers' staffs will work together to reach out to other countries in their regions, partly because that "will help with fundraising."
"Now with the Rio center up and running, one of the things that we'll be looking for in Latin America is expanding beyond Chile and beyond Brazil into other Latin American countries," Masri said.
The directors have an extensive itinerary planned for the rest of the week, including discussions with student leaders and deans from several schools and meetings with administrators who handle admissions, public affairs, and technology. Masri told the other directors that the summit is intended to send a signal to the rest of the University that "we are here, and we are here in a very positive and very organized and very ambitious way."
Ipek Cem Taha, the director of the Istanbul, Turkey, center, also called for a "stronger bond between campus and the Centers" in a recent email to Spectator, saying that "the students, the professors, the alums and even the Trustees need to recognize the value of the Centers, and the synergy from the Centers."
Monday afternoon sessions on fundraising and budgeting were closed to the press, but Masri said at the introductory event that he wants to formulate a business plan for the centers by December. Thomas Trebat, the director of the global center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said in a recent interview that he also plans to write a business plan specifically for his center by the end of the year, as "the individual features of the individual country need to be recognized too."
Additionally, the directors started to articulate their plans for funding their centers primarily with local gifts. Karen Poniachik, the director of the center in Santiago, Chile, said at the summit that her center's current business plan is to "spend money on programming and putting our name out there," rather than adding staff.
But throughout the discussions of structure and funding, Masri returned to the idea that in order for the centers to be successful, the directors must convince schools and offices around the University to buy into the idea of the global centers. He noted that the Committee on Instruction originally rejected the Global Scholars Program—currently the only major opportunity for undergraduate to travel to the centers.
"It's a very important group on campus, and it's a group that we need to have a very strong relationship with," Masri said, referring to the Committee on Instruction.
The directors will meet with members of that committee, as well as with members of the newly formed Educational Policy and Planning Committee, later in the week. They will also take part in several events at University President Lee Bollinger's house, which Masri said reflects the importance of the centers to Bollinger.
"If you look at the time that we're getting in terms of the president's schedule, that's a big invitation," he said.
But if Bollinger puts a premium on the global centers, convincing students to do so is another matter entirely.
Paul LeClerc, the director of the Paris global center, said that the directors have to deal with the issue of "how hard it is to get students at Columbia and Barnard off this campus and having an educational experience abroad." LeClerc, a former head of the New York Public Library whom Columbia hired in April, argued that the University should create incentives that would induce 50 to 60 percent of undergraduate to study abroad.
"There are all kinds of factors that account from that, including the Core—that keeps students on campus for two years, and immediately after that they have to start majoring," LeClerc said.
Outside of the Global Scholars Program, which Bollinger will discuss at a summit event Tuesday evening, and the fifth-year study abroad program, there are currently very few ways for undergraduates to travel to or do research at the centers. Belay Begashaw, the director of the Nairobi, Kenya, center, said that the Nairobi center is preparing to launch a new semester abroad program for undergraduates, "Tropical Biology and Sustainability in Kenya."
Columbia's professional schools, meanwhile, already boast an array of programs at the global centers.
"Professional schools tend to have more resources, tend to have systems and funding in place to generate funding for important projects," Masri said. "That's less true for Arts and Sciences."
To that end, one of Masri's goals for this week is to convince Arts and Sciences department chairs—a group of whom are meeting with the directors on Wednesday—that they can benefit by working with the global centers. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences encompasses Columbia College and the School of General Studies, among other schools.
"Getting the buy-in of the Arts and Sciences faculty is incredibly crucial to our success," Masri said. "There's a history to that—some have been more embracing than others."
Trebat said in a recent interview that this summit and the directors' other efforts to build bridges with different parts of Columbia mark a crucial step forward in the centers' progress.
"I think that when these global centers are truly part of a global university, people are going to look back at this time and say that this is when it took its most important steps," he said.
news@columbiaspectator.com
2014-08-25T01:00:03Z
An independent Italian studies institute is suing Columbia over the direction of the University's Italian Academy, but instead of asking for money, it's demanding that the University return the academy to its original mission: promoting Italian studies.
The Italic Institute of America filed suit against Columbia in New York State Supreme Court on Aug. 22, in collaboration with the descendants of three families that donated $400,000 toward the construction of the Casa Italiana and contributed to its more than $280,000 endowment. The institute and the families believe that the Italian Academy has failed to follow through with the donors' original vision.
"The Italic Institute views the current work of the Academy as elitist and detached, European and international (not uniquely Italian), and failing to encompass any serious scholarship in Italian American history, consciousness, or concerns," the court filing read.
The Italic Institute is suing Columbia after spending four years attempting to talk to University officials about its concerns.
"We've been appealing to the authorities at Columbia to discuss this whole question about the library, about the mission of the Casa Italiana, and we've gotten nowhere," Italic Institute Executive Director John Mancini said. "We've made many attempts to sit down with these people, but they don't want to talk to us."
The Casa Italiana was built in 1927 "for use by the University as the centre and seat of its work in the field of Italian language, literature, history and art," according to the Donative Parchment, an agreement between Columbia and the donors.
But in 1990, the Casa Italiana was renamed the Italian Academy when the Italian government signed a charter with Columbia, agreeing to buy the building and lease it back to the University while providing $17.5 million for programs and renovations.
A Columbia spokesperson and an Italian Academy spokesperson declined to comment, saying that the University does not comment on pending litigation. But in a December interview, David Freedberg, the academy's director, referred to the 1990 charter established with the Italian government as an important document that guides the academy's decision-making.
"We have certainly followed all the aims of the charter, the principle of which is to encourage advanced studies into all aspects of Italian culture and science," Freedberg said.
Jo Ann Cavallo, the Italian department's director of undergraduate studies, questioned whether the Italian government should have been allowed to purchase the Casa Italiana in the first place, calling the situation "highly problematic."
"This effectively establishes an Italian government enclave within Columbia University," Cavallo said. "Plus, at the time, the $17.5 million received from the Italian government was falsely reported as a gift,' until my former colleague Luciano Rebay exposed the transaction as an outright sale of property."
The Italic Institute said in its court filing that Columbia entered the arrangement with the Italian government "without seeking input or approval from the Donor Families," at which point "the primary mission statement of La Casa was changed—and it should not have been."
Harvey Dale, a professor at the New York University School of Law, said that in the case of a charitable donation, donors do not have the legal standing to challenge how the recipient uses their money.
"In my view, it is quite likely that Columbia will make a motion in the litigation to dismiss the litigation on grounds that the plaintiff doesn't have standing," Dale said.
The Italian Academy has functioned primarily as a graduate-level research center, sponsoring fellowship programs and hosting University programming. But the academy is lacking in undergraduate participation, and most undergraduates can't even get into the building, except during events.
The Italic Institute argued in its complaint that the academy should return to the original goals of the Casa Italiana by making several changes, including allowing students to meet and study in the building, and giving the Italian department the chance to return to the building.
Cavallo said she regretted when the Italian department was forced to leave around the time the charter was signed. "We lost part of our identity because the Casa served as a vibrant space to foster Italian studies among faculty and students," she said.
In its court filing, the Italic Institute also asks Columbia to work on "establishing an undergraduate program in Italian Studies," even though the University already has such a program. Mancini said that the Italic Institute wants the Italian department to expand its offerings, saying that it does not begin to cover "3,000 years of Italic history" or offer courses on Italic philosophy or political thought.
But Freedberg told Spectator in December that "we are a research institute, not a cultural house" that caters to the student body at large.
"People are doing research here, and there's no reason for people to come in but when there's an event," Freedberg said.
The plaintiffs also requested that Columbia restore the building's library. In 1927, real estate developer Charles Paterno donated 20,000 Italian texts to Casa Italiana, but those texts have been moved from the building and are currently "collecting dust in the basement of the Butler Library," the complaint said.
Carla Paterno Darlington, the granddaughter of donor Charles Paterno, said that she would like to learn more about how the academy's endowment is being used, particularly concerning the books her grandfather donated.
"We just want to know what has happened to the money, and what has happened to the books, and where the Casa is going, because the people in charge don't seem to be primarily interested in Italian culture," Darlington said.
Darlington said that her family has remained connected to Columbia—both her husband and her late son are Columbia College alumni, and since 2000, she has given the Charles Paterno Barratt-Brown Memorial Prize in English, named for her son.
"I'm so sorry that it's come to this," Darlington said. "I love Columbia ... We don't want to make a lot of waves, but we just want some answers."
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
... The Italic Institute of America filed suit against Columbia in New York State Supreme Court on Aug. 22, in collaboration with the descendants of three families that donated $400,000 toward the construction of the Casa Italiana and contributed to its more than $280,000 endowment. The institute and the families believe that the Italian Academy has failed to follow through with the donors' original vision.
"The Italic Institute views the current work of the Academy as elitist and detached, European and international (not uniquely Italian), and failing to encompass any serious scholarship in Italian American history, consciousness, or concerns," the court filing read.
The Italic Institute is suing Columbia after spending four years attempting to talk to University officials about its concerns.
"We've been appealing to the authorities at Columbia to discuss this whole question about the library, about the mission of the Casa Italiana, and we've gotten nowhere," Italic Institute Executive Director John Mancini said. "We've made many attempts to sit down with these people, but they don't want to talk to us."
The Casa Italiana was built in 1927 "for use by the University as the centre and seat of its work in the field of Italian language, literature, history and art," according to the Donative Parchment, an agreement between Columbia and the donors.
But in 1990, the Casa Italiana was renamed the Italian Academy when the Italian government signed a charter with Columbia, agreeing to buy the building and lease it back to the University while providing $17.5 million for programs and renovations.
A Columbia spokesperson and an Italian Academy spokesperson declined to comment, saying that the University does not comment on pending litigation. But in a December interview, David Freedberg, the academy's director, referred to the 1990 charter established with the Italian government as an important document that guides the academy's decision-making.
"We have certainly followed all the aims of the charter, the principle of which is to encourage advanced studies into all aspects of Italian culture and science," Freedberg said.
Jo Ann Cavallo, the Italian department's director of undergraduate studies, questioned whether the Italian government should have been allowed to purchase the Casa Italiana in the first place, calling the situation "highly problematic."
"This effectively establishes an Italian government enclave within Columbia University," Cavallo said. "Plus, at the time, the $17.5 million received from the Italian government was falsely reported as a gift,' until my former colleague Luciano Rebay exposed the transaction as an outright sale of property."
The Italic Institute said in its court filing that Columbia entered the arrangement with the Italian government "without seeking input or approval from the Donor Families," at which point "the primary mission statement of La Casa was changed—and it should not have been."
Harvey Dale, a professor at the New York University School of Law, said that in the case of a charitable donation, donors do not have the legal standing to challenge how the recipient uses their money.
"In my view, it is quite likely that Columbia will make a motion in the litigation to dismiss the litigation on grounds that the plaintiff doesn't have standing," Dale said.
The Italian Academy has functioned primarily as a graduate-level research center, sponsoring fellowship programs and hosting University programming. But the academy is lacking in undergraduate participation, and most undergraduates can't even get into the building, except during events.
The Italic Institute argued in its complaint that the academy should return to the original goals of the Casa Italiana by making several changes, including allowing students to meet and study in the building, and giving the Italian department the chance to return to the building.
Cavallo said she regretted when the Italian department was forced to leave around the time the charter was signed. "We lost part of our identity because the Casa served as a vibrant space to foster Italian studies among faculty and students," she said.
In its court filing, the Italic Institute also asks Columbia to work on "establishing an undergraduate program in Italian Studies," even though the University already has such a program. Mancini said that the Italic Institute wants the Italian department to expand its offerings, saying that it does not begin to cover "3,000 years of Italic history" or offer courses on Italic philosophy or political thought.
But Freedberg told Spectator in December that "we are a research institute, not a cultural house" that caters to the student body at large.
"People are doing research here, and there's no reason for people to come in but when there's an event," Freedberg said.
The plaintiffs also requested that Columbia restore the building's library. In 1927, real estate developer Charles Paterno donated 20,000 Italian texts to Casa Italiana, but those texts have been moved from the building and are currently "collecting dust in the basement of the Butler Library," the complaint said.
Carla Paterno Darlington, the granddaughter of donor Charles Paterno, said that she would like to learn more about how the academy's endowment is being used, particularly concerning the books her grandfather donated.
"We just want to know what has happened to the money, and what has happened to the books, and where the Casa is going, because the people in charge don't seem to be primarily interested in Italian culture," Darlington said.
Darlington said that her family has remained connected to Columbia—both her husband and her late son are Columbia College alumni, and since 2000, she has given the Charles Paterno Barratt-Brown Memorial Prize in English, named for her son.
"I'm so sorry that it's come to this," Darlington said. "I love Columbia ... We don't want to make a lot of waves, but we just want some answers."
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
2014-08-25T01:00:03Z
An independent Italian studies institute is suing Columbia over the direction of the University's Italian Academy, but instead of asking for money, it's demanding that the University return the academy to its original mission: promoting Italian studies.
The Italic Institute of America filed suit against Columbia in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday, in collaboration with the descendants of three families that originally donated $400,000 toward the construction of the Casa Italiana. The families believe that the Italian Academy has failed to follow through with the donors' original vision.
"The Italic Institute views the current work of the Academy as elitist and detached, European and international (not uniquely Italian), and failing to encompass any serious scholarship in Italian American history, consciousness, or concerns," the court filing read.
The Casa Italiana was built in 1927 "for use by the University as the centre and seat of its work in the field of Italian language, literature, history and art," according to the Donative Parchment, an agreement between Columbia and the donors. The $400,000 donation was one of several gifts that endowed the Casa Italiana.
But in 1990, the Casa Italiana became the Italian Academy when the Italian government signed a charter with Columbia, agreeing to buy the building and lease it back to the University while providing $17.5 million for programs and renovations.
The Italic Institute said in its court filing that Columbia entered this new arrangement "without seeking input or approval from the Donor Families," at which point "the primary mission statement of La Casa was changed—and it should not have been."
The Italian Academy has functioned primarily as a graduate-level research center, sponsoring fellowship programs and hosting university events. But the academy is lacking in undergraduate participation, and most undergraduates can't even get into the building, except during events.
The Italic Institute argued in its complaint that the academy should return to the original goals of the Casa Italiana by making several changes, including starting an undergraduate Italian studies program, giving space to the Italian language department, and allowing students to meet and study in the building.
A Columbia spokesperson could not be reached for comment early Thursday morning, but the academy's director, David Freedberg, told Spectator in a December interview that "we are a research institute, not a cultural house."
"There are no classes in the building. People are doing research here, and there's no reason for people to come in but when there's an event," Freedberg said.
The plaintiffs also requested that Columbia restore the building's library. In 1927, real estate developer Charles Paterno donated 20,000 Italian texts to Casa Italiana, but those texts have been moved from the building and are currently "collecting dust in the basement of the Butler Library," the complaint said.
"Someday it would be nice if our library could be open to all of Columbia, but that right now the charter asks us to look after the fellows doing advanced studies," Italian Academy communications director Abigail Asher told Spectator in December.
In the December interview, Freedberg also referred to the charter established with the Italian government as an important document that guides the academy's decision-making.
"We have certainly followed all the aims of the charter, the principle of which is to encourage advanced studies into all aspects of Italian culture and science," he said.
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
... The Italic Institute of America filed suit against Columbia in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday, in collaboration with the descendants of three families that originally donated $400,000 toward the construction of the Casa Italiana. The families believe that the Italian Academy has failed to follow through with the donors' original vision.
"The Italic Institute views the current work of the Academy as elitist and detached, European and international (not uniquely Italian), and failing to encompass any serious scholarship in Italian American history, consciousness, or concerns," the court filing read.
The Casa Italiana was built in 1927 "for use by the University as the centre and seat of its work in the field of Italian language, literature, history and art," according to the Donative Parchment, an agreement between Columbia and the donors. The $400,000 donation was one of several gifts that endowed the Casa Italiana.
But in 1990, the Casa Italiana became the Italian Academy when the Italian government signed a charter with Columbia, agreeing to buy the building and lease it back to the University while providing $17.5 million for programs and renovations.
The Italic Institute said in its court filing that Columbia entered this new arrangement "without seeking input or approval from the Donor Families," at which point "the primary mission statement of La Casa was changed—and it should not have been."
The Italian Academy has functioned primarily as a graduate-level research center, sponsoring fellowship programs and hosting university events. But the academy is lacking in undergraduate participation, and most undergraduates can't even get into the building, except during events.
The Italic Institute argued in its complaint that the academy should return to the original goals of the Casa Italiana by making several changes, including starting an undergraduate Italian studies program, giving space to the Italian language department, and allowing students to meet and study in the building.
A Columbia spokesperson could not be reached for comment early Thursday morning, but the academy's director, David Freedberg, told Spectator in a December interview that "we are a research institute, not a cultural house."
"There are no classes in the building. People are doing research here, and there's no reason for people to come in but when there's an event," Freedberg said.
The plaintiffs also requested that Columbia restore the building's library. In 1927, real estate developer Charles Paterno donated 20,000 Italian texts to Casa Italiana, but those texts have been moved from the building and are currently "collecting dust in the basement of the Butler Library," the complaint said.
"Someday it would be nice if our library could be open to all of Columbia, but that right now the charter asks us to look after the fellows doing advanced studies," Italian Academy communications director Abigail Asher told Spectator in December.
In the December interview, Freedberg also referred to the charter established with the Italian government as an important document that guides the academy's decision-making.
"We have certainly followed all the aims of the charter, the principle of which is to encourage advanced studies into all aspects of Italian culture and science," he said.
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
2014-08-24T21:00:03Z
2014-08-24T13:34:56Z
Spectrum: Why did you decide to be a part of the show? Could you describe the experience of trying out?
2014-08-24T05:30:03Z
Columbia launched its global center in Nairobi, Kenya, last month, but some students and staff still have questions about discrimination in the region and about the center's continental research scope.
Students and Columbia officials at the center will work closely with the Kenyan government, providing policy advice to leaders based on their research. In a sign of its close relationship with the country's leaders, Columbia recently received a Memorandum of Understanding from the Kenyan government, which gives the University tax benefits.
"Thus far we're the only American university that has that kind of privileged status," Vice President for Global Centers Ken Prewitt said. "It has the characteristic that, because of the way eastern Africa is organized, it actually gives us the [same] status in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi."
But the center's opening has raised questions about how the University will respond to discrimination and safety issues at its global centers—particularly in Kenya, which will serve as a base for University research throughout Africa. Prewitt expressed concern about the treatment of gay and lesbian students in Nairobi.
"There are places where we have to warn students that it won't necessarily be easy," Prewitt said. "Uganda is very, very homophobic right now, aggressively and unpleasantly so. We don't know if we can completely protect you if you went to northern Kenya."
Eric Kutscher, CC '12, studied public health in Kenya last year. He spoke to Kenyans about HIV contraction and voluntary male circumcision, and he noticed strong homophobia in the region.
"Nairobi is very homophobic," Kutscher said. "In Tanzania, it's illegal and they prosecute people. In Kenya, it's illegal, but I don't think they actually brought people into court for it. I think that people would judge you, and I think that you might get an awkward reaction, but you wouldn't get arrested."
Prewitt said that if a country refused to issue a student a visa based on his or her sexual orientation or religious beliefs, the University would end that program for all students.
Administrators will be cautious about cultural norms and political instability in other countries, Prewitt added, especially as Columbia begins to encourage research throughout Africa. While the global center is located in eastern Africa, administrators want it to become a continental research hub.
"[The global center] will work to increase the continent's role in the strategic direction of key global issues," Nairobi center director Belay Begashaw said in an email from Nairobi.
Kutscher, though, expressed doubts about how well Nairobi reflects Africa as a whole.
"If you want an American cheeseburger, you can go to an American place to get it," Kutscher said. "I don't think anyone would say that [Nairobi] represents African culture."
He added, however, that "if you're looking for something that's developing, then Nairobi, that's the main city—in East Africa, at least—that's really developing."
Lakota Pochedley, CC '13—who is currently studying in Senegal, a West African country—said she would not choose to study in Nairobi, as the region's cultural landscape is too far removed from West Africa's.
"You definitely would have very different experiences in Nairobi versus Dakar," Pochedley said in an email, referring to the capital of Senegal. "Also, you have different ethnic groups in the two countries with different kinds of languages and such, so again your research and experience would be different."
Columbia has already opened global centers in Amman, Jordan; Beijing, China; Istanbul, Turkey; Mumbai, India; Paris, France; and Santiago, Chile, and an additional center is planned for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prewitt said that the University would consider opening centers in northern, southern, and western Africa if it were financially feasible.
"If somebody came along right now and said we really like this idea of creating a center in Johannesburg or Dakar, then we would certainly pay attention to that," he said.
Begashaw added that the global centers office may expand its operations in Africa.
"This is not something to be ruled out in the future," Begashaw said. "Right now however, Columbia will be focusing on building a reputable system by strengthening and consolidating the efforts of the existing Nairobi-based Center."
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
... Students and Columbia officials at the center will work closely with the Kenyan government, providing policy advice to leaders based on their research. In a sign of its close relationship with the country's leaders, Columbia recently received a Memorandum of Understanding from the Kenyan government, which gives the University tax benefits.
"Thus far we're the only American university that has that kind of privileged status," Vice President for Global Centers Ken Prewitt said. "It has the characteristic that, because of the way eastern Africa is organized, it actually gives us the [same] status in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi."
But the center's opening has raised questions about how the University will respond to discrimination and safety issues at its global centers—particularly in Kenya, which will serve as a base for University research throughout Africa. Prewitt expressed concern about the treatment of gay and lesbian students in Nairobi.
"There are places where we have to warn students that it won't necessarily be easy," Prewitt said. "Uganda is very, very homophobic right now, aggressively and unpleasantly so. We don't know if we can completely protect you if you went to northern Kenya."
Eric Kutscher, CC '12, studied public health in Kenya last year. He spoke to Kenyans about HIV contraction and voluntary male circumcision, and he noticed strong homophobia in the region.
"Nairobi is very homophobic," Kutscher said. "In Tanzania, it's illegal and they prosecute people. In Kenya, it's illegal, but I don't think they actually brought people into court for it. I think that people would judge you, and I think that you might get an awkward reaction, but you wouldn't get arrested."
Prewitt said that if a country refused to issue a student a visa based on his or her sexual orientation or religious beliefs, the University would end that program for all students.
Administrators will be cautious about cultural norms and political instability in other countries, Prewitt added, especially as Columbia begins to encourage research throughout Africa. While the global center is located in eastern Africa, administrators want it to become a continental research hub.
"[The global center] will work to increase the continent's role in the strategic direction of key global issues," Nairobi center director Belay Begashaw said in an email from Nairobi.
Kutscher, though, expressed doubts about how well Nairobi reflects Africa as a whole.
"If you want an American cheeseburger, you can go to an American place to get it," Kutscher said. "I don't think anyone would say that [Nairobi] represents African culture."
He added, however, that "if you're looking for something that's developing, then Nairobi, that's the main city—in East Africa, at least—that's really developing."
Lakota Pochedley, CC '13—who is currently studying in Senegal, a West African country—said she would not choose to study in Nairobi, as the region's cultural landscape is too far removed from West Africa's.
"You definitely would have very different experiences in Nairobi versus Dakar," Pochedley said in an email, referring to the capital of Senegal. "Also, you have different ethnic groups in the two countries with different kinds of languages and such, so again your research and experience would be different."
Columbia has already opened global centers in Amman, Jordan; Beijing, China; Istanbul, Turkey; Mumbai, India; Paris, France; and Santiago, Chile, and an additional center is planned for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prewitt said that the University would consider opening centers in northern, southern, and western Africa if it were financially feasible.
"If somebody came along right now and said we really like this idea of creating a center in Johannesburg or Dakar, then we would certainly pay attention to that," he said.
Begashaw added that the global centers office may expand its operations in Africa.
"This is not something to be ruled out in the future," Begashaw said. "Right now however, Columbia will be focusing on building a reputable system by strengthening and consolidating the efforts of the existing Nairobi-based Center."
melissa.vonmayrhauser@columbiaspectator.com
2014-07-28T23:00:02Z
A few days ago, I stood in a line with about 75 other swimsuit-clad seniors waiting to take the required swim test. All you have to do is jump in, swim back and forth three times, and call it quits, but we had all waited until the last week of the semester. It was a classic case of pool procrastination.
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