Foundations of International Security Po

Found. of Intl Security Policy

Graduate introduction to international security policy, with a focus on pre-professional preparation for students expecting to work in security policy after graduation. Covers the role, function, dynamics, and prevention of violence in the international system, via analysis of forceful diplomacy, escalation, crisis, war causation, war termination, the ethics of war and peace, threat assessment and intelligence, strategy, terrorism, insurgency, alliances, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber conflict. Introduces principles for sound defense organization and decision-making processes, civil-military relations, defense planning, and defense budgeting. Considers critical theory and its challenge to orthodox security studies and policy practice.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• 3 points

Impact Evaluations in Practice

Prerequisites: SIPA U6500 This course will be useful for students who would like to participate in evaluations of development projects. At the end of the course, students will know how to plan an impact evaluation, how to manage one, and how to recognize and differentiate a good impact evaluation from a badly conducted one. Students should also come with one case study that they have been involved in and that would lend itself to an impact evaluation. Previous experience in implementing a development project is desirable.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Jyotsna Puri
  Info
• 1.5 points

Monitoring and Evaluation: Driving Evide

This course will go beyond technical or methodological materials (i.e. how to collect and analyze data) and instead focus on how M-E practically applies to day-to-day responsibilities of practitioners, regardless of their position title, and how anyone can (and should) become an effective producer and consumer of data and thus an impactful contributor in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance. For students interested in a career in M-E, this course will help them recognize and address some of the common challenges they will face at work (e.g. how to convince and collaborate with the chief of party to invest in and run effective M-E). For students who are interested in non-M-E career tracks, this course will help them do their jobs better and help the development and humanitarian fields overcome “pilot-itis” and become more evidence-driven. Students should also understand that they are likely to take on different roles throughout their careers, which may involve M-E - this course will prepare them to become versatile and impactful players in this challenging but meaningful line of work.

• F 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Kevin C Hong
  Info
• 3 points

Writing on Policy

“Writing About Policy” gives you the journalistic tools to intervene in public policy debates. You will learn to translate the expertise you’re gaining – as policy professionals and as SIPA students –for the rest of the public, whether in op eds, review essays or blogs. You will also report and write feature stories. This class is a workshop, as well as a seminar, and there will be writing assignments due almost every week. Students will publish their work in SIPAs student publications, as well as in media outlets reaching far beyond the IAB.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Liza Featherstone
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Writing and Delivering Speeches

Writing & Delivering Speeches

This introductory course is aimed at teaching the fundamentals of persuasive speechwriting for the public and private sectors, NGOs, and international organizations. Students will learn how to apply the classical canons of rhetoric to speechwriting in the 21st Century; deconstruct great political and business speeches using text and video; compare and contrast different speechwriting techniques in various international settings; as well as become familiar with some of the latest advances in neuroscience breaking new ground in understanding how persuasion works. Students will be expected to draft, edit and deliver their own speeches every week. No prior speechwriting experience is required, however, exceptional written-English skills are strongly recommended. Practical topics will be essential for this course: Why do some speeches persuade while others do not? How does one effectively capture the voice of the person you're writing for? How are speeches tailored for specific audiences, venues and occasions? Should one's message be solely what the speaker thinks the audience wants to hear-or what the speaker believes the audience needs to hear? And how important is delivery in terms of moving an audience?

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: James P Holtje
  Info
• 1.5 points

English for International and Public Aff

English for Int'l & Public Aff

The overall goal of this course is to improve the writing skills of international students in the MIA and MPA degree programs. The course requirements will include weekly short exercises (definitions of key terms and abstract concepts, summaries of statistical data, summaries and critiques of seminal concepts and theories, and descriptions of processes and procedures) and longer assignments (an argumentative essay, case study and short research paper). Students will also learn to revise and edit their work as well as to integrate sophisticated rhetorical and syntactic structures. To improve the accuracy and clarity of their writing, the course will review the aspects of grammar that pose particular problems for international students.

• MW 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Brittany Ober
  Info
• 3 points

Gender-Based Violence against Women

Gender-Basd Viol against Women

It is estimated that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) affects one-third of all women during their lifetime. GBV affects women’s health, mental health, labor market outcomes, and their overall wellbeing. GBV also increases the costs of health services, affects labor productivity outputs, and creates the need for additional counseling and psychological services. Can supporting women’s empowerment, reducing gender disparities, promoting positive masculinities, and changing norms and attitudes which foster violence help to end GBV? And, what have we learned about good practices that can be mobilized to attain these ends? This course focuses on four areas: legal and institutional reform, health, education and economic empowerment. In each, we will identify good practices as well as unintended consequences and shortcomings of interventions and policies implemented by governments, the private sector, NGOs, and grass roots organizations in South Asian, African and Latin American countries. By the end of this course students will be able to critically analyze and provide advice on interventions and policies aimed at preventing GBV and addressing the needs of survivors.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Susana Martinez Restrepo
  Info
• 1.5 points

Internet Business Models & US Policy

Internet Bus Models & US Polic

This course will examine the debates which have shaped internet policy, with a particular emphasis on the business models employed by the major US-based tech and internet giants - Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google and Amazon. For decades, policy took a backseat to growth in the internet industry (the “do no harm” approach to regulation), but that changed dramatically with revelations around the role of major technology platforms in the 2016 election. The Cambridge Analytica scandal in particular roused both houses of Congress to action, a series of ongoing hearings may lead to a sweeping new regulatory framework governing how data flows in US society, particularly if Democrats in Congress have their way. But while the major internet players grew in a largely unregulated environment, there’s a rich history of policy fights that inform current debate. This class will survey those early skirmishes with an eye toward understanding the state of today’s current debate.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: John Battelle
  Wikipedia Info
• 1.5 points

Intelligence & US Foreign Policy

The major national security controversies during the last decade have all concerned intelligence. Critics blamed U.S. intelligence agencies for failing to prevent the 9/11 attacks, and then for missing the mark on Iraqi capabilities before the war. In response, Congress ordered a sweeping reorganization of the intelligence community, and scholars began to revisit basic questions: What is the relationship between intelligence and national security? How does it influence foreign policy and strategic decisions? Why does it succeed or fail? This seminar provides an overview of the theory and practice of U.S. intelligence. It details the sources and methods used by collectors, the nature of intelligence analysis, and the relationship between intelligence agencies and policymakers. It also contains a short history of the U.S. intelligence community and evaluates the ongoing efforts to reform it. Finally, it discusses the uneasy role of secret intelligence in a modern democracy.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Peter Clement
  Info
• 3 points

Advanced Economic Development for Intern

This is an advanced course in development economics, designed for SIPA students interested in rigorous, applied training. Coursework includes extensive empirical exercises, requiring programming in Stata. The treatment of theoretical models presumes knowledge of calculus. Topics include: the economics of growth; the relationship between growth and poverty and inequality; rural-urban migration; the interaction between agrarian institutions in land, labor, credit, and insurance markets; prisoner’s dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent themes: Are markets efficient, and if not, in what specific ways are they inefficient? What are the forces driving development and underdevelopment? What are the causal links between poverty and inequality and economic performance? What is the role of interventions by states or civil organizations in bringing about development? The course will integrate theoretical ideas and empirical analysis, with an emphasis on questions relevant for economic policy.

• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Eric A Verhoogen
  Info
• 3 points

Economics, Law, & Public Policy

Economics, Law & Public Policy

As Adam Smith noted long ago, economic development cannot occur in the absence of a stable legal system. The purpose of this course is two-fold. First, the course reviews some of the modern developments in economics that are relevant for the study of institutions. Second, it uses these tools to explore the structure of the law, and its impact upon economic performance. The goal is to provide a foundation for the understanding of legal institutions that goes beyond national boundaries, and can help better understand the challenges that rapid economic growth and globalization pose for policy makers.

• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: W. Bentley Macleod
  h-index: 41 Info
• 3 points

Human Rights Skills & Advocacy

This course is designed to develop practical advocacy skills to protect and promote human rights. A focus will be developing an advocacy strategy on a current human rights issue, including the identification of goals and objectives, appropriate advocacy targets and strategies, and the development of an appropriate research methodology. Students will explore broad-based human rights campaigns, use of the media, and advocacy with UN and legislative bodies. Over the course of the semester, students will become familiar with a variety of tools to apply to a human rights issue of their choosing. Case studies will illustrate successful advocacy campaigns on a range of human rights issues.

• F 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Jo Becker
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Behavioral Development Economics

This course explores the implications of behavioral economics for economic development—how it leads us to rethink what development is about and provides us with new ways to promote it.  By drawing on the rich empirical and experimental literature of recent years, the course investigates a psychologically and sociologically more realistic view of how people make decisions than the rational actor model.  In the readings in this course, decision-makers are cognitively bounded and
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or have endogenous preferences, shaped by history, experience, and exposure.  Behavioral development economics gives new insights into why it is sometimes so hard to change society, and what brings about change when it does occur.  The range of equilibria and of policy tools is much broader in behavioral development economics than in traditional economics.  Large-scale economic and social change can be caused by conceptual framing effects—the influence of ideas on beliefs and preferences.  The course considers many kinds of interventions that have promoted changes in the frames through which people see themselves and the world.  The interventions include quotas in elected political positions and in education to change stereotypes; mentoring programs that increase prosocial behavior;
edutainment
to promote health; participatory theater to reduce domestic violence; and training to reduce aggressive behavior that has helped males from impoverished neighborhoods avoid school suspensions and recidivism.  Behavioral development economics is a new and exciting field that presents students research opportunities, especially in laboratory and field experiments.  One of the objectives of the course is to expose students to these opportunities.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• F 4 p.m.-4:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Karla Hoff
  Info
• 3 points

Financial Management

The course provides an introduction to budgeting and financial control as a means of influencing the behavior of public organizations. Concepts include the budget process and taxation, intergovernmental revenues, municipal finance, bonds, control of expenditures, purchasing, debt management, productivity enhancement, and nonprofit finance. Students learn about the fiscal problems that managers typically face, and how they seek to address them. Students also gain experience in conducting financial analysis and facility with spreadsheet programs. Case materials utilize earth systems issues as well as other policy issues. A computer lab section is an essential aspect of the course, as it teaches students to use spreadsheet software to perform practical exercises regarding the budgeting and financial management of a hypothetical state environmental agency.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Rebecca E Koike
  Info
• 3 points

Public Education: New Strategies for a N

Innovations-Public Education

In this course we will explore distinct challenges along with precise remedies inherent in policy setting and implementation of 21st century public Pre-K -12 and higher education. This course has been designed to be responsive to issues arising in this COVID era as well as within the framework of newfound acknowledgements of the role of race and poverty in every aspect of learning and education policy. These issues will be probed through a solutions-based, case-study approach. Relying upon guest speakers, class discussion and readings, we will examine a specific individual, systemic or organization-based solution to a clearly articulated gap or need.

• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Lisa Belzberg
  Info
• 1.5 points

Project Management

While it is generally thought of to be related to construction, the truth is that Project Management can be applied to any field. It is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of the particular project. A project is an endeavor undertaken to achieve a particular aim. Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes. These processes are: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing. Knowledge Areas include Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, and Change Management. We will discuss all of these elements in the course.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Thomas Quaranta
  Info
• 3 points

Applied Geopolitics: Risk Analysis

Geopolitics-Risk Analysis

The course introduces students to political risk analysis risks by exploring three key concepts and related frameworks for understanding this phenomenon at the international, country, and sectorial levels respectively: G-ZERO, J-Curve, and state capitalism. The course also equips students with key qualitative and quantitative techniques for doing political risk analysis, including the identification of top risks, fat tails, and red herrings, as well as the construction of political risk indices, models, and game-theory simulations. In addition, these concepts and techniques are further applied to analyzing and forecasting current, real-world problems and business concerns, such as market entry or portfolio investment allocation. These concepts and techniques are further practiced in the course practicums, which include interactive activities that invite students to grapple with the challenges of identifying and forecasting the range of outcomes of current, real-world risks as those come up at the time of the course. In the process, the course explores a range of political-risk topics on the macro- and micro-economic impacts of geopolitics—including issues of international and civil war, international trade, unconventional conflict, and a shifting global political order—as well as of politics at the national and sub-national level, including elections and political transitions, social unrest, the social and political drivers of economic and investment policies, and emerging vs developed markets dynamics.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• 1.5 points

Microeconomics for Policy Analysis II

Microecon & Policy Analysis II

This is a core economics course for the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy. The course explores the use of the tools of economic analysis in the discussion and evaluation of environmental policies. It builds on the microeconomic framework developed in Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I and extends it in a few directions. First, we deepen the discussion of theoretical issues particularly relevant for the analysis of environmental policies, such as externalities and public goods. Second, we explore how the theoretical concepts covered can be measured and used in actual environmental policy, and discuss real world examples of such applications. And finally, we discuss some aggregate implications related to – and the available evidence on – the two-way relationship between natural resources and economic growth. The objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary background for an understanding of the logic underlying the economic perspective on environmental policies. This is important to develop the skills necessary to conceptualize the trade-offs implicit in such policy decisions and to give a glimpse of the tools available to evaluate such trade-offs. As a result, it also helps build knowledge useful in a critical reading of policy proposals and evaluations in the environmental field.

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• MR 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Eren Selcuk
  h-index: 4 Info
• 3 points

Governing the 21st Century City

Governing-21st Century City

This course will examine the linkages between urban governance structures and an economically successful democratic city. We will consider the particular policy challenges that confront both developed and developing cities in the 21st century. It will be important to understand the institutional political causes of urban economic decline, the unique fiscal and legal constraints on city governments as well as the opportunities that only cities offer for democratic participation and sustainable economic growth. The course will draw on case material from primarily American cities and from other developing and developed cities around the globe. It is important to keep in mind that creative policy solutions to the problems of urban economic sustainability may be found in small towns, in rural areas, in private businesses or in other global cities. The utility of importing ideas and programs rests on a practical understanding of politics in that city or community and an effective implementation strategy. Our objective in this course is not simply to understand the challenges to governing the 21st century city but also the policies that promote effective urban governance and economic sustainability.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Ester Fuchs
  CULPA: 4 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

State Formation, Deformation, and Citize

State Form, Deform & Citizensh

Much is made in the contemporary policy world of the challenges of “failed states” and of what is often called “nation-building.” But what are these things we call states? How are they related to nations, to other states, to “nonstate actors,” to the “state system,” to sovereignty? And what do policy-makers need to know as they contemplate problems posed by both strong and weak states? What we know as states today are relatively modern inventions—conventionally dated to the European Peace of Westphalia in 1648—and there are many other ways human communities have governed themselves, kept the peace, fostered arts and letters and otherwise provided some measure of culture and prosperity. Yet today, states cover the world’s territory—the “international state system” even determines the rules for exploitation of the high seas and outer space—and the state seems everywhere triumphant. Except where it isn’t. Challenged by globalization of trade and information flows, labor mobility, the spread of germs, arms, ideas around the world, the state is also under siege. This course examines the character, origins, dissemination and prospects of this building block of modern international affairs. It draws many of its empirical referents from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but students are welcome to bring knowledge and inquiry about other parts of the world to the course. This course is designed to provide an informed and reflective context for the kinds of policy dilemmas that professionals in both international security and international development confront daily.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Lisa S Anderson
  Info
• 3 points

Conducting Empirical Research in Economi

The main outcome of the course will be a complete, novel empirical research paper. During the first half of the course, you will review empirical methods, learn about the structure of a high-quality research paper, and process the data for your project. The focus will be on learning how empirical methods—including not only regression-based causal inference but also data processing and measurement—are used in practice. We will draw on examples of excellent applied economics research papers to highlight best practices. By the middle of the semester, you will be expected to have completed initial analysis of your project. The remaining portion of the semester will be spent revising and improving drafts of the research paper, culminating in a presentation of results and submission of a final, publication-quality research paper.  An emphasis of the class will be on real-world practice of handling, cleaning, and processing data. To this end, students will help build and maintain a database of data sets used for their analyses. Over time, this database will become a resource that future students can draw on for their own analyses.

• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Jeffrey G Jr Shrader
  Info
• 3 points

Financial Stability Monitoring

This course will cover financial stability monitoring and evaluation. It will begin with definitions of financial stability and conceptual frameworks for assessing threats to financial stability and their potential transmission to the real economy. A major focus will be on key signatures of financial instability and measurements that capture these signatures and signal changes in the level of systemic risk. Through case studies, class participation and two assignments, students will interpret these measures, develop questions for further investigation and assess the nature and extent of systemic risk. Students will be asked to write two policy memoranda: the first proposing and justifying a small set of financial stability indicators for monitoring and the second assessing the risk of financial instability in a few sets of such indicators. An emphasis in both is developing timely and persuasive analysis that prompts policymakers to consider the need for action to preserve financial stability.

• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Christine Cumming
  Info
• 1.5 points

Macroprudential Policies and Regulation

Macroprudential Pol & Reg

This course will focus on understanding the issues and challenges of implementing macroprudential regulations and policies in emerging markets. After revising the overall goals and types of instruments included in the macroprudential approach, the course will address topics that are particularly relevant for emerging market economies. Key questions to be addressed include: What type of macroprudential policies are most appropriate for emerging markets? Should Basel III recommendations on banks’ capital requirements be equally implemented in advanced and emerging market economies? What type of regulatory requirements on liquidity suit the needs of emerging financial markets the best? Should the participation of systemically important global banks in emerging markets be a concern for emerging market regulators? And, how can macroprudential policies complement the goals of monetary policy?

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Liliana Rojas-Suarez
  Wikipedia Info
• 1.5 points

Race, Gender and Political Change

Race, Gender & Political Chang

This course will examine the impact that the current social and racial justice awakening (or reckoning), at the intersection of race and gender, is having on the US politics and policy. We will look at this along several dimensions, including politics, voting rights and voter suppression, governing and philanthropy. Ultimately, political change is the natural consequence of social and economic disruption, but will the change that is to come be of the kind that activists in movements such as the Me Too movement, Black Lives Matter, and gender equity leaders have envisioned? If the US has yet to fulfill the promise of a truly representative government, what solutions might there be to address systemic barriers to power its citizens face on the basis of race and gender? There is an opportunity to influence the broader national conversation with the very best ideas and work to implement them, but this unique moment in history and the opportunity that comes with it will not last forever.  Our goal will be to critically examine and explain these systemic barriers to political power found along racial and gender lines. We will look at the causes and consequences of racial, economic and social inequality, and how that plays out in different systems, policies and spaces. In addition to readings, students will benefit from the practical knowledge of guest lecturers drawn from the political sphere. This course will help prepare policy makers and elected officials in their efforts to create an equitable government for all citizens regardless of race or gender.

• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jeri E Powell
  Info
• 1.5 points

Race Policy & American Politics

The changing definitions of race in America have been shaped by political institutions for centuries. Now, as since the founding of this nation, the U.S. (and societies abroad) are marked by racial inequality. Because of this persistent reality, politics and race continue to be intertwined. This course explores the various ways in which race and politics intersect (and possibly collide). We will observe how racial inequality - and the efforts to overcome it- affect various facets of American local, state, and national politics. Often, New York City will be the launching point for broader discussions and analyses pertaining to relationships between Blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians. We will also pay particular attention to the causes of contemporary racial mobilization and to its consequences. We will explore the origins of race as an organizing concept before moving into a discussion of contemporary racial politics and policy. Using themes such as inequality and governance, we will attempt to further discern the institutions which support and perpetuate practices such as disenfranchisement, gentrification, tiered civil rights and liberties, and possibilities for economic and special mobility. We will take up several topics that have engaged students of politics and scholars of policy for the past few decades and examine their relationship to race. These include but are not limited to education, immigration, transportation, housing, health, elections, social movements, poverty and homelessness, political representation, justice and inequality. We will also dissect these topics in relation to party politics and elections, group consciousness, group conflict and prejudice, political representation, and political unity - and often disunity - among dominant and non-dominant groups. As we do so, we will explore changes as well as continuities in the intersection of race and politics.

• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Christina M Greer
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Securing Full Economic and Political Cit

Econ & Pol Citizenship-America

This four week course explores how some citizens of the United States are prevented from realizing full economic and political citizenship. Students will examine the structural design of American political institutions, federal policy and the individuals that are charged with the responsibility of moving people from dependence on social programs to advancement to economic independence as full active citizens. What is it about the design of these policies and their implementation that prevents the achievement of economic independence for so many African-Americans in this country. And, what is the relationship between economic independence and the exercise of full political citizenship? We will identify and examine federal policies and the programs designed to be implemented by cities to provide assistance, the governing bodies and private institutions responsible for implementation. This course will equip students with the skills necessary to analyze current and former policy and develop their own innovative solutions that increase access to economic and social opportunity.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Verna Eggleston
  Info
• 1 points

Democracy, Movements & Public Policy in

Dem, Movements & Pub Pol in US

This course will explore the relationship between representative and direct democracy, movement strategy and public policy development in the United States. The course will begin by defining movements and their relationship to power and democratic institutions. This course will examine three movements (1) civil rights, (2) Black Lives Matter/policing reform, and (3) disability rights and the relationship between policy development and governance. We will then examine limitations and opportunities for movement and protest strategies overall. The final two classes will focus on the principles of protest and governance and visioning. Student presentation will consider 21st century strategies for mobilizing popular movements and future opportunities for local and national governance change. And the final course will address scenario planning for the near future.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Keesha Gaskins-Nathan
  Info
• 1.5 points

Quantitative Methods in Program Evaluati

Quant Methods in Program Eval

Prerequisites: SIPA U6501 The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of how to perform some more advanced statistical methods useful in answering policy questions using observational or experimental data. It will also allow them to more critically review research published that claims to answer causal policy questions. The primary focus is on the challenge of answering causal questions that take the form Did A cause B? using data that do not conform to a perfectly controlled randomized study. Examples from real policy studies and quantitative program evaluations will be used throughout the course to illustrate key ideas and methods. First, we will explore how best to design a study to answer causal questions given the logistical and ethical constraints that exist. We will consider both experimental and quasi- experimental (observational studies) research designs, and then discuss several approaches to drawing causal inferences from observational studies including propensity score matching, interrupted time series designs, instrumental variables, difference in differences, fixed effects models, and regression discontinuity designs. As this course will focus on quantitative methods, a strong understanding of multivariate regression analysis is a prerequisite for the material covered. Students must have taken two semesters of statistics (SIPA U6500 & U6501 or the equivalent) and have a good working knowledge of STATA

• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Alan S Yang
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 3 points

Climate Change Policy

Climate change is the most challenging international policy problem that exists today. The course will primarily focus on two questions. First, what should be done about climate change? Second, what can be done about it? The first question requires an understanding of the science, impacts, technological options, economics, and ethics of climate change policy. The second question requires an understanding of the politics, international law, and international relations aspects of climate change policy. The course will not provide firm answers to these questions. It aims instead to provide a framework and the knowledge required for students to come to their own conclusions. Indeed, every student taking this course is required to answer these questions, and to defend their conclusions rigorously.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Scott Barrett
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Modern Iran: From Monarchy to Islamic Re

Modern Iran:Monarchy-Islam Rep

An introduction to the culture, politics and international relations of Iran which will explore the countrys transition from the 19th to the 21st century. Topics include continuity and change in traditional social structure, the conflict between clergy and state and the modernization of Iran under the Pahlavi shahs (1925-79). The role of women will be explored. The roots of the Iranian revolution will be examined, and an assessment made of the present Islamic Republic. The role of Iran in international affairs, including the course of U.S.-Iranian relations, will also be considered. Sources will be multidisciplinary and include historical works, literature and films.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Lawrence G Potter
  CULPA: 2 Info
• 3 points

Foreign Exchange Markets: Theory & Pract

This course is designed to give students an understanding of the structure of the foreign exchange market – the world’s largest market by turnover – the theoretical basis for currency movements and the interaction of foreign exchange and macro policy. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with the trading conventions and uses of the primary transaction vehicles – spot, forwards and options - a basic understanding of forecasting exchange rates, how currency can be used as an investment vehicle, pitfalls of currency exposure and the nature of currency crises. Course projects will be designed to give students some perception of the challenges faced by foreign exchange market professionals.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Ronald Leven
  Info
• 1.5 points

Emerging Capital Markets: Theory & Pract

Emerging Cap Mkts: Thry & Prac

The goal of this course is to teach students about the historical relationships between financial risk, capital structure and legal and policy issues in emerging markets. Our strategy will be to develop a model of how and why international capital flows to emerging market countries and to use the model to examine various topics in the history of international financing from the 1820's to the present. Students will identify patterns in investor and borrower behavior, evaluate sovereign capital structures, and analyze sovereign defaults, including the debt negotiation process during the various debt crises of the past 175 years. We will focus primarily on Latin America, emerging Asia, and Russia, although the lessons will be generalized to cover all emerging market countries.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• 3 points

Green Transition in Emerging Markets

Green Transition in Emerg Mkts

The transition to a low-carbon economy is of particular relevance to Emerging markets, which have become the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Such transition is creating considerable challenges but also opening significant opportunities: by 2030, close to $100 trillion of investments will be needed in order to ensure that global temperatures don’t rise by over 2° above pre-industrial levels, with most to be invested in the infrastructure sector in Emerging markets. The class will explore the challenges faced by emerging markets, and particularly by China, in moving towards more sustainable growth. It will also examine the new institutions and instruments that are being put in place to channel investments towards the greening of emerging market economies. Students will gain a good understanding of the issues faced by EM in the transition to a low-carbon economy. They will acquire a practical knowledge of institutions and instruments which have been developed to finance sustainable growth. They will be able to apply their knowledge to study specific cases and transactions. The transition to green is opening many job opportunities in the private as well as in the private sector. The experience gained in this class should prove invaluable for students seeking to work in related fields.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Christian Deseglise
  Wikipedia Info
• 1.5 points

Asian Financial Markets

Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 This course will give an overview of history, function, and future prospects of the financial markets in Asian countries (mainly ASEAN-10, Japan, Korea, China, and India). How financial supervision and regulation should be formed will be examined too. The financial crisis, as well as financial development, will be covered as an instrumental event for reforms. The stages of financial and economic development will be explained and Asian countries will be placed on the development stages. Economic and financial policies will be examined from efficiency point of view.

• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Takatoshi Ito
  Wikipedia h-index: 70 Info
• 3 points

Japanese Financial Policy & Economy

Japanese Financial Pol & Econ

Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 The objective of this course provides students with deep knowledge on developments of financial policy in Japan and interactions between financial markets and economic development. Financial policy extends from regulation and supervision of the banking sector, to capital markets and international capital flows as well as monetary policy and exchange rate policy. Policy lessons are derived from analyses of the past banking problems and crises. An impact of switching from the fixed exchange rate regime to floating exchange rate regime and subsequent attempts to manage the exchange rate movements will be reviewed with event analyses and case studies. Economic growth rate of Japan was high in the 1950s and 1960s and later declined; how financial market developments contributed to economic growth; how quickly its markets were opened to international trade and finance; why the Japanese economy has suffered stagnation and deflation due to a burst of a financial bubble in the 1990s and 2000s; and what kinds of policy reforms, known as Abenomics, have been implemented since 2013. The description and explanation are based on intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic analyses and empirical evidences. The role of economic policies—monetary policy, fiscal policy, financial supervision and regulation, industrial policy—will be carefully examined.

• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Takatoshi Ito
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• 3 points

Global Financial Services in the 21st Ce

Global Fin Services-21st Cent

This course will provide a framework with which students can evaluate and understand the global financial services industry of both today and tomorrow. Specifically, the course will present an industry insider's perspectives on the (i) current and future role of the major financial service participants, (ii) key drivers influencing an industry that has always been characterized by significant change (e.g. regulatory, technology, risk, globalization, client needs and product development), and (iii) strategic challenges and opportunities facing today's financial services' CEOs post the 2008/09 financial crisis. Furthermore, this course is designed not only for students with a general interest in the financial system, but for those students thinking about a career in the private sector of financial services or the public sector of regulatory overseers.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Richard Goldberg
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• 3 points

Managing Humanitarian Emergencies

This course focuses on the actual management problems of humanitarian interventions and helps students obtain the professional skills and insight needed to work in complex humanitarian emergencies, and to provide oversight and guidance to humanitarian operations from a policy perspective. It is a follow-up to the fall course that studied the broader context, root causes, actors, policy issues, and debates in humanitarian emergencies.

• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Susannah A Friedman
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• 3 points

Ukraine: Power Politics & Diplomacy

Ukraine is at war, the country is in turmoil. What is to be done by the Government to rebuff foreign aggression, eradicate corruption, improve economic situation and implement reforms? What are the chances of the new opposition to succeed? Will the Minsk accords be implemented? These and other issues, including behind-the-scene politics, power struggle and diplomatic activities, are dealt with in the newly revised course delivered by a career diplomat. The course is aimed at both graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Valerii Kuchynskyi
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• 3 points

Gender, Politics and Development: Theory

Gender, Politics & Development

In this course, we approach gender, politics and development in terms of theory, policy and practice.  We explore multiple constructions of gender in development discourse; the intersection of gender with other social categories and with dominant economic and political trends; and the ways in which gender norms inform the different approaches of governments, development agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector.  We apply a critical gender lens to a wide range of development sectors and issue areas, including economic development, political participation, education and health, environment and climate change, and conflict and displacement.  We also consider current debates and approaches related to gender mainstreaming and gender metrics in development practice.  Students engage with the course material through class discussion, exercises and case studies, and the development of a gender-related project proposal.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• 3 points

Struggles for Sustainability

U.S. agricultural practice has been presented as a paradigm for the rest of the world to emulate, yet is a result of over a century of unique development. Contemporary agriculture has its historical roots in the widely varied farming practices, social and political organizations, and attitudes toward the land of generations of farmers and visionaries. We will explore major forces shaping the practice of U.S. agriculture, particularly geographical and social perspectives and the development and adoption of agricultural science and technology. We will consider how technological changes and political developments (government policies, rationing, subsidies) shape visions of and transmission of agriculture and the agrarian ideal.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Sara Tjossem
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• 3 points

Capstone Workshop for Executive MPA

Capstone Workshop for EMPA

The EMPA Capstone workshop applies the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned during the EMPA program to a current, real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 7 students per team) and assigned a policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and presents an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. Capstone or Portfolio Presentation Workshop is a graduation requirement for the EMPA program and it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course is managed by the EMPA Assistant Director and requires an application.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: William B Eimicke
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• Instructor: Robert Kopech
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• 3 points

Capstone Workshop

Capstone workshops apply the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned at SIPA to a real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 6 students per team) and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. The Capstone is a graduation requirement for all Masters of Public Administration and Masters of International Affairs students; it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course requires an application, please visit: sipa.columbia.edu/academics/workshops/workshop-students for more information

• M 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Fernando Sotelino
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• Instructor: Dale Buscher
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• Instructor: Eva Weissman
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• Instructor: Joel Moser
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• Instructor: Thomas Byrne
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• Instructor: Damian Busch
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• 3 points

Capstone Workshop

Capstone workshops apply the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned at SIPA to a real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 6 students per team) and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. The Capstone is a graduation requirement for all Masters of Public Administration and Masters of International Affairs students; it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course requires an application, please visit: sipa.columbia.edu/academics/workshops/workshop-students for more information

• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Adam Day
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• Instructor: Allan M Malz
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• Instructor: Akbar Noman
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• Instructor: Markus H Jaeger
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• Instructor: Daniel Osgood
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• Instructor: A.J. Goulding
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• Instructor: Sohini Chatterjee
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• Instructor: Jason E Bordoff
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• Instructor: Stefan Knupfer
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• 3 points