SIPA-News-Spring-1999.Pdf
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SIPAnew s spring 1999 / VOLUME XII NO.2 2 From the Dean Area Studies Adapt to Post-Cold War World 4 SIPA Crossroads Picker Center Launches Executive MPA Program 6 Urban Affairs Lectureship Named for Emeritus Trustee M. Moran Weston 8 Faculty Forum The EURO: An Emerging Currency for the New Europe byProfessor Seamus O'Cleireacain 9 Faculty Forum Coming to Terms with Police Brutality by Professor David N. Dinkins 10 Alumni Profile Dan Hevesi, MPA 98, Elected New York State Senator 14 Staf f Profile 11 15 Schoolwide News Alumni Forum 18 M PA Program News Economic Development in the WTO Millenium Round 20 MIA Program News by Constantine Michalopoulos, MIA 62 22 Student News 25 Faculty News 26 Class Notes 28 Alumni News From the Dean Area Studies Adapt to Post-Cold War World rationale of university-based study information technology, global finan- and research on foreign areasthat cial markets, models of legislative Americans needed to know about decision-making. the rest of the world because the It has taken less than a decade, threat of communism knew no geo- however, for policymakers to realize graphical limitslost its justification that all politics is local and that with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since globalization takes place in particular the spread of market capitalism and places, languages, political environ- liberal democracy appeared to be ments and economic contexts. both universally desirable and finally Indeed, as I often remark, the IMFs unimpeded, the worlds varied histor- recent difficulties in East Asia seem ical civilizations, economic traditions, to have been custom-designed as political cultures, and linguistic sys- advertisements for our regional stud- tems seemed intriguing but less ies programs, where global trends important to policymakers. As a are understood in local contexts. The result, both government and private intellectual traditions associated with foundation support for area studies area studies are once again began to decreasenot as dramati- acknowledged to be essential com- cally as first predicted, but tangibly. ponents of our capacity to under- American students did not see enor- stand and shape our world. Colum- mous demand for intimate knowl- bia once again looks forward-look- edge of other places, and most inter- ing, as one of the few places in n recent years, many SIPA stu- national students were coming to the which research and training on the dents have spent their entire United States not to study other worlds great variety of religious tra- careers in the International places but to get to know American ditions, economic customs, and polit- Affairs Building without step- approaches to public policy. ical regimes takes place. It is this ping off the elevators on the At Columbia, however, the enor- realization that was reflected in the eighth, ninth, eleventh, or mous investment in area studies curriculum task force recommenda- Itwelfth floors of the building. centers (the seven Regional Insti- tion that all students be required to Although I well understand the tutes, nearly all founded more than take two courses about a particular attraction of the many other opportu- forty years ago, encompass the place. nities within and beyond this build- entire world save North America) Yet, because the rationale for ing, Id like to draw the attention of discouraged abandoning the study area studies has changed, and the our students and visitors to what of distant lands. It is a mark of our configuration of the world itself has they are missing. Columbia boasts distinction that we have more feder- transformed, we cannot be compla- some of the finest regional studies ally-funded National Resource Cen- cent. Indeed, the approach of the centers in the United States, indeed ters in foreign area studieseight tenth anniversary of the fall of the the world, and this is where they are than any other university in the Berlin Wall seems an opportune housed. United States. Yet, during the late moment to reflect on how Columbia It is not altogether surprising 1980s and most of the 1990s, might best organize itself to foster that current students may not have Columbias continuing commitment area studies in the coming decades. spent much time in any of our Insti- to its regional institutes sometimes To that end, several members of the tutes. Since the end of the Cold War, seemed to be anachronistic, as Deans Advisory Board, led by Wl-i the American audience for area resources within and outside the ford Welch, Jim Jordan, José Gon- studies has been declining. The old University shifted to global issues: zales, Edward Elson and Michael 2 SIPAnews The intellectual traditions associat- ed with area studies are once again acknowledged to be essen- tial components of our capacity to understand and shape our world. Hoffman, have launched a strategic gram would be a valuable asset. planning exercise to consider the This will be a very demanding set of mission of the Institutes for the courses; it looks now as if the class twenty-first century. They will be talk- schedule will be from eight in the ing to students and alumni, actual morning until six at night every Sat- and prospective employers, faculty urday between September and May, and administrators, MPAs as well as and three weekday evenings during MIAs, about the kinds of linkages to the summer. We expect to have the research and policy collaborators first class of about twenty-five or around the world that might be fos- thirty people begin in September, tered by the Institutes. when we will also have festivities to In addition, I have constituted a open the Center and thank Dean faculty task force to look specifically Picker. at the shape of European studies at Once the Executive MPA is up the end of the Cold War, and to con- and running, the Picker Center will sider institutional structures that be offering other degree and non- I t is a mark of our would retain the excellence we have degree training programs. There are already achieved while positioning ample opportunities to provide short us to realize new opportunities. As courses, week-long seminars and distinction that we you may know, there are four entities other programs to constituencies as involved in European studies at varied as the staffs of the United have more federally- SIPA: the Institute on Western Nations and the permanent mis- Europe, the Center on East Central sions, private firms sending employ- Europe, the Harriman Institute, and ees overseas, or foreign journalists funded National the Institute of Latin American and assigned to New York City. We have Iberian Studies. In addition, there are long believed that we needed a more Resource Centers in numerous related centers on cam- flexible structure to deliver our edu- pus, including Casa Italiana, Casa cation and trainingincluding the foreign area studies Hispanica, Maison Franaise, remarkable resources of our Deutsches Haus, and a number of Regional Institutesto the varied departments offering instruction in audiences that would benefit from eight than any European languages, literatures and this exposure. Now we are confident cultures. The task force will be con- we have that structure in the Picker other university in sulting widely with students, faculty Center. and alumni, and they are due to As the proud owner of a Certifi- the United States. report by the end of the spring cate granted by the Middle East semester. Institute when Harvey Picker was One of the ways we expect to Dean, I have been enormously grati- invigorate the Institutes is through fied by the excitement these projects our new Picker Center for Executive have generated among the SIPA Education. This Center was estab- community. Our programs are valu- lished in January with an enormously able resources, and we are well- generous seven-figure gift from for- positioned to take full advantage of mer Dean Harvey Picker, whom them in enhancing the nuance and many of you may remember. Our sophistication of public policy here first offering under the auspices of and around the world. the Picker Center will be an Execu- tive MPA, a Saturday degree pro- gram for people with substantial managerial experience who cannot take two years off to come back to school, but for whom the skills and knowledge gained in the MPA pro- SIPAnews 3 SIPA Crossroads Picker Center Launches Executive MPA Program his spring, the Picker served as the third dean of has become increasingly hard to School of Inter - the School of International Af fairs divide the public and private sectors. national and (SIA), which he renamed the School In the United States, for example, Public Af fairs of International and Public Af fairs some 50 percent of the federal bud - unveiled its lat - (SIPA) in 1977. It was during his get is contracted out some con- est initiative tenure that the School instituted a tracts with other governments, some Ttoward making graduate new program, the Master of Public with nonprofits, but a lot with busi - education accessible to pro - Administration (MPA), to meet the nesses. So, even if you are inter - fessionals at all levels: the growing need for more skilled public- ested in a private sector career, you Executive Master of Public sector of ficials. Through a previous really have to know government. Administration Program. generous gift from Picker in 1995, The Executive MPA curriculum Made possible by a gener- SIPA was able to both expand and is comprised of core courses in Former Dean Picker ous gift from former Dean Harvey upgrade its existing computer advanced management and finance (center) with Univer - Picker, the new Picker Center for resources. Today, the Harvey and techniques and a three-course con - sity President Executive Education will of fer both Jean Picker Computer Center text sequence with seminars in pub - George Rupp at the degree and non-degree program- boasts over 120 Pentium-based sys- lic policymaking.