IGERT International Development and Globalization Program
Columbia University has received major funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the creation of an interdisciplinary graduate program in the study of international development and globalization. The IGERT International Development and Globalization Program at Columbia University is directed by Joseph Stiglitz, University Professor and Executive Director of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue. It is unique in its reach across disciplines, including economics, political science, law, and sociology. It mobilizes exceptional resources at Columbia University, including the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, the Columbia Earth Institute, the School of International and Public Affairs, the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP), and the premier schools of architecture, business, law, and public health.
The IGERT International Development and Globalization Program is grounded intellectually in a critique and reformulation of standard economic theory. IGERT-IDG brings together the best of all of our associated fields, with the understanding that many of the issues in International Development are interdisciplinary in nature. All fields have valuable contributions to make; however no field alone is sufficient. The program examines issues at are at the nexus of the global and local in developing countries around the following three themes: Poverty, Inequality and Globalization; Global Governance and Global Public Goods; and Development Policy.
Globalization and international development jointly define one of the central opportunities of our time. Globalization can be a powerful engine for international development, but in many developing countries globalization has instead meant rising poverty and inequality. Developing countries often face extremely difficult policy choices. Debates on development strategies are often confined to a narrow range of options. Columbia University has brought together a distinguished interdisciplinary social science faculty to investigate why, and to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of globalization on developing countries. Through the IGERT International Development and Globalization Program, faculty will train the next generation of researchers in new models and new methods for studying international development.
In addition to training in their own discipline, students will take additional courses in development in their own and other related disciplines. This innovative approach to the study of development and globalization gives students greater analytical tools to use as both practitioners and researchers in the field.
Students will also undertake research internships, with at least one summer spent in a developing country. In addition, students will participate in a year long research group to look at a particular challenge in development collaboratively with their peers at Columbia as well as an international group of scholars.
The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program seeks to train Ph.D. students with the interdisciplinary background and the technical, professional and personal skills needed to address the global questions of the future. Through the use of innovative curricula and internships, and by focusing on problem-centered training, these programs give their graduates the edge needed to become leaders in their chosen fields.
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About the Program