SIPA Fellowships: The International Fellows Program ??☀️

SIPA offers a number of internal scholarship and fellowship programs to incoming and returning students, and one of those is the International Fellows Program. The International Fellows Program (IFP) is a two-semester seminar course and fellowship program that invites Columbia students with diverse perspectives and professional backgrounds to study a global curriculum and to connect with world leaders and gain experience on real-world situations. Moreover, the program includes students from other Columbia schools, so you also get the chance to get to know and to work alongside business school students, public health students, law students, and more. These cross-school connections are great opportunities to learn from each other and to explore different Columbia communities.

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One of the things that makes this program so impactful is that it is taught by Ambassador Victoria Nuland. Ambassador Nuland has incredible direct experiences working under six different U.S. presidents and has expertise in numerous regions such as Russia, China, and Europe, so in class we often get to hear about her direct experiences in these regions while also learning from one another. 

Another wonderful aspect of this program is that all fellows receive a stipend to support them throughout the program period and get to experience impactful and exciting trips to Washington, D.C. and the United Nations. As a fellow, you get exclusive access to connect with senior policymakers, diplomats, legislators, journalists, and leaders of non governmental organizations. We even got to meet with some of the Inside the Situation Room (ISR) guests after the ISR class and to speak with them as a cohort. 

As a fellow, I can openly say that this fellowship truly prepares you for realistic policy conversations and discussions. It often felt unreal to be sitting at the United Nations and to be speaking with UN Ambassadors and policymakers about pressing issues that affect both the global community and my community or to be in class and to have a surprise visit from Professor Hillary Clinton and other notable guests.

While the program is great professionally, it is also wonderful socially, as you become really close with your cohort. After class most days we would get together and grab food and occasionally we’d have small get-togethers at each other’s apartments. This program allows you to grow and to push yourself professionally, while also broadening your personal connections and general understanding of the world.

You might be wondering now, how do I become a fellow?

Well, here’s a few tips for the application process: 

1. If you’re applying your first year, the application will be included in the overall SIPA application-I know the application process is exhausting and we often don’t want to apply to any additional components, but take the time and apply to the fellowship. Those that chose not to apply in their first year, often regretted it because the application is different in the second-year. To some, it may even seem more competitive, so apply while you’re already in the application process.
2. In the application, tell your story. It can even be a more in-depth avenue of your personal statement that you weren’t able to fully convey or include in the prior essay. However, ensure that you are answering the question that the prompt asks. Answer the question, but in that question make sure to show the IFP team who you are by describing the direct impact you’ve had on communities/regions/individuals, your passion for global affairs, or the aspirations you have to create change or reform systems. The fellowship review team for IFP wants to know that you have relevant experiences and innovative thoughts to contribute to the course and the IFP cohort.
3. Have people peer review your essay. It can help to have a few different people look over it and add on to your experience. Sometimes we downplay our impact and the things that we’ve done, so by having those that know you and have seen your impact read over it, they may be able to assist you in fully conveying what you’ve done and the impact you’ve had.
4. Research the program. Be sure that you understand what this program is, what the course aspect entails, and if it is something you are really interested in. Because while the program is an incredible opportunity, it is intense and can be quite rigorous.
5. Read and stay updated on current global affairs. Mostly all of your SIPA classes will discuss daily global events throughout the class in some capacity, but IFP is very global affairs focused course and program, and in class we always discussed past and present global news topics in the class, so it is important to be aware of the key things going on in the world and to bring insight into areas or news updates that the class may not be aware of yet. Often at the beginning of class we would take 5-10 minutes to share about a news topic that we think the class should know of and keep an eye on; these few minutes were very impactful because it allowed us to learn from one another and to know what to keep a closer eye on in the global affairs arena.

To read more about International Fellows Program, visit the website here: https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/sipa-education/international-fellows-program

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