Summer Sessions | Courses | United Nations

United Nations

The School of International and Public Affairs offers a Certification of Professional Achievement (CPA) program over the summer:

Certification of Professional Achievement in United Nations Studies

Students may also apply to take individual SIPA courses without pursuing a CPA.

Visit our calendar for a complete list of Summer dates.

Note: Permission may be required for CC/GS (Columbia College/General Studies) matriculated students. Contact smg16@columbia.edu.

Courses
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The U.N. and World Politics
INAF6540S001 3 points.

The purpose of this six-week course is to provide a greater understanding of the complex role the United Nations plays in world politics and the maintenance of peace and security through multilateral decision making.  In this uncertain political climate, it is even more important to understand global institutions, their strengths and weaknesses and how they function.  The United Nations with its 193 member states provides a mirror onto the world and if that world is fractured, the UN body will reflect those fissures.

Course Number Section/Call Number Session Times/Location
INAF6540S001 001/11091 Session A Tu 02:00 PM–05:10 PM
Th 02:00 PM–05:10 PM

Instructor Points Enrollment Method of Instruction
Jean Krasno
3 Closed for Online Registration
(no Adds or Drops)
In-Person
UNITED NATIONS & HUMAN RIGHTS
INAF6552S001 3 points.

What is the UN track record in promoting and protecting human rights? This intense six-week course will examine the UN human rights standards, mechanisms, institutions and procedures established over the past sixty years and question their effectiveness. With a particular focus on the actions (or lack thereof) of the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council and diverse international judicial institutions like the International Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, the course will illustrate, through practical case studies, the inherent challenges associated with the protection of human dignity, the enforcement of human rights and the fight against impunity.

Course Number Section/Call Number Session Times/Location
INAF6552S001 001/10053 Session B Tu 05:30 PM–08:40 PM
Th 05:30 PM–08:40 PM

Instructor Points Enrollment Method of Instruction
David Marshall
3 Open for Enrollment
(auto-fill Wait List)
In-Person
UN & MAINT OF INTL PEACE & SEC
INAF6559S001 3 points.

The United Nations recently passed its seventieth anniversary and a new Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, was selected by the Security Council to succeed Ban Ki-moon. At this critical juncture, the international system is being challenged to provide adequate responses to the rise of violent extremist groups, waves of refugees arriving in Europe, and to --†fewer but deadlier --armed conflicts. As prevention continues to be elusive and recent - mostly intrastate --armed conflicts have proven to be particularly resistant to peaceful settlement whether through mediation, the deployment of peace operations or peacebuilding projects, the question of the relevance of the UN is posed yet again. Has the Security Council been successful in using the tools at its disposal, from prevention to peace operations and enforcement measures? What has become of the Responsibility to Protect? Is a divided Security Council facing a crisis of relevance? What does it mean for peace operations sent where there is no peace to keep? What are the persisting obstacles to effective prevention? What are the lessons from the evolving partnership with regional organizations? How can peace be sustained over the long term? What will have been Ban Ki Moon's legacy? What are the prospects for UN reform and what could it look like? To address these questions and more, the course will examine the evolving role of the world organization in global security, shaped by its member states with different strategic interests and by the broader geopolitical context in which it operates.

Course Number Section/Call Number Session Times/Location
INAF6559S001 001/10054 Session A Tu 09:00 AM–12:10 PM
Th 09:00 AM–12:10 PM

Instructor Points Enrollment Method of Instruction
Arthur Boutellis
3 Closed for Online Registration
(no Adds or Drops)
In-Person
THE UN AND DEVELOPMENT
INAF6569S001 3 points.

This six week course provides an overview of the contribution the United Nations development system has made in the sphere of development. The course traces the historical evolution of the UN's contribution in the areas of development cooperation, poverty reduction, environment and climate, human rights, gender and humanitarian action. It explores the emerging role of non-state actors, in particular the private sector and civil society. The last sessions will examine in detail the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 and the recognition that to be relevant in today's rapidly changing world, the UN must commit itself to major reform. The course will draw extensively from the practical experience of the instructor.

Course Number Section/Call Number Session Times/Location
INAF6569S001 001/10055 Session B Mo 05:30 PM–08:40 PM
We 05:30 PM–08:40 PM

Instructor Points Enrollment Method of Instruction
Kimberly Gamble-Payne
3 Open for Enrollment
(auto-fill Wait List)
In-Person