National and Global Affairs

This page features national and global affairs news, as well as the latest research related to social justice and social science topics from across the Columbia campus.

In the News
A graphic design image of type-written letters, the words "Civil Rights," and a photo of a man with a hat

Office of Legal Counsel Opinions Illuminate Government Policy During Civil Rights Era

The Knight First Amendment Institute published for the first time a set of Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memos pertaining to desegregation policies and civil rights law.

Sandra Black, economics professor, Columbia University
A Pioneering Economist Wants to Level the Playing Field

Professor Sandra Black works on research to help American society understand how to make the United States the land of opportunity for everyone, not just some.

 

 

Social impact Fellows, Columbia World Projects
Columbia World Projects Announces Inaugural Cohort of Social Impact Fellows

The Social Impact Fellowship is the first program to be launched by CWP as part of its Fourth Purpose Academy, a series of education and training opportunities for students and faculty to help advance human welfare and confront the great challenges of our time.

Abortion protest, Washington, DC
What Overturning Roe v. Wade Would Mean

As we await the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, here’s something to think about.

IN THE NEWS

State Supreme Courts Could Soon Decide On Abortion, Raising Stakes Of Their Midterm Races

Columbia Law's Richard Briffault noted that a combination of high profile judicial rulings, including Dobbs, will make state judicial elections more prominent.

Washington Post
August 9, 2022

Trump Has Big Plans for 2025, and He Doesn’t Care Whether You Think He’ll Win

Gregory Wawro, professor of political science, believes that another Trump administration will be as chaotic as the first because he thrives on chaos.

The New York Times
August 3, 2022

Food Prices Hit Both Poor New Yorkers and the Food Pantries That Support Them

Columbia Business School's Mark Cohen believes that food prices will remain high for at least another year.

Gothamist
July 24, 2022

A Scientific Basis For Legal Action Against US, China For Climate Damages

Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, said that new research could show the connection between one country's carbon emissions and another one's economic losses.

CNN
July 12, 2022

Social Science

Tey Meadow
How a Law School Graduate Shifted Her Focus to Sociological Research on Gender, Sexuality, and Intimacy

A sociologist describes how being an outsider on various levels has positively influenced her research. An insatiable curiosity has helped too.

George Chauncey, professor of history, Columbia University
Professor George Chauncey Wins the John W. Kluge Prize

The Kluge Center in the Library of Congress recognizes the historian's substantial contributions to the field of LGBTQ history, as well as the significance of queer studies in academia and in our society.

 

 

Vishakha Desai, senior advisor for global affairs to the president and chair, Committee on Global Thought; Marie Myung-Ok Lee, writer in residence at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race; Mae Ngai, Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies and professor of history; Denise Cruz, professor of English and comparative literature; and Jennifer Lee, Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Social Sciences.
Why Academia Should Focus Research on the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience

Five Columbia faculty members explain why it is important that their disciplines concentrate on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues.

Social Justice

Columbia Law School's Black Men's Initiative
Anti-Racism Programs Work For the Future

Two Columbia Law School programs awarded funding through the inaugural round of Anti-Racism Grants—the Black Men’s Initiative and the Law School Pathways Program—are designed to help current and future law students.

Michele Moody-Adams, philosophy professor, Columbia University
A Philosopher Considers the Power of Social Movements in Effecting Change

In her new book, “Making Space for Justice,” Professor Michele Moody-Adams shows how such movements bridge the gap between political thought and political activism.

Low Library at commencement, Columbia University
The Center for Justice Paves a Path to Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated Students

This year, seven formerly incarcerated students affiliated with Columbia's Center for Justice graduated from the university.