2010-2011 Annual Report - The Committee on Global Thought

40 Pages·2011·0.99 MB·English

by  Columbia University

2010-2011
ANNUAL REPORT
Academic
Year
I. Introduction 3
About the Committee on Global Thought 3
Committee Members 4
Summary of Activities 2010-2011 5
II. New Committee Members 7
III. Post-Doctoral Research Scholars 8
ANNUAL
2010-2012 Cohort 8
2011-2012 Cohort 9
IV. Visiting Scholars 10 REPORT
V. New Course Offerings 11
Fall 2010 11
2010-2011
Spring 2011 12
IV. Events 13
Academic
Invited Guests 14
Fall 2010 14 Year
Spring 2011 15
Co-Sponsors 16
2010-2011 Events Listing 17
Fall 2010 17
Spring 2011 21
Conference and Recurring Events 24
Colloquium on Governing Interdependence 24
Cities and Eco-Crises 25
Sovereign Wealth Funds and Other Long-Term Investors: a 26
New Form of Capitalism?
‘Impossible Narratives’ Historicizing Mass Trauma 29
What Does ‘Imperialism’ Mean in an Age of Global Finance? 30
Power and Pressure in the African Media 30
The Arrow Lecture 31
The Art of Citizenship in African Cities 32
VII. The Masters in Global Thought 34
VIII. Sovereign Wealth Funds and Other Long-Term Investors 35
IX. The World and Africa 36
X. 2011-2012 Preview 38
Preliminary 2011-2012 Events 38
On-Going Events in 2011-2012 38
XI. Contacts 39
Annual Report prepared by Sasha de Vogel
I. INTRODUCTION
About the Committee on Global Thought
The Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University was
established in 2006 as part of a larger effort to engage the University
in the study of our increasingly complex global world. At the root of
this larger effort is the recognition that many of the world’s problems,
from poverty and inequality to issues of governance and justice, fall
increasingly in the spaces between academic disciplines. The
Committee uses its research and programs to connect law, the social
sciences, humanities, public health, architecture, journalism and the
natural sciences, to deepen our understanding of our increasingly
global society.
CGT explores global modernity from an innovative,
interdisciplinary perspective. The Committee is designed to
reconceptualize the theories and methodologies required to confront
the challenges stemming from globalization. Columbia University’s
President Lee Bollinger appointed distinguished Columbia University
faculty from multiple disciplines to the Committee on Global Thought
to explore and conceptualize global conditions and processes that are
inherently interdisciplinary.
CGT’s programs focus on questions and issues that cannot be
studied through a single discipline but require novel combinations of
existing and emerging types of research and knowledge. By cutting
across disciplines, the Committee develops new conceptual categories
for gathering and interpreting knowledge of the contemporary world.
Co-chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate University
Professor, and Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology,
CGT has developed critical perspectives on global governance and
finance, the political economy of development, governing
interdependence, cultural dimensions of major global processes, and
cities as a frontline for major transformations.
Through collaborative workshops, seminar courses, and
community events, the resulting analysis and research is shared with
and developed by the Columbia community. In so doing, the
Committee on Global Thought augments Columbia’s role as a Global
University by fostering a community of scholars and practitioners who
integrate and synthesize academic engagement with globalization.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS
CO-CHAIRS
Saskia Sassen Joseph Stiglitz
Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology University Professor
President, Initiative for Policy Dialogue
MEMBERS
Akeel Bilgrami Carol Gluck
Director, Heyman Center for the Humanities George Sansom Professor of History
Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Patrick Bolton Michael W. Doyle
Barbara and David Zalaznick Professor of Harold Brown Professor of International Affairs,
Business and of Economics Law and Political Science
Co-Director, Center on Global Governance,
Columbia Law School
Partha Chatterjee José Antonio Ocampo
Professor of Anthropology Professor of Professional Practice at the School
of International and Public Affairs
Co-President, Initiative for Policy Dialogue
John Coatsworth Richard G. Parker
Dean, School of International and Public Affairs Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
Interim Provost, Columbia University Director, Center for Gender, Sexuality, and
Professor of International and Public Affairs Health
and of History
Mamadou Diouf Katharina Pistor
Director, Institute for African Studies at the Michael I. Sovern Professor of Law
School of International and Public Affairs Director, Center on Global Legal Transformation
Leitner Family Professor of African Studies
Nicholas Dirks Sudhir Venkatesh
Executive Vice President, Arts and Sciences William B. Ransford Professor of Sociology
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
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SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
2010-2011
In 2010-2011, CGT developed its Isenman, Albert Sachs, and Collin Sekajugo among
membership, welcoming Richard Parker, Professor others. Panel topics included: Locating Africa
of Anthropology and Professor of Sociomedical within the Financial Crisis, Prospects for 21st
Sciences, and Sudhir Venkatesh, William B. Century African Agriculture, Global Aid in Africa,
Ransford Professor of Sociology, to the Art and Social Justice in South Africa, Power and
Committee. Post-doctoral research fellows Pressure: The Media Influence in Africa
Etienne Smith and Antara Haldar joined the Saskia Sassen hosted her second annual
Columbia University community for two-year conference analyzing cities and acute challenges.
appointments, and the 2010 Post-Doc search This year, “Cities and Eco-Crises” explored the
yielded two top candidates, Hannah Appel and relationship of cities with acute ecological crises.
Daniel Immerwahr, who will join CGT in Fall 2011. The conference looked at such diverse topics as
CGT faculty and scholars offered new courses on land-grabs and their consequences, forced
postcolonial Africa, political reform in China and migration to cities and environmental refugees,
overcoming trauma in the Middle East. climate change and systems resilience to climate
CGT continued to host high-profile series of variability, engineering and technology of
public, multi-disciplinary conversations during the flooding, urban services and the challenges of
2010-2011 academic year. “The World and Africa,” waste management.
a year-long series of panels, conferences, In October 2010, CGT hosted a 2-day
workshops, film screenings and other events conference exploring how sovereign wealth funds
examined Africa’s place in the world through can capitalize on their long-term horizon by
illuminating important features of Africa’s investing in public goods. “Sovereign Wealth
globalization, in historical perspective. Visitor Funds and Other Long-Term Investors: a New
invitations included: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Form of Capitalism?” brought together academics,
of Ethiopia, Kofi Annan, Louis Kasakende, Paul policymakers, economic thinkers and fund
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managers for a uniquely interdisciplinary set of Thought. Drawing on the strengths of the
panel discussions. Keynote addresses from Vice Committee’s faculty, its interdisciplinary nature
President Al Gore and George Soros were opened and the popular course rubric is has developed
to the students, in conjunction with the World over the years- this degree offering will expand,
Leaders Forum. Panel topics included: existing research and take the lead in this
Benchmarking and Performance Standards, emerging field of study. Modeled partly on the
Fostering Development through Socially degree offerings of the Committee on Social
Responsible Investment, Managing Risk During Thought at the University of Chicago, one of its
Macroeconomic Uncertainty, Sovereign Wealth core aims is to develop new categories for thinking
Funds and World Governance. about and for interpreting existing data sets. A key
In light of the popular uprisings in the stepping stone for this program is the focus on
Middle East and North Africa in Spring 2011, the questions and issues that cannot be studied
Committee assembled a series of panels to through a single discipline but require novel
interrogate the events in Egypt. The first panel, combinations of existing and emerging types of
“Egypt Arising” was held the day before the research and knowledge. This project cuts across
resignation of Hosni Mubarak. The subsequent the humanities, the social sciences, the natural
panels placed the Egyptian transition in the sciences, law, public health, architecture and
broader context of democratic transitions and the planning. The proposed program will consist of an
longer-term political and economic challenges academic year of study, including a thesis and
faced by the nation. three core courses, Global Governance, Global
As CGT continues to expand its influence at Political Economy, and Global Culture and Politics,
the University and tackle new intellectual and which will address foundational questions of
interdisciplinary horizons, CGT has submitted, for substance, method, data and interpretation to
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review, a proposal for a MA degree in Global provide an intellectual framework.
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II. NEW COMMIT TEE MEMBERS
University President Lee Bollinger appointed two new professors to the committee in the 2010-
2011 academic year. Their membership broadens the scope of the committee’s work to include the
public health sector, and deepens its research in sociology

Richard Parker Sudhir Venkatesh
Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and William B. Ransford Professor of Sociology
Director, Center for Gender, Sexuality, and
Health

Professor Parker currently serves as Co-Chair Professor Venkatesh is a researcher and
of Sexuality Policy Watch, a global collective of writer on urban neighborhoods in the United
activists, researchers and policymakers, and as States. His most recent book is Gang Leader
President/Director of the Brazilian for a Day (Penguin Press). Gang Leader
Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA), the received a Best Book award from The
leading civil society organization focusing on Economist, and is currently being translated
HIV/AIDS-related policy, research and advocacy into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German,
in Brazil. He is a medical anthropologist, whose Italian, Polish, French and Portuguese. His
research focuses on the social and cultural previous work, Off the Books: The
construction of gender and sexuality, the social Underground Economy of the Urban Poor
aspects of HIV/AIDS, and the relationship (Harvard University Press, 2006) about illegal
between social inequality, health, and disease. economies in Chicago, received a Best Book
He has conducted long-term research in Brazil Award from Slate.com (2006) as well as the
since the early 1980s, as well as comparative C. Wright Mills Award (2007). His first book,
studies in Asia, Africa, North America, and American Project: The Rise and Fall of a
other parts of Latin America and the Modern Ghetto (2000) explored life in
Caribbean. Chicago public housing.

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III. POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
SCHOLARS
Post-doctoral Research Scholars are selected annually from an international fellowship search.
Emerging scholars who are awarded a fellowship have the opportunity to engage with the
Committee and take part in developing and shaping our research agenda.

A. 2010-2011 Cohort

2009 – 2011 Post-Doctoral
In Fall 2010 CGT welcomed an incoming cohort of post-doctoral
Research Scholars
research scholars. These fellows are signed to renewable two-
year contracts and have engaged in teaching, planning and
CGT’s 2009-2011 Post-Docs are
organizing events as well as their own publishing and research.
moving on to exciting new

positions in New York City and
beyond. Antara Haldar See Antara's Profile on the CGT Website

Antara Haldar received her PhD in Law from Trinity College,
Rosalind Fredericks
University of Cambridge in 2010. She has studied both law and
Rosalind Fredericks is currently an
economics, holding a BA in Economics from St. Stephen's
Assistant Professor at the Gallatin
College, University of Delhi (2004) and a BA in Law from Trinity
School of Individualized Study,
NYU. She earned her Ph.D. in the College, University of Cambridge (2006). Her doctoral research
critically examined the importance of formal property rights for
Department of Geography at the
economic development using two prominent credit access
University of California, Berkeley
programs targeted at poverty alleviation—land-titling in Peru
and a MSc. in Geography and
and microfinance in Bangladesh. In her post-doctoral research,
Development Studies at the
London School of Economics and she studies the interactive dynamics of formal and informal law
as played out in the recent financial crisis, constructing case
Political Science.
studies based on events in both the US and the UK.

Thomas Hill
Thomas Hill received his PhD in Etienne Smith See Etienne's Profile on the CGT Website
History from Trinity College,
Etienne Smith received his PhD in Political Science from Sciences
Cambridge. His research focuses
Po Paris in Summer 2010. His research involves ethnographies of
on representations of collective
Senegalese immigrants, comparing political theories of
memories of violence, transitional
nationalism, ethnicity and intellectual traditions. Etienne is CGT’s
justice and truth and
reconciliation discourses, representative to the International Network to Expand Regional
and Collaborative Teaching initiative, and has participated in
particularly in the Middle East and
their discussions and programming culminating in the INTERACT
with respect to the Palestinian-
conference (April 2011). Over the past year he also participated
Israeli conflict. Tom will continue
in their “World and Africa” programming. Additionally he
his research at Columbia
University. designed and taught a course entitled The Politics of Identity in
Africa. 8

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III. POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
SCHOLARS

B. 2011-2012 Cohort

Anush Kapadia
In January we selected the scholars for the incoming 2011-
Anush Kapadia is currently a
2012 post-doctoral research scholar cohort. Two scholars
Lecturer on Social Studies at
were selected out of a pool of 500 of the brightest emerging
Harvard University. He received
global scholars from around the world.
his PhD in anthropology from

Columbia University. At CGT he
Hannah Appel
examined comparative financial

systems, focusing on the post-
Hannah Appel will receive her PhD in Anthropology from
war American financial system.
Stanford University in June 2011. A scholar of African politics

and economic infrastructure her dissertation “Crude Fictions:
Ethan Kaplan
Oil and the Making of Modularity in Equatorial Guinea”
As of August 2011, Ethan Kaplan
provides a strong research foundation for the start of her
will be an Assistant Professor of
fellowship with CGT. Hannah was a presenter at the May 2011
Economics at the University of
CGT conference, “The Art of Citizenship in African Cities”.
Maryland at College Park. Before

his arrival at CGT, he held an
Daniel Immerwahr
appointment at the Institute for

International Economic Studies
Daniel Immerwahr will receive his PhD in US History from the
at Stockholm University.
University of California Berkeley. His research has centered
around three themes: the history of the United States in the
world, intellectual history, and the history of capitalism. In
addition, he is interested in the methodological aspects of
teaching and writing history. His desertion is entitled "Quests
for Community: The United States, Community Development,
and the World, 1935-1965." Following his fellowship term
with CGT, he will assume an assistant professor position in
the history department at Northwestern University. In Spring
2012, he plans to teach the graduate-level course
International Development In History.
See profiles of past research scholars on the CGT Website
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IV. VISITING SCHOLARS
CGT hosted two visiting scholars in Spring 2011. Visiting scholars present at events, deliver guest
lectures in courses and participate in private seminars.
Partha Dasgupta

Sir Partha Dasgupta is Frank Ramsey Professor
Emeritus of Economics at the University of
Cambridge. His research interests have covered
welfare and development economics, the
economics of technological change, population,
environmental and resource economics, the
theory of games, the economics of
undernutrition, and the economics of social
capital. CGT hosted Professor Dasgupta in April
2011, during which time he delivered guest
lectures on the sustainable development in
undergraduate and graduate courses and
presented the Fourth Annual Arrow Lecture on
the topic “Time and Persons in the Welfare
Economics of Climate Change”. He also
conducted a small seminar with Professors
Joseph Stiglitz and Kenneth Arrow for
economics PhD candidates.

Prabhat Patnaik

Prabhat Patnaik is a professor at the Centre for
Economic Studies and Planning in the School of
Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University,
where he specializes in macroeconomics and
political economy. He also serves as Vice-
Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board.
CGT hosted Professor Patnaik in March 2011.
Professor Patnaik delivered five lectures,
speaking at “What Does ‘Imperialism’ Mean in
an Age of Global Finance?” and “India During
and After the Global Financial Crisis”.
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