Columbia University Partnership for International Development

The Columbia University Partnership for International Development (CUPID) is a student-led organization at Columbia University focused on issues related to international development and humanitarian response. Founded in 2005, the organization brings together students from multiple academic disciplines to organize conferences, forums, publications, and experiential learning opportunities related to development policy and practice.

History

In the fall of 2004, ^[1] two students from the Columbia University School of Social Work initiated plans for a Columbia-wide conference addressing multidisciplinary approaches to international development. ^[1] This resulted in a 2005 conference titled Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Armed Conflict and Forced Migration, coordinated by student leaders from the Columbia University School of Social Work, Columbia University Law School, and the Mailman School of Public Health.

The collaboration led to the formation of CUPID, with student representatives recruited from ten Columbia University graduate schools to establish an interdisciplinary academic partnership focused on international development.

Within its first year, CUPID organized twelve multidisciplinary forums, co-sponsored six events, facilitated a conference titled Urbanization in the Developing World, sent five students to Central America as part of a multidisciplinary community development initiative, and coordinated twenty internships with the United Nations Development Programme.

Organizations reported to have supported CUPID’s early development include The Earth Institute, The Africa Institute, the Columbia Alumni Association, the President and Provost’s Student Event Fund, and the Open Society Foundations. ^{[2] [ failed verification ]}

Activities

Online Journal

The CUPID Online Journal is a space for students to publish original poetry, photographs, scholarly articles, blog-style posts, opinion pieces and field notes pertaining to international development. ^[3]

Development Dialogues

Development Dialogues are monthly events hosted by various Columbia graduate schools and colleges on rotation with the purpose of encouraging collective awareness, understanding and action. The Development Dialogues are informal conversations regarding contemporary issues. The events usually take place in the form of an expert panel, followed by conversation between panelists and students, practitioners, professors and members of the community. ^[4]

Annual Conference

Each Spring, CUPID coordinates a multidisciplinary conference pertaining to important and timely topics in the field of international development. The conference gathers professors, practitioners, students and others and provides a space to discuss important perspectives, lessons learned, best practices, and ways forward.

Previous Conference Topics:

• 2014: "Reframing 'Freedom': A Critical Approach to Modern Slavery"
• 2013: "Millennium Development Goals. Mission Impossible?"
• 2012: "In a State of Transition. Locating the Role of the International Community."
• 2011: "Internal Displacement. Unsettled. Uncertain. Unseen."
• 2010: "Health. A Universal Dialect(ic)? Access to Health in the Developing World"
• 2009: "Development Without Borders. Is Migration Good for Development?"
• 2008: "Beyond Polar Bears. Looking Past the Environmental Impacts of Climate Change."
• 2007: "Philanthropy, Profits and Progress. The Role of Private Actors in International Development."
• 2006: "Urbanization and the Developing World. Perspectives on the Individual."
• 2005: "Armed Conflict and Forced Migration. Push and Pull Factors of Resettlement."

Community initiatives

Each summer, CUPID partners with organizations worldwide to provide students with opportunities to participate in international development projects. Past CUPID fellows have worked on initiatives in China, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and New York City.

Networking and Social Events

Alumni Networking Event: An opportunity for CUPID members to meet with Columbia alumni currently working in the field of international development. ^[5]

External links

• Columbia CUPID
• Institute for the Study of Human Rights
• The Columbia Alumni Association at the Library of Congress Web Archives(archived 2012-12-28)
• The President and Provost's Student Event Fund
• The Earth Institute
• Columbia University School of Social Work
• Open Society Foundations

References

1. "History - Columbia University Partnership for International Development". columbiacupid.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
2. "Open Society Foundations". www.opensocietyfoundations.org. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
3. "CUPID Online Journal". Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
4. "Columbia Cupid - Development Dialogues". Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
5. "Networking & Social Events - Columbia University Partnership for International Development". columbiacupid.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.