IGP Hosts Luncheon for 2026-2027 Cohort of Student Scholars
On October 7, the Institute of Global Politics (IGP) at SIPA hosted a luncheon welcoming 44 Student Scholars selected from hundreds of applicants across Columbia's undergraduate and graduate schools. The scholars will have opportunities to engage with IGP fellows and affiliated faculty on a range of projects related to their coursework and other projects at SIPA.
The cofounders of IGP, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, discussed how their vision of bridging the gap between the university, particularly SIPA, and New York’s policy community led to the establishment of IGP in October 2023. They emphasized the importance of bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, with students at the center of the institute's work. “The students were the most important part,” Yarhi-Milo said. Clinton described the relationship with students as “a two-way street,” inviting them to share feedback and ideas to help shape IGP's evolving work.
The Q&A covered the state of American politics, the challenges of building consensus in a polarized environment, and student activism on Columbia’s campus amid tensions following the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
A student asked Clinton whether cross-ideological discourse and bipartisanship could be restored, citing the 2008 Democratic presidential primary debates between Clinton and Barack Obama as an example of civil political discourse. Reflecting on her eight years in the Senate, Clinton said that although partisanship was real, Congress still held hearings, marked up legislation, and worked toward compromises. She criticized today’s congressional hearings as often performative and expressed hope that, if Democrats won the midterms, they would demonstrate what “regular order” looks like.
Yarhi-Milo said IGP deliberately brings speakers from across the political spectrum in the United States and the Global South to encourage engagement across ideological differences. “We want to make you a little bit uncomfortable,” she said, explaining that encountering different perspectives can help students ask tough questions, listen to others, and form their own views. She emphasized that these skills are essential for future leaders and policymakers.
Yarhi-Milo closed the session with a call to action, telling students that they represent IGP and are its ambassadors and role models. She encouraged them to attend IGP events, ask thoughtful questions, and share their perspectives so that the institute’s faculty and leadership can learn from students and continue improving its work.
The bios of the 2026-27 cohort of Student Scholars can be found here.