Climate change, misinformation, extreme inequality, threats to democracy, conflict – the world seems to be facing multiple existential crises at once. As 2023 comes to a close, we take a brief look back at what we have achieved this year at Columbia World Projects in our efforts to spark and amplify social impact work at the University.

Last year marked the fifth anniversary of Columbia World Projects and the start of the next chapter for the organization. We launched exciting new programs while also becoming part of the newly established Columbia Global which will allow us to amplify our work through closer collaboration with the Columbia Global Centers, the Committee on Global Thought and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination.

Last April, our Research and Engagement division hosted the event, "A Conversation About Democracy." The panel discussion featured former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Columbia University President Emeritus Lee C. Bollinger and Ira Katznelson, deputy director of Columbia World Projects. 

We launched the "Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal" initiative earlier in 2023. Policymakers, regulators, civic advocates, Supreme Court justices and researchers collaborated globally over three convenings to advance digital governance frameworks safeguarding democratic values.

Under World Project’s Supporting Generations theme, three new projects were rolled out, enhancing our portfolio to a total of 14 projects. These new endeavors include a program aimed at improving health outcomes for children in Sierra Leone, the development and pilot testing of an arts-based curriculum for refugee children in Uganda, and a program designed to connect NYC high school students with their food-related cultural heritages.

In partnership with the World Leader’s Forum, we welcomed to Columbia His Excellency Mr. Luis Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic. President Abinader expressed full support for our innovative project Building Climate-Resilient Communities in the Dominican Republic, which is being implemented in collaboration with the City of Santo Domingo and two local universities.

Innovative Solutions for Clean Cooking – The Combatting Household Air Pollution team launched GasPay, a mobile app to help accelerate a clean energy transition in Ghana, moving households from cooking with charcoal to using Liquid Petroleum Gas.