In July 2022, President Lee C. Bollinger named Wafaa El-Sadr the executive vice president for Columbia Global, a new entity that brings together Columbia World Projects (CWP), the Columbia Global Centers, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, and eventually other global initiatives. Four months later, Columbia announced the creation of a tenth Global Center in Athens. 

Columbia News sat down with El-Sadr, to discuss the new Athens Global Center, the evolving role of Columbia Global Centers, Columbia World Projects, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, and how this all fits within the University’s mission.

“Each of these initiatives has distinct features. The Columbia Global Centers serve as pivotal locations around the world, fostering engagement by students and faculty, and dialogue about critical global issues,” El-Sadr shared. “Columbia World Projects, on the other hand, is a central platform for advancing scholarly work and action, with a focus on the University's Fourth Purpose. And the Institute for Ideas and Imagination brings together faculty and scholars from diverse fields, along with artists, writers, and others from around the world, to engage together in creative pursuits, learning from each other.”

Read the full article and El-Sadr’s thoughts on the future of Columbia Global here.