This morning Columbia, the World Bank, and New York City Global Partners convened to discuss the role of global cities in promoting business innovation, entrepreneurship, and job growth. While some students protested the event, Bwog’s Entrepreneurial Expert Alex Eynon attended to bring you the low-down.

Michael Bloomberg

Suits, government officials from twenty-one nations, and of course, Columbia students, streamed into Low this morning. They came for the 5^th Global Partner Summit, on the topic of “Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship: City Strategies” and to bask in the glow of Mayor Michael J. Bloomberg and GE CEO Jeffery Immelt.

The Bloomberg and Immelt portion of the conference began with an introduction by Robert Kasdin, the Senior Executive Vice President of our own university, who listed the salient accomplishments of the speakers and underlined the vital role that research universities play in economic growth. Then he introduced Meyer (pronounced “mayor”—you can imagine the jokes) Feldberg, who, in addition to being in charge of a lot of important sounding stuff, like New York City Global Partners, is the Dean Emeritus of the Columbia Business School. He served as the moderator of the “conversation” between Immelt and Bloomberg which turned out to be more of a “sitting in adjacent armchairs and taking turns answering questions” set up. Still, their conversation yielded some insight into the relationship between city governments and businesses, and on the way they can work together to strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life. (more…)

A group of students assembled on Low steps are currently protesting outside of Michael Bloomberg’s talk “Buisness Innovation and Entrepeneurship: City Strategies Summit with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.”  The students protesting are loosely affiliated with the General Assembly, which will be meeting at 12:30 pm tomorrow at the Sundial. Video and pictures of the protest, and a scan of the students’ flyer below:

From the private sphere to the global sphere

In case you missed it, Obama announced the death of Osama Bin Laden in a speech last night. (NYTimes)

Thousands gathered last night at Ground Zero and all over New York City to celebrate the news. (ABC, Metro, TPM, NYTimes)

The NYPD are on high alert in fear of retaliation. (Village Voice)

In a short statement, Bloomberg announced that he hopes Osama’s death comforts New Yorkers. Earlier yesterday, the mayor cocked some eyebrows when he proposed rounding up illegal immigrants and asking them to live and work in Detroit. (Reuters, Washington Times)

In the wake of NATO forces killing Gaddafi’s son and three grandchildren, mobs have attacked several UN affiliated embassies, and UN forces are pulling out of Tripoli to relocate in Tunisia. (Reuters, BBC)

Ye Olde Globe via wikimedia.

Last night Bwog received a copy of Mayor Bloomberg’s public schedule. He’s slated to appear at the Northwest Science building café at 11:30 this morning. We wonder what he’s announcing!

Update, 12:21: Mike B will launch the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center, a sustainable tech initiative. Columbia is one of 3 schools partnering with the City to work on research for the new project. And one commenter tells us Columbia students helped out last semester. Look at you guys changing the world!

*PUBLIC SCHEDULE FOR*

*MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG*

*THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011*

**11:30 AM     Makes Announcement*

Columbia University

Northwest Corner Building – 2nd Floor

550 West 120th Street at Broadway

*MANHATTAN** *

**Q & A to follow. *

You may have noticed several news vans near campus this morning. They are here to cover an event taking place in Lerner today, whose speakers include Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Joe Lieberman, columnist David Brooks, and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Over 1,000 people are expected to be in attendance.

Those are national NBC and CNN vans

The event is the official launch of No Labels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisanship. In their own words, “to creating a new voice that encourages politicians to lay aside the ‘labels’ of party politics and address problems on practical common ground. The idea is to create a voice from citizens all over the country—Republicans, Democrats, and independents—who want to break through the extreme polarization of Washington and bring a less partisan, less ideological, more pragmatic approach to the table.” You can watch the launch live online, and read the full information about the event here.

Bacchanal! (Spec)

Our very own Judie Lomax signs with the WNBA! (CU Athletics)

The Times blogs about yesterday’s forum on “New York and the Electric Car.”

Bloomberg: The Destroyer? (NYT)

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

CUArts‘ relationship with the Columbia administration. (Spec)

Your relationship. (Gothamist)

Bloomberg’s relationship with the Crips and the Bloods. (NY Post)

The MTA’s relationship with pregnant women. (NBC New York)

Russia and Poland’s relationship. (NYT)

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

In a surprising blow to future bureaucrats, Columbia cuts funding for student governing boards (Spec).

New York finds out who will take on Bloomberg as residents vote in primary elections (NY1).

While you’re still smoking 25 feet away from Butler, remember that the city might ban smoking in public parks (Gawker).

Remember that one time Ahmadinejad came to campus?  Spec does, and suggests you actually sign up for the World Leaders’ Forum this year (Spec).

New York remains the safest big city in America — no matter what your grandmother says (NY1). 

The eighties continue to suffer as Patrick Swayze dies at 57 from pancreatic cancer (Gothamist).

Hot off the presses from City Hall and Albany: Governor David Paterson (CC ’77) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed their support again for the Manhattanville expansion, after the project was approved by the Public Authorities Control Board. 

Paterson said the expansion “will enhance the vitality of both the University and its neighboring community, while meeting the long-term needs of its residents.” Bloomberg added that it “will help solidify New York City as a world-renowned center for higher education and scientific research and enhance New York’s ability to attract highly-skilled talent.” Both noted the predicted benefits of the expansion, including “a projected 14,000 construction jobs over the course of the 25-year build-out and 6,000 permanent jobs, the expansion will provide nearly 100,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space, enhance the area’s cultural activities, and activate the neighborhood’s street life with wide sidewalks and ground-floor retail uses.”

As for the PACB, its approval was the final level of state approval needed on the expansion (the PACB oversees the West Harlem Local Development Corporation, which made a final agreement with Columbia earlier this month). Barring a surpisingly successful lawsuit, Manhattanville may have crossed its last government hurdle. Full statements after the jump (image by the Associated Press). (more…)

Yes, subways may always be cheaper than cabs. And sure, you may not venture south of 108th again until after exams (you Philistine, etc.). Nevertheless, for Columbia students’ (and their relatives’) future transportation emergencies, Bwog applauds the Bloomberg administration’s proposal for a permanent cabsharing system. 

The proposal, first mentioned in Bloomberg’s state of the city address, is obviously still very much in the planning stages, but would set up formal cabsharing system at airports, train stations, and a few other locations in the city. Cabsharing was temporarily implemented during the 2005 transportation strike, with drivers charging flat fees, though it’s unknown what form the new system would take.

The Bloomberg public relations people might deny this, but Bwog likes to think the real inspiration was Carsplit.

This week’s to-dos are earlier than usual, but quite worthwhile.

Monday

Lecture with Shahid Naeem: On “Nature, Knowledge, and Our National Identity.”  Hosted by PrezBo and Brinkley.  6:15 PM @ Low Faculty Room.

Tuesday

President of Bolivia: Evo Morales Ayma is here to discuss democracy in the Americas.  10:00 AM @ Low Rotunda.

Wednesday

Politics of Food:  Michael Bloomberg and company discuss policy issues in New York City that relate to food.  8:30 AM @ Lerner.

Thursday

Eckhardt: The guitarist-turned-composer, inspired by Frank Zappa, will have the premiere of his musical cycle Undersong at Miller Theatre.  8:00 PM @ Miller.

 

Mayyyyybe Bloomberg will run for reelection

Gamers: beware of exceeding University bandwidth caps, but only sometimes.  In fact, for most of the things you’ll be doing online, you will be fine.

Perhaps the University Senate is a place where debate within the University should take place.  As opposed to debating with kitchen knives.

Wait a second.  Local bars might allow students in occasionally? 

Freshmen: Maybe you should forget what classroom in Hamilton your next club meeting is in, walk into a debate between two warring heads of state, reconcile their differences and then walk out with your Nobel Peace Prize.

Bloomberg has an article today highlighting the salaries of some of the city’s biggest names in arts and culture. One name on the list is your president Lee C. Bollinger, who takes home a “$1.42 million package, which included $911,284 in base pay and $500,610 in benefits.”

This puts PrezBo’s salary a little under that of Northwestern’s President, whose $1.7 million paycheck is the largest among “private, nonprofit educational institutions.” Both salaries are just below the average price of a Nussbaum & Wu product.

Bwog apologizes for the delay in Barnard class day coverage.  Our camera wasn’t working and we couldn’t have you just take us at our word.

On Tuesday morning, as a faint drizzle turned into a steady downpour, 597 “awe-inspiring women” graduated from Barnard, along with their president.  Let me the spare you the burden of reading the rest of this post: Barnard class day won this year.

Although the college had boasted of a star-studded class day with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Billie Jean King (tennis star), David Remnick (New Yorker editor-in-chief) and Thelma Adair (Head Start founder), only hizzoner addressed the graduating class.  The rest received Barnard medals of distinction.  New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing Bloomberg on TV for the occasional press conference, and he usually appears somewhat lovable, schlumpy and uninspired.  But during his class day speech he was practically animated—funny at all the right times, legitimately inspiring at others—and reminded everyone why he’s Joel Klein’s boss and not vice versa.

He began by mocking JShap’s poodle, Nora, who he called a “one poodle canine security patrol” and questioned the dog’s legal right to parade about an otherwise dog-free campus.  He then addressed the subject of the wall around the Vag’s construction zone with the tone of an amused civil servant.  “You’ve all spent your senior year learning to be graffiti artists,” he said. “May I remind you—your tagging days are done.  What happens at Barnard stays at Barnard.”  (more…)

This year Barnard’s Class Day speakers will include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New Yorker editor David Remnick, famed tennis player Billie Jean King, and organizer of Harlem Head Start programs Thelma C. Davidson Adair. 

Bwog just ran into outgoing BC President Laura Stoffel who could hardly contain her excitement. Expect a more official announcement from Barnard in the next few days.

Worry not jealous Columbians: Luckily, there are going to be unlimited BC class day tickets this year.