Over the weekend, Columbia hosted the annual African Economic Forum. Africa enthusiast Aaron Kohn attended and provides an overview of the weekend-long event. Even-handed Bwog correspondent Katheryn Thayer attended one of the panels and writes a detailed account after the jump. “Africa has come too far to turn back now,” remarked the CEO of the […]

Zenawi faced a platform through which he could answer questions on his own terms without fear of refocusing or substantive discussion and argumentation from the strong and willful minds trapped prone before him by the moderator’s lash.

Peter Sterne saw Jeff Sachs IN REAL LIFE! His report from the World Leaders Forum follows. Yesterday evening, Jeffrey Sachs hosted a panel discussion with an assortment of East African leaders. Despite not knowing exactly who would be on the panel, over 400 undergraduates, grad students, and honored guests crowded into the Low Library Rotunda […]

Engineers Without Borders is holding a giant Roone-sized event this evening at 7:00.  Beyond Borders: Food will feature discussions with experts about the “cultural and social contexts” and the “systemic factors” affect our food. Academic blathering aside, the event will feature an “Indian/African” dinner – no word on whether this is a hybrid or two […]

Eva Suarez attends a plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative, feels poor. This week marked the fifth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative — in other words, what the former President spends his time on when he’s not jetsetting with pretty ladies or hobnobbing with Kim Jong II. Clinton provides a forum for […]

Another blog has discovered our friend Sarah Dooley.  Yes, her character is a lot like Michael Scott, but so much cuter! A Columbia grad student played in that intertubes-inspired concert at Carnegie Hall: “I haven’t hardly played at all.” Drought in Africa: yes, it could happen, and it’s happened before: “startling.” Ever wonder what happens […]

Bwogger Jon Hill was perusing The New Vision — Uganda’s leading website! — and noticed that your Columbia is opening up a peace institute in Gulu, located in the Gulu District of Uganda. The University is partnering with five NGOs (including UNICEF and the Christian Children’s Fund, among others) to open the Institute, which will […]

Previously, on the Joy Luck Book Club: Marisha Pessl’s merits as author and as hottie were debated. In this week’s episode, certified hottie Dave Eggers presents What is the What, and the J.L.B.C. convenes, gin cocktails in hand, to their secret clubhouse somewhere in the outer boroughs… Reading Rainbow! Dan: Dave Eggers is famous for […]

Cool trip alert: Bwog alumnus and liveblogging pioneer Bryan Mochizuki, along with a passel of current Columbia students, just touched down in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where the group will be filming the work of NGOs to spread awareness of development issues in the East Afican nation. Follow their adventures here.  Are you on an […]

Not to be outdone, Madonna has hopped on the African-orphan-hugging bandwagon with a $3 million donation to J. Sachs’ Millennium Voices foundation, which will help villages in the malaria-infested African nation of Malawi. The rocker chalks up her newfound generosity to having had kids of her own, as well as the giving spirit of Jewish […]