Riyadh Bureau Chief David Hu grabbed a seat in a surprisingly comfortable Mudd Room to hear from APAM Professor David Keyes about his sabbatical in Saudi Arabia. The atmosphere in Applied Physics and Mathematics Professor David Keyes’s talk did not feel like that of a traditional lecture or formal presentation. There was free pizza, drinks, […]

David Xia wandered into SIPA last night for a Saltzman Institute event on the fate of the American war in Afghanistan. The United States’ war in Afghanistan is not working, and we’re not sure how to fix it. This was the gist of Col. David Gray and Col. Gian Gentile’s (both of whom have served […]

In which Kate Hughes attempts to discover the meaning of life. It was no surprise that the room was filled entirely with older scholars, the types of people who actually have the time to contemplate life. Chins perched thoughtfully in their elbows, they listened with interest to Charles Taylor, philosopher and Professor Emeritus at McGill. […]

Wondering just what the future holds for him, Bwog’s Super Secret Beijing Operative Paul Hsiao trundled down to the IAB to listen with awe and dread to Denis F. Simon and Cong Cao’s examination of the current science and technology labor market trends in China, “China’s Science and Technology Talent Pool – Competitive Advantage or […]

Looking for a new window onto our urban culture, Bwog’s Lexicography Bureau Chief Hannah Goldstein found herself yesterday in the Maison Française, where she was promptly encouraged to read the dictionary.  As it turns out, that was a great idea. Christian Topalov is a man of many words – three hundred of them, to be […]

Looking to get his fill of international conflict, Kashmir Bureau Chief Mark Hay grabbed a chair in the Satow Room last night for “Pakistan-India: What’s Next?” November 26 will mark a somber anniversary – one year since the coordinated terrorist attacks of the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba ripped through the Indian city of Mumbai, paralyzing both […]

With legendary cineaste Dan Talbot contributing New Yorker Films’s paper archives to Columbia, Butler Library hosted a panel on Talbot and film culture. Bwog Silver Screen Correspondent Kate Hughes reports: In honor of New Yorker Films’s written archive coming to Columbia, where it will now be housed, a group of cinephiles gathered in Butler 523 […]

 Geert Wilders, the highly controversial Dutch politician, spoke last night at Columbia on “free speech.”  Bwog’s Smoke and a Pancake Bureau Chief (look, we had to get the joke out of the way) Mark Hay was in attendance.  After the jump, Derek Turner, Communications Director for CUCR, provides a statement. Protests were limited to a […]

The computer strikes again; the English Department sponsored conference “The History of Reading and Reading Processes” examines how word processing has changed the way that authors write and the way that scholars and fans obsess. Daily Editor Liz Naiden was tempted to bring a typewriter to the keynote speech in 523 Butler. Long-time blogger and […]

Yesterday, former Vice President of the European Commission Margot Wallstrom spoke in IAB about “Women, Peace, and Security – Challenges Ahead.” Bwog International Affairs and Swedish Meatballs Correspondent Mark Hay reports: Let it be known that the author does not often think about the role of gender in politics. But with three events this weekend […]

On Monday night, CC Dean Michele Moody-Adams decided to mix up the traditional dean-student mixer by offering dinner and a movie. Official pizza correspondent Mahrah Taufique attended: Michele Moody-Adams – professor, writer, philosopher and now Dean of Columbia College and Vice President for Undergraduate Education – is doing her best to be far more approachable […]

Thursday afternoon saw NYU professor Edward Wolff (the happy guy at right) visit IAB 801 to lecture on “Long-Term Trends in The Levy Institute Measure of Economic Well-Being, 1959-2004.” Sounds complicated? That didn’t stop Bwog’s Wealth and Mad Men correspondent Emily Ahn from filing a report. Like a book, you can’t judge a lecture by its title. […]

Last night’s Columbia Political Union Healthcare debate boasted no special format: the soothing power of the free market versus humanity and logical responsibility. Their respective groupies cheered, scoffed and even engaged in some raucous Joe Wilson-ery.  More valuable than watching the news, less valuable than personally investigating the issues, but more time-effective than either – […]

Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uighur Congress, has attracted plenty of international attention since the Chinese government accused her of orchestrating the Urumqui riots of July. Despite strict security measures, experienced Bwog contributor Mark Hay managed to get close enough to hear last night’s lecture, sponsored by CIRCA in 309 Havemeyer. Rebiya Kadeer is […]

Eco-friendly Bwogger Mark Hay explains why he has a massive crush on Bharrat Jagdeo- and why you should too! Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo had just finished his speech, “What’s Greener than a Rainforest: Economic Transformation and Forest Conservation in Guyana,” this past Friday when a member of the audience eagerly sprang towards the microphone to […]