Contact:
George Calderaro
212 229-5353
[email protected]
(March 15, 2001 — New York, NY) The New School, the founding division of New School University, will offer a new Graduate Program in International Affairs beginning in fall 2001. The program will combine analysis of the changing global economy and culture with an understanding of the economic and social problems facing developing countries.
Of the new program, New School University President Bob Kerrey remarked, "The International Affairs Program will bring together the extensive resources of New School University, including faculty from its graduate programs in media studies, management and social sciences, as well as The New School’s World Policy Institute."
The Graduate Program in International Affairs will offer two degrees: a 30-credit Master of Science in International Affairs for students with at least five years of relevant post-university professional international experience, and 42-credit Master of Arts in International Affairs for students who have not already established a career in an international field or who intend a career change.
Students will have opportunities to work closely with practitioners of international problem solving. In addition, they will participate in field internships in a developing country institution such as an NGO, or local government, or an international organization. This problem-orientation will be supported by coursework in the analysis of institutions and the role of media in the representation of international affairs.
The New School also announced the appointment of Michael Cohen as director of the Graduate Program in International Affairs. From 1972 to 1999, Michael Cohen worked in various key positions at the World Bank and was responsible for much of the urban policy development of the Bank over that period. He has worked in over 50 countries and was heavily involved in the Bank’s work on infrastructure, environment, and sustainable development. He served as the Senior Advisor to the Bank’s Vice-President for Environmentally Sustainable Development. He is the author of several books on urban development, Africa, and evaluation of the impact of development assistance.
"I'm excited about developing a program bringing students in direct contact with the frontiers of international practice and problem-solving," noted Michael Cohen. "We will be very much hands-on, both in the class and in the field, with students working in organizations in Latin America and Africa."
Currently, Michael Cohen is a Visiting Fellow at the International Center for Advanced Studies at NYU and Adjunct Professor at the Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in New York. He also works as Advisor to the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urban Planning of the University of Buenos Aires. Mr. Cohen has published many articles and lectured widely around the world. He is currently completing a study on urban inequality in Buenos Aires where he worked in 1998-1999 as well as a larger project on the lessons of international urban assistance in 10,000 cities and towns around the world from 1970 to 2000. While working in Buenos Aires, he developed a partnership to support the Buenos Aires 1910: Memoria del Porvenir exhibition that was shown in New York during February and March 2000. He received a Ph.D. in political economy from the University of Chicago in 1971.
The founding division of the university, The New School was established in 1919 as an entirely new kind of institution -- a true school of adult higher education. The tradition continues today with 3500 credit and non-credit courses offered annually to 25,000 adult students. The division also enrolls 1000 students in its graduate and undergraduate programs which include its Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts and Masters Degrees in Media Studies, Creative Writing, Teaching and International Affairs. The New School also offers eleven certificate programs. New School Online University offers credit, non-credit and degree courses through the Internet.
New School University comprises seven academic divisions: The New School, the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College, Mannes College of Music, and the Actors Studio Drama School. It also offers one of the largest selections of online courses in the nation.
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