SIRI Practicum

Instructor permission required. Students must 1) submit an application via https://forms.gle/TRbJrFMZKE8NbpJu7  and 2) join the waitlist in Vergil to be considered for enrollment. Without both of these steps complete, student applications cannot be considered. Please do not email any materials to the Professor or the TA.

The Sustainable Investing Research Consulting Project provides an action-oriented, client-based learning experience for students interested in sustainable investing, covering both sustainable investing in the financial sector (impact investing, climate finance, and sustainable finance) and the real economy (for-profit companies and some nonprofit organizations). The course is open to SIPA and non-SIPA students. Students will learn about the opportunities, challenges, and limitations faced by companies, institutions and investors to finance a more sustainable world. Moreover, they will learn how organizations of all types develop innovative products and services to mitigate climate change, biodiversity loss, and all forms of poverty.

Throughout the semester, students will work on a challenging sustainable investing research consulting project for a client. Clients include start-ups and established firms, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, primarily from the corporate, finance, and investing world. They will (e-)meet with the client on a regular basis, discuss their progress, obtain feedback, and present their research and recommendations to the client. Furthermore, students will conduct research and interviews to learn about the broader business environment and institutional context (including cultural, political, economic, and social factors) to better understand the opportunities and challenges the clients face. For more information on client projects and the student experiences, please see the SIRI website: https://siri.sipa.columbia.edu/news 

This course is ideal for students interested in pursuing careers in impact and sustainable finance, impact investing,impact and ESG accounting and assurance, corporate sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable development policy and practice.

Registration in this course is instructor-managed. Student