Working with CCSI

Jobs  Internships  Fellowships

Jobs

 

Internships

Internships: We offer a limited number of unpaid and paid research and administrative internships for undergraduate and graduate students (including graduate students in law, business, international affairs, and environmental studies) during the fall, spring and summer. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and writing sample, all together in a single file, in that order. The cover letter should include a distinct list of which internships you are applying for (you may include as many as you’d like). Please submit materials to Nancy Siporin (nancy.siporin@columbia.edu), unless otherwise specified.  

Application deadlines are as follows (although applications will be considered on a rolling basis):

  • Fall semester: September 18
  • Spring semester: January 15 
  • Summer: March 31

Candidates must currently be enrolled in a degree program, have astute research, analytical and writing skills, and enjoy working on a team. Only students currently enrolled at Columbia University are eligible for paid positions. Candidates must commit to at least 10-15 hours per week for Spring or Fall internships unless otherwise indicated, but more hours are possible. Summer internships are full-time (35-40 hours per week), unless otherwise noted. Continuation into subsequent semesters is possible, and course or academic internship credit can be granted in limited cases.

If you are applying for a paid internship, please indicate if you are work-study eligible (preferred but not required).

(Remote) Internship opportunities available for Summer 2021:

Paid internship: Investment Governance, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and Sustainable Development  

CCSI is seeking a law student currently enrolled (through the duration of the internship) at Columbia University to provide research and programmatic support with respect to CCSI’s work related to the ongoing negotiations of the Investment Protocol to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). CCSI’s Investment Law & Policy team is engaging in this process with a view to facilitating a long-term approach that enables stakeholders to identify and advance elements of international governance that help to catalyze and govern international investment for sustainable development. Work may be completed remotely. Preference will be given to applicants with strong legal research skills; familiarity with investment frameworks relevant to the African continent; familiarity with the status of the AfCFTA negotiations; fluency in additional working languages of the African Union (including Arabic, French, or Portuguese); and knowledge or demonstrated interest in alignment of investment governance with sustainable development objectives. Class credit may be available as an alternative (subject to confirmation). Students must commit to a minimum of 15-20 hours per week over the summer period. The application deadline for this position is May 15, 2021.

Paid internship: Operations Assistant (work study)

CCSI is seeking an undergraduate or graduate work-study student to assist with a variety of substantive operational tasks. The work-study position primarily will entail helping with business and administrative tasks related to the operational functioning of the center, with an opportunity to specialize in one of several areas including business operations, editing, communications, events or workstream support, assisting one of the three CCSI workstreams in Extractive Industries, Land and Agriculture or Investment Law Policy. Preference will be given to responsible, detail-oriented undergraduate or graduate students. Those with long-term availability are preferred. To apply for this Operations Assistant position, please send a cover letter and resume to CCSI’s Director of Operations, Paulo Cunha. (pcunha@law.columbia.edu).

What CCSI offers: Through the internship experience, interns can expect to make substantive contributions to research and/or administrative activities at CCSI. The internship experience is a mutually beneficial one, and provides interns with opportunities for professional growth and learning. CCSI develops specific terms of reference for every intern each semester, with clear tasks and timelines.

What CCSI looks for: Ideal candidates should be detailed-oriented, well-organized and responsive, and prioritize and carry out tasks with minimal supervision. Candidates should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Our interns have included both undergraduate and graduate students from Columbia College, Columbia Law School, the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Columbia Business School. We also occasionally accept Interns from outside the university.

Fellowships

Fellowships: Our range of Fellows include Visiting Scholars, Fellows and Senior Fellows. Visiting Scholars can include international scholars, professors, judges, practitioners, and government officials, as well as doctoral students at the start of their scholarly careers. Visiting Scholars must apply through Columbia Law School’s Visiting Scholars Program. Applications for Visiting Scholars are reviewed three times during the year, corresponding with three program intakes, as follows:

  • Fall semester: applications due no later than April 1.
  • Spring semester: applications due no later than September 1.
  • Summer semester: applications due no later than March 1.

Fellows and Senior Fellows are CCSI advisors who provide programmatic and operational advice and support to the Center. For more information, please contact us at ccsi@law.columbia.edu.