Displacement in a Changing World: Student Lunch Series

This four-part student series, part of the Displacement in a Changing World programming, is designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world practice in refugee and displacement work.

Across four thematic sessions - Legal and Advocacy, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment, Workforce and Livelihoods, and Community and Direct Service - students will hear directly from practitioners working across the humanitarian, nonprofit, and private sectors. Each session pairs Columbia students with leading organizations in the field, offering exposure to diverse career pathways, hands-on skills, and concrete opportunities to get involved locally and globally.

The series is open to all Columbia students and requires no prior background in refugee or displacement issues - only curiosity and a willingness to engage.

All events will be in person on the Columbia campus. Lunches will be provided and catered by The Migrant Kitchen.

Upcoming Sessions

Click on a session title to register.

Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment

Date/Time: Sept. 29, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: International Affairs Building, room 1302
Faculty: Daniel Naujoks, Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs
Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative

Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative (RSRI) is a global network of over 600 organizations working to transform the way the world responds to refugees and other forcibly displaced populations, creating a future where the journey from displacement to self-reliance is marked by dignity, opportunity, and inclusion. Through partnerships with NGOs, governments, funders, and refugee-led organizations, RSRI advances the policies, tools, and research needed to expand economic opportunity for displaced communities worldwide.

Legal and Advocacy

Date/Time: Oct. 6, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: International Affairs Building, room 802
Faculty: Anindita Dasgupta, Assistant Professor, Mailman School of Public Health
Organizations: Women’s Refugee Commission

The Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) works to improve the lives and protect the rights of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis, researching their needs, identifying solutions, and advocating for programs and policies to strengthen their resilience. WRC is the only organization solely dedicated to this mission, conducting fact-finding missions and research to advise international agencies and governments on the unique challenges facing displaced women and children.

Community and Direct Service

Date/Time: Oct. 13, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: International Affairs Building, room 802
Faculty: Mashura Akilova, Lecturer, School of Social Work
Organization: New Neighbors Partnership

New Neighbors Partnership (NNP) welcomes refugee, asylee, and asylum-seeking families by fostering local partnerships and community support, matching refugee families with local NYC families who have older kids and can pass on hand-me-down clothing from season to season. Founded in Brooklyn, NNP now serves hundreds of individuals from dozens of countries, with staff who bring lived resettlement experience and speak up to 20 languages.

Workforce and Livelihoods

Date/Time: Oct. 20, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: International Affairs Building, room 1302
Organizations: Emma’s Torch

Emma's Torch is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit social enterprise that provides full-time, paid culinary arts training to refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking. Through its restaurant, café, and catering operations, Emma's Torch prepares students for meaningful, upwardly mobile careers in the culinary industry while celebrating the diverse food traditions they bring with them.