Founded in 1754 as King’s College by royal charter of King George II, Columbia University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States. It is a private, non-denominational research university with world-class undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Both global and local in focus, the University is engaged in a wide range of educational and research initiatives around the world. The University’s talented students and faculty from some 150 countries engage with each other in the breadth of cultural, scientific and business enterprises that make New York one of the most exciting places in the world.

Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) has been educating professionals who work in public, private and nonprofit organizations to make a difference in the world. It is the largest, most diverse school of its kind in the United States. The School’s mission is to support the global public interest by educating students to serve and to lead. Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) is where the world connects for energy policy. CGEP’s mission is to enable public and private sector leaders to make more informed choices about the world’s most pressing energy issues. It combines academic research with the experience of senior energy experts from government, academia, industry and non- governmental organizations.