Above photo is of Sakura Park, just outside of I-House.  Founded in the aftermath of the first world war, International House has been a home for the world’s next leaders and influencers across every region and industry for nearly 100 years. Collectively, our community has withstood catastrophes of every magnitude; today, in the face of this unprecedented crisis, we are reminded of the power of our community and the importance of connection as critical to our mission. Throughout the past year, I-House staff and leadership have painstakingly studied every aspect of our operations...

Dear International House Community, We hope you are all well and safe. We wanted to update you with some news about Calvin Sims: He has accepted an offer to return to the world of journalism, where he will oversee news standards, ethics and procedures at a major news media organization across all platforms. As he told us, this is one of those opportunities he couldn’t turn down, and that while I-House is a very difficult place to leave, one compensating feature of this new job is its international scope and dedication to understand all countries and cultures. This August marks Calvin’s...

I’d been privileged to call I-House my home since the Summer of 2018, when I started in the Hood Visual Science Lab at Columbia. At first I thought I might move out that Fall to an apartment in the surrounding area, but I realized that wasn’t meant to be as I was swiftly taken into the fold. After only a few weeks of engaging with I-House’s unique and vibrant collection of wunderkinder, I knew I had to stay. Luckily that worked out for nearly two years, during which time I enjoyed the benefit of intense interpersonal connection, growth, and global education only attainable through being...

“You live in the world that exists. You don’t get to choose your neighbors, and you have to get on with them. You don’t have to approve of them, and you can choose how much you want to do things together. But it’s crazy to ostracize them just because you have differences.” “Think broadly, conceptually. Create an intellectual framework to understand whatever you are trying to do, in life or in policy, and make sure you have the resources and will to see it through until the end. Otherwise, figure out another way of going at the problem.” These are among the...