Overview
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private Ivy League research university established in 1754, originally as King’s College. It functions as a leading centre for higher education and research, offering undergraduate, graduate and professional programmes across many disciplines. Columbia’s mission emphasises research excellence, intellectual inquiry, and public engagement.
Mission and focus areas
Columbia University’s core mission is to advance knowledge through research and teaching, attract a diverse international community, and link research to global challenges. It seeks to address pressing societal and global issues through multidisciplinary scholarship, combining academic rigour with real-world impact. The institution’s research and educational offerings include sustainability, climate science, public policy, economics, technology and health, contributing insights relevant to sustainable finance, climate risk and ESG integration. Its Sustainability Policy and Management research focuses on organisational decision-making tools that embed sustainability into operations.
Structure and governance
Columbia University is governed by a 24-member Board of Trustees responsible for overall direction and accountability. A University Senate represents faculty and students in institutional deliberations. Leadership includes an acting President and deans of various schools and research units. The university comprises multiple specialised schools and research centres, such as the Columbia Climate School, Business School and School of Professional Studies, each with distinct academic and research portfolios. For sustainability governance, Columbia established a cross-stakeholder governance model, including a Senior Sustainability Advisory Committee that centralises sustainability planning and reporting.
Programs and offerings
Columbia University provides extensive academic programmes, executive education and research outputs. It houses world-class research initiatives, including sustainability and climate programmes within the Columbia Climate School and Sustainability Policy and Management research. The university produces publications, reports and tools on sustainability metrics, policy analysis and finance, and offers degrees such as a master’s in sustainability management and climate finance. Its Office of Sustainability coordinates campus sustainability efforts, climate action planning, and progress reporting, reflecting engagement across education, research and institutional practice.
University Mission Statement
Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty, staff, and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the University to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.
