Meet Khaliun, an MPA graduate from the 2016 cohort who concentrated in Science, Technology and Infrastructure policy. Here, she reflects on her love of Ithaca, how her time at CIPA helped inform her career goals, and what she is doing now.
- Where are you working?
Job Title: Transport Policy Consultant (Short Term Consultant)
Company: The World Bank Group, Transport and ICT Global Practice
Address: Washington DC, USA - Why CIPA? There are a lot of MPA programs around-what made you choose CIPA over other programs you were considering?
My visit to the CIPA office, meeting with CIPA faculty, and the information I received from friends gave me the impression that CIPA was more than an academic program. It seemed like it was one big family in this beautiful town of Ithaca. I wanted to develop myself intellectually with friendly, supportive and amazing faculty in a stress-free place and CIPA was the perfect choice. - What are your long-term career goals? How did CIPA help prepare you for these?
I envision myself becoming a leading professional in the field of infrastructure policy, not only in my home country of Mongolia, but also at an international level. I hope to contribute my knowledge, skills and perspectives toward formulating and implementing road infrastructure policies around the globe, improving the lives of people who are in need. CIPA has helped me to turn this vision into reality. CIPA’s infrastructure policy program and its amazing faculty gave me the courage to pursue my dreams and supported me all along from day one at CIPA until now. I am grateful for the CIPA DC Externship Program, which presented the opportunity for me to work at the World Bank with the world’s leading professionals in the road transport sector. - What would you tell a prospective student who asked you to list the top three reasons that CIPA was a good fit for you?
- CIPA has the most awesome faculty and staff who are there to support and help you as you work to achieve your goals.
- The curriculum prepares you to learn what you “must” know in order to be an excellent policy specialist, but it is also flexible enough that you can choose from over 4000 courses offered at Cornell to really specialize in a field of your choice.
- Ithaca is just gorgeous! It is the perfect place to explore your inner you and cultivate your mind and body.
- Are there any particular “stand out” experiences at CIPA that made a lasting impact on you?
Looking back now, every day was an exciting experience. Every single day you meet new people, everyday is different than the last, and at the end of every day, you are proud of yourself for being able to do so much in a single day. Conversations with my program faculty Prof. Geddes and Prof. Foote have left me with lasting wisdom about careers in general and an attitude towards life. The “Market Regulation” class with Prof. Geddes really opened my mind to the thought process of assessing any situation from a policy perspective. The study guide I prepared for my final examination for the class is my bible and I use it every day at work now. - How would you describe the sense of community you find at CIPA? How did that figure into your experience of the last two years? How do you see it figuring into your future experiences?
CIPA has amazingly supportive faculty and staff. I felt like the community is not only the CIPA community per se, but it is a whole Cornell Community. You take classes with students from all over the world pursuing various specialties at Cornell. My fellow students were great and many of them were inspirational to me. - Is there anything else about the CIPA program, about the opportunities here, or about your particular experience that you would like to share with prospective students?
I cannot stress enough how supportive CIPA staff and faculty are. The choice of classes, the quality of the faculty, the student community and the friendly staff made my experience at CIPA an exceptional part of my life. I am very very grateful to all CIPA faculty and staff who made my dream come true by giving me unconditional support all along. Without such support, I couldn’t have completed my degree.