Global Thought students forge strong bonds that form the basis of a growing and welcoming community of alumni who work around the world and across the private and public sectors. While their professional paths reflect the diversity of careers our MA prepares them for, they share a common commitment to rethinking global problems and bringing critical perspective to the workplace. Alumni remain in touch through regular meet-ups, both formal and informal.
Learn more about the work and accomplishments of our alumni below.
Ammara Elsevier, Class of 2026
Communications and Development Coordinator, A Chance In Life
Global Thought instilled an interdisciplinary perspective and mode of inquiry that will stay with me forever. Being surrounded by such a diverse, ambitious, and curious group of students has shaped me both personally and academically to be more hopeful, more open, and more adventurous, because I know that I have support from my cohort even as we all go our separate ways.
Luhui Gao, Class of 2025
AI Product Manager, Fosun International
As an AI Product Manager, I work on applying large language models to real-world scenarios, including healthcare and workflow automation. My Global Thought experience reminds me that AI products are shaped by language, culture, institutional context, and unequal access to knowledge. It gave me a framework for connecting critical research with practical technology work.
Amanda Villa, Class of 2024
Development & Partnerships Associate, Giving Compass
Global Thought gave me the intellectual foundation to understand why resource inequities exist, which makes my work of addressing them feel more tangible and meaningful. As a growing nonprofit startup with ambitions to expand internationally, my company is positioned at exactly the intersection where this program prepared me to contribute, and I am uniquely equipped to help drive that vision forward.
Lulu Bird, Class of 2024
Digital Strategy Lead, Google
My experience in the Global Thought MA greatly improved my understanding of how users experience the digital world and the communication that happens there. I'm better positioned to help businesses grow effectively and build a compelling digital presence because of my projects in the MA program.
Wouter van Bodegraven, Class of 2024
Senior Advisor Cybersecurity, Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security
It's hard to describe all I took with me from Global Thought. Friendships are at the top of my list. The knowledge I took with me was vast and ever expanding, and being able to call myself a Global Thought student continues to open many doors for me.
Junjie Ren, Class of 2021
Senior Communications Manager, Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution
I work daily across institutions and geographies, from multilateral organizations to rural county governments, and the emphasis Global Thought placed on genuinely engaging different worldviews, rather than merely tolerating them, is what makes that kind of translation work effective across changing institutional contexts.
Idil Uner, Class of 2020
Digital Communication Specialist, UNICEF
My MA informs how I approach communications and partnerships at the United Nations every day. It changed my perception of communication as a function itself, revealing it as the process through which issues get framed in the first place, well before any translation for different audiences happens. It also equipped me to navigate multilateral environments, where competing mandates and priorities coexist and where meaningful progress often comes from finding connections across differences.
Alumni News
CGT Alumnus Empowers Ethiopian Youth With National Debate Initiative
Tesfamichael Negussie Class of 2026 is highlighted for his work as a graduate MA student in Global Thought at Columbia University.
Alexander Hradecky, CGT'22, Champions Technology Equity for the Global South
As the leader of the United Nations Development Programme’s global AI strategy, Alexander Hradecky champions technological equity and promotes inclusive AI solutions designed specifically to empower the Global South.