Hillary Rodham Clinton joined The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University as a professor and presidential fellow at Columbia World Projects at the start of 2023. With her background in law, politics, and international affairs, students will have first-hand knowledge of her past and present tactics and experiences with world leaders, elections, and government policies. However, some students are not content with Clinton’s role and presence at the university.


Cate Twining-Ward is a 2023 SIPA Environmental Fellow at Columbia University and studies Environmental Science and Policy at the Columbia Climate School and School of International and Public Affairs. She wrote her experience in the Huff Post about taking one of Clinton’s courses and was disappointed.

Because of Clinton’s high profile, there were film crews in class and students lost a quarter of class time due to the elaborate setup of equipment. According to Twinning-Ward, future courses with Clinton are rumored to be offered in video format through a platform called Columbia +. However, Twinning-Ward did acknowledge and appreciate guest speakers such as Peter Clement, the director of the CIA in Clinton’s live lectures at the university.

On February 9, Columbia University conducted an event headlining Clinton: Preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence.

With the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some students at Columbia were and are still not pleased with Clinton as their professor. Some protested and shouted at Clinton as she walked out of the SIPA building at Columbia. According to Ali Abunimah, news reporter with The Electric Intifada, students were disgruntled, and then shamed her for war crimes connected to her involvement with Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Palestine.

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There has been debate and controversy in her decision-making as a senator and in her role as the Security of State from 2009-2013 under Barack Obama.  She is highly recognized as former First-Lady—married to Bill Clinton who was president from 1993-2001 and presidential candidate who ran against Donald Trump in 2016. Some may speculate her program, Onward Together, a new political group to encourage new generations to run for office, as a hidden agenda to oppose policies from politicians such as Trump.

Along with her connections and work in the White House, she has made multiple contributions in healthcare and the welfare of children and family.  Still, despite her efforts in professionalism and leadership, there are obstacles she continues to face in regard to her past and ongoing political decisions.

Today, February 18, Clinton attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany. A few keynote speakers and attendees of the event were Alexander Stubb who served as the Prime Minister of Finland and Salome Zourabichvili, the current President of Georgia.