Introducing Policy 360!

Introducing Policy 360

By the Columbia Political Review

The Columbia Political Review is very excited to announce a new section of the Review, Policy 360. Launched in March 2021, Policy 360 aims to bring a global approach to contemporary political issues. In each roundtable, writers will adopt the policy positions of various countries as they approach a certain social or political issue. Their objective is not to defend the country’s policy positions, but to analyze what may be learned and applied in broader sociopolitical contexts.

Ashley Tan (CC ’23) is CPR’s first Policy 360 Editor and the creator of this exciting new initiative. Hear from Ashley below on the inspiration and creation process of Policy 360:

“As an idea, Policy 360 was first conceived after a difficult conversation on free speech that had transpired in class. Hailing from a country that has often received criticism particularly from the West for its policies and legislation on freedom of expression, defending the stance of my state in intellectual settings—regardless of my personal inclinations—has been challenging at times. As with most debates on free speech, my classroom saw lines being drawn and verbal battles being forged. A stubborn impasse was the natural consequence. 

We tend to look at the world through the lens of our own experiences. After all, growing up in North America heralds a different set of experiences from growing up in Oceania or Asia, and invariably shapes the way we perceive events. But just because we’ve only known something to be done or perceived in a certain way doesn’t preclude the necessity of trying to understand other viewpoints. 

The world extends far beyond the crevices of our immediate comprehension, which is a message that Policy 360 hopes to capture. As eponymously implied, the Policy 360 column aims to assess policies from around the world on similar political issues. Through its published pieces, it seeks to expand American-centric narratives and push past geographical boundaries to evaluate global policies that have real consequences on real people.

The first batch of Policy 360 writers has done an incredible job with their work on free speech policies around the globe. From South Africa to Germany to Myanmar, the debut article covers diverse perspectives on six countries across three continents on the topic of free speech. With the tireless support of CPR’s Editor-in-Chief Olivia Choi and Publisher Rachel Barkin, the team is beyond excited to share the first article of its ongoing series with you. We hope it provokes food for thought in you, just as delving into the nuances of these countries’ policies has slaked our political appetites and left us yearning for more as we continue exploring the world with one another, and with you.”

– Ashley Tan, Policy 360 Editor, Columbia College ’23

Policy 360’s inaugural writing and editing team includes:

Senior Editors

Virginia Lo (CC ’23)

Sarah Howard (CC ’22)

Writers

Samuel Braun (CC ’24)

James Hu (CC ’24)

Rohil Sabherwal (CC ’24)

Kaitlyn Saldanha (BC ’24)

Adam Szczepankowski (CC ’24)

Jenna Yuan (CC ’24)