Founded in 2019, Columbia Academics in Foreign Affairs (CAFA) is a student-led organization of researchers, journalists, and academic creatives dedicated to illuminating international affairs beyond the headlines. CAFA meets weekly to examine pressing global issues — including foreign policy decision-making, democratic backsliding, global conflict, judicial politics, and human rights — drawing insights primarily from non-Western sources and scholarly institutions. Our goal is to ground our analysis in diverse perspectives and local expertise.

CAFA’s discussions are translated into thoughtful, student-written pieces in the Undergraduate Journal of Foreign Affairs, an online publication featuring lively, expressive blogs that provide nuanced analysis of regional developments and their broader global implications.

Since 2024, CAFA has also contributed to CAFA from the Source, a column published in partnership with the Columbia Political Review. In addition, CAFA holds an electoral vote and maintains close collaboration with the Columbia International Relations Council & Association (CIRCA).

Each academic year, CAFA welcomes a cohort of student representatives who assume roles across geographic regions and thematic areas. For the 2025–2026 academic year, representatives are covering:

• Regions: Central America, South America, Western Europe, East Asia-Pacific, Middle East & North Africa, South & Southeast Asia, East Africa, West Africa.

• Themes: Health Security, Gender Equity, Climate Challenges, Peace & Conflict, Nuclear & Technology, and Economic Policy.

Together, CAFA members strive to foster a more inclusive, informed, and locally grounded understanding of global affairs.