Zhenye (Ryan) Pan

Zhenye (Ryan) Pan '24 (he/him/his)

Program: MIA

Concentration: International Finance and Economic Policy

Specialization: Technology, Media, and Communications

Hometown: San Francisco, CA, US/ Guangdong, China

Zhenye (Ryan) Pan (He/him/his) is a second-year MIA student concentrating in International Finance and Economic Policy (IFEP) and specializing in Technology, Media, and Communications (TMaC). Prior to Columbia SIPA, Ryan graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a major in Global Studies. Born in Guangdong, China, Ryan moved to San Francisco at the age of 19. The city's vibrant tech industry and regional inequality motivated him to pursue his studies to understand the uneven development of technology and globalization. Four years of rigorous academic training at City College of San Francisco and UCLA gave him a strong foundation in research analysis and critical thinking while encouraging him to pursue policy-making skills at Columbia in sound technology and economic policy that can benefit our world and society. 

Ryan has gained professional experience in digital technology in the private, NGO, and IGO sectors. He served as a writing & editing intern in the Digital Media Engagement team of the Veterans Affairs for six months. Then, worked as a content analyst in a tech consulting firm with Google as his client for a year. During SIPA, Ryan served Access Now as a UN Advocacy Consultant working with the Government of Switzerland to support international human rights online. He also interned overseas at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Secretariat at the UN Office at Geneva. Recently, Ryan has held an internship with the Digital Government Branch at UNDESA supporting the biennial UN E-Government Survey Project for 193 countries. In his free time, Ryan enjoy reading, listening to music, cooking, and watching shows.. and also loves singing!