The SIPA Pan-Afican Network (SPAN) is a student group based in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. SPAN provides an informal community of support and provides a platform for students interested in the economic, political, and social development of Africa and its Diaspora. SPAN organizes events throughout the year related to various topics of relevance to Africa. These range from cultural events, such as bi-annual Taste of Africa, to educational conferences, such as the African Economic Forum. We encourage anyone with an interest to join SPAN and participate in our events. SPAN is open an open membership group with SIPA students from diverse backgrounds, interests, and disciplines (economic and political development; human rights; economic policy; environmental policy; security policy; media, etc).