Announcements

By Jeffrey S. Flier and Steven A. Pinker, Contributing Opinion Writers The publication of the joint statement by Harvard Palestine solidarity groups, the open letter to the Harvard community signed by several hundred Harvard faculty and scholars, and the op-ed in The Crimson by our colleagues Melani Cammett, Ryan D. Enos, and Steven Levitsky offer us an opportunity to clarify…Continue Reading Academic Freedom Prohibits Censorship and Punishment, Not Judgment

By Melani Cammett, Ryan D. Enos, and Steven Levitsky, Contributing Opinion Writers Hamas’ horrific terrorist attacks on Israel and Israel’s brutal ongoing assault on Gaza have opened emotional wounds and divided our community. We must not make matters worse by creating an atmosphere in which vulnerable students are demonized by those in power, afraid to share their…Continue Reading Don’t Bully Students With Dissenting Views. Protect Them.

Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University, has been awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for her work identifying drivers of gender differences in the labor market, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced today. Read more at the Harvard Gazette…….Continue Reading Claudia Goldin awarded Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences

These women say their babies were stillborn. Courts convicted them of homicide in a country with harsh abortion lawsBy Catherine E. Shoichet, CNNPublished 4:00 AM EDT, Sun October 8, 2023 ….It’s been 25 years since El Salvador made abortion illegal in all circumstances, eliminating any exceptions. And it’s been nearly as long since lawmakers passed…Continue Reading Jocelyn Viterna’s research featured in CNN Report

One produces richly detailed interpretations of Black America’s past and present, the other pathbreaking technologies that further understanding of gene expression. Today, two professors in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences were named as recipients of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s 2023 “genius grant.” Imani Perry, the Henry A. Morss Jr. and…Continue Reading Imani Perry, Jason Buenrostro land MacArthur ‘genius grants’

Why not?” asked Claudine Gay, Harvard’s 30th president, in her inauguration address, reaffirming the University’s commitment to the hard work of cutting-edge exploration and deep engagement with global challenges. But first, it was time to celebrate…. Read more at the Harvard Gazette…Continue Reading New president, new year, new directions

By Mahzarin Banaji and Frank Dobbin (WSJ, Sept. 17, 2023 10:00 am ET) At least 30 states are considering legislation to defund DEI initiatives in public universities and state agencies. At the same time, conservative activists, emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions, are suing companies to stop DEI initiatives. These challenges come on the heels…Continue Reading Why DEI Training Doesn’t Work—and How to Fix It

Harvard Economics professor Raj Chetty ’00 discussed the role that privilege and wealth play in elite college admissions at a Harvard Graduate School of Education event Tuesday afternoon. Admissions officials, undergraduates, and College staff flooded Longfellow Hall to hear Chetty present research from his latest paper, which was released in July through Opportunity Insights, a…Continue Reading Raj Chetty ’00 Talks Wealth and Elite College Admissions …

The U.S. Constitution desperately needs updating, say Harvard government professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. “We have a very, very old constitution; in fact, the oldest written constitution in the world,” notes Ziblatt, the Eaton Professor of the Science of Government. “It was written in a pre-democratic era. It hasn’t been amended much compared to other…Continue Reading ‘Tyranny of the Minority’ warns Constitution is dangerously outdated

One of the most influential books of the Trump years was “How Democracies Die” by the Harvard government professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Published in 2018, it served as a guide to our unfolding ordeal. “Over the past two years, we have watched politicians say and do things that are unprecedented in the United…Continue Reading The Authors of ‘How Democracies Die’ Overestimated the Republicans