Discussions
Former State Department Negotiator Wendy Sherman Says Trump Should Reverse Its Foreign Policy Approach
Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman criticized what she called a “transactional” approach to foreign policy under the Trump administration at a Harvard Institute of Politics forum Tuesday evening, warning that the world’s authoritarian leaders had been emboldened by the White House.
Tim Walz Says at Harvard Talk That Democrats Need To ‘Fundamentally Change’ To Win in 2028
Former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz said he was “not sure” whether the Democratic Party yet has a viable presidential candidate for the 2028 election at an Institute of Politics forum on Monday — but remained adamant it wouldn’t be him.
Former Irish Prime Minister Relives His Tenure at 2025 Gustav Pollak Lecture
Former Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar said Western countries should give more foreign aid to reduce illegal migration and defended the rise of deportations during his tenure at the 2025 Gustav Pollak Lecture on Thursday.
Women Founders Discuss the Future of Climate and Sustainability at Earth Day Panel
Female leaders in climate and sustainability discussed their initiatives at a Harvard College Women’s Center event in honor of Earth Day on Wednesday.
At Union Event, UC-Riverside Professor Says Harvard Is a Collaborator With Trump
University of California-Riverside Professor Dylan Rodriguez discussed organizing against “enemy institutions” like Harvard under the Trump administration at a Thursday event hosted by the graduate student union’s unofficial Workers’ Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions caucus.
Paleoanthropologist Louise Leakey Talks Turkana Basin Discoveries at Peabody Museum
Paleoanthropologist Louise Leakey, the granddaughter of Mary and Louis Leakey, who first determined that early humans evolved in Africa, presented a history of her family’s research in north Kenya at the Peabody Museum on Thursday.
Jodi Kantor Talks Investigative Journalism at Harvard Law School Discussion
Jodi Kantor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the The New York Times who exposed allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein in 2017, discussed the differences between journalism and legal careers at a Harvard Law School event on Wednesday.
HOOP Organizes Silent Demonstration at Jake Sullivan IOP Forum
Eight Harvard affiliates unfurled banners above the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum to protest former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s role in Israel’s war in Gaza as he spoke at an Institute of Politics forum on Tuesday.
Panelists Condemn Weak International Response to Sudan at IOP Forum
Experts in African politics and international conflict called for renewed attention and a stronger global response to Sudan’s civil war at an Institute of Politics forum on Tuesday, exactly two years after the conflict began.
CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper Honored With 2025 Goldsmith Career Award
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was awarded the 2025 Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism at a ceremony hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy.
Former OCR Head Catherine Lhamon Talks Ed Department Cuts at HGSE
Former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education Catherine E. Lhamon said the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the department will put students at risk at a Harvard Graduate School of Education forum on Tuesday.
‘Be Nice to Allies’: Former Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns Emphasizes Diplomatic Civility at IOP Forum
Former United States Ambassador to China R. Nicholas Burns stressed the importance of maintaining strong relationships with U.S. allies in limiting Chinese global influence at an Institute of Politics forum on Wednesday.
Journalist Connie Chung Lambasts Trump, State of the Media at Harvard Graduate School of Education Talk
Veteran news anchor Connie Chung slammed President Donald Trump and the current state of the media at a Harvard Graduate School of Education event on Sunday.
At IOP Forum, Legacy Protest Leaders Say Younger Protesters Need to Take More Risks in Era of Retribution
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a constitutional law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said protestors need to brace themselves for potential legal consequences at an Institute of Politics forum on Thursday night.
American Actor Jeremy Pope Discusses Queer, Black Identity and Performance at College Event
Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, and Tony-nominated actor Jeremy Pope spoke about identity, his upbringing, and navigating the entertainment industry as a queer Black artist during a talk on Thursday afternoon.
Foreign Affairs Experts Debate Impact of USAID Cuts at Harvard IOP Forum
Harvard's Institute of Politics hosted a panel Tuesday evening on the future of foreign aid following the Trump administration’s plans to eliminate more than 90 percent of the contracts for the United States International Agency for Development.
World Bank President Ajay Banga Talks Jobs and Development at IOP Forum
World Bank President Ajay S. Banga said global development initiatives must prioritize job creation at a Harvard Institute of Politics Forum on Monday.
A Shortcut or a Level Up? Harvard Faculty Debate Generative AI in Academia
Three Harvard faculty members debated whether generative AI would be a useful tool — or a perilous shortcut — in scholarship and teaching at a March 13 panel.
Filmmakers and Activists Talk #StandWithHer Movement at IOP Forum
The panel, which featured Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, reflected on the #StandWithHer movement — a global campaign inspired by Pahuja’s Oscar-nominated film To Kill a Tiger — which highlights women’s security and the role of men in gender equality.
October 7 Attack Survivor Gal Cohen-Solal Recounts Experience to HLS Affiliates
Six days after Gal Cohen-Solal moved to Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel, his home came under attack. After hearing sirens and making plans to leave, Cohen-Solal received a call from his kibbutz’s leader, who told him to stay inside.
Harvard Officials Met With Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Used Info From Online Monitoring System
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 said the University has benefited from Foundation To Combat Antisemitism’s tools to track antisemitism on social media at the annual Harvard Business School Shabbat Dinner with New England Patriots Owner Robert K. Kraft.
Nancy Mace Touts Bipartisanship, Warms To Harvard Students in IOP Visit
The night before Rep. Nancy R. Mace (R-S.C.) came to Harvard, she described its campus as enemy territory. But after her visit, she said her opinion of Harvard students had changed for the better, according to three people who attended her Thursday event at the Institute of Politics.
Rep. Nancy Mace Mocks Harvard Students. And She Can’t Wait To Talk With Them.
One day before Rep. Nancy R. Mace’s planned talk at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, the firebrand South Carolina Republican was still lacing into the University online and in an interview with The Crimson.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Slams Sanctuary Cities as ‘Irresponsible’ at IOP
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas condemned sanctuary cities as “irresponsible” in a Wednesday Institute of Politics forum, criticizing Democratic mayors and governors who refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities.
Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva Describes Her Russian Imprisonment at IOP Forum
After spending more than nine months in a Russian prison for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian military, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva discussed her experience at an Institute of Politics Forum on Tuesday evening.