It was the start of the academic year at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in August 2021.  Nikoli* – a civil servant from Croatia and a mid-career Master in Public Administration (MCMPA) candidate – was already finding it tough to acclimate to a new country amid the pandemic.  She had to relocate, fulfill the Health Services’ […]

Offensive realism, developed by Professor John Mearsheimer at University of Chicago, is the idea that great powers fear each other, and are always looking for opportunities to gain power at the expense of others. They do this to maximize its share of world power, regardless of domestic policy, foreign policy, and ideological differences on both […]

“I have killed many Arabs in my life, and there’s no problem with that.” “When you [Palestinians] were still climbing trees, we had a Jewish state here.” These are the words of current Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, who 282 of our HKS classmates met with last month as part of the HKS Israel Trek. […]

The author made updates to this piece on April 18, 2022. The paragraphs added later are identified with an asterisk at the end. The author would like to acknowledge that the timing of publication coincides with the deadly terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv that have killed 13 Israeli civilans as of March 22nd. While this […]

Technology allows stories to be truly interactive. Yet the efforts of creative and experimental authors too often remain obscure. The start of a story is a leap into the unknown. Familiar rituals ease us into that uncertainty- the texture of paper, a book spine creaking, perhaps the comforting weight of a tablet reader. We rest […]

The Africa Policy Journal team was excited and honored to host Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the Africa Policy Journal Fireside Chat. The event, held on Friday, March 25, 2022, was held in collaboration with the Harvard University Center for African Studies. Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka spoke on a range of issues, from expanding women’s civil and political participation, to her experiences […]

Mandla Isaacs is an Edward Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he is currently pursuing a Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration, Public Policy and Management. He hails from South Africa. In this #APJChat, he speaks with the APJ’s Lead Interview Editor, Noah Asfaw, about his journey to Harvard, his perspectives on public service […]

As I sat reading a book on a park bench in Cambridge Commons, a beautiful green space outside of Harvard University’s campus, a man experiencing homelessness began walking toward me, looking quizzically. He sat on the bench next to me and asked, “Do you go to Harvard?” I told him that I do. He explained […]

APJ Online Editor Shambhavi Singh speaks with Soud Hyder, Founder of Chap-chap Go, about his transition to building his company and advice for other African entrepreneurs interested in digital entrepreneurship, on this edition of the #APJChat

The COVID-19 pandemic and the health inequities it revealed strengthened the case for universal health coverage (UHC), a discussion that was already topical pre-pandemic, with many countries in sub-Saharan Africa launching health insurance schemes as their vehicles for achieving UHC. Although there are success stories from countries like Rwanda, questions have been raised about the […]

In this #APJChat, Africa Policy Journal Editor-In-Chief Ada Ezeokoli speaks with Claude Grunitzky, CEO and Managing Partner of The Equity Alliance Fund, and Founder of TRUE Africa, about his journey as a serial entrepreneur, and what he hopes to contribute to building Africa’s future.

In this Africa Policy Journal Fireside Chat, Public Policy and African Studies Lecturer, Prof. Zoe Marks of the Harvard Kennedy School, explores the role of agriculture, technology, and entrepreneurship in harnessing the potential of Africa’s young people, in conversation with Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Chilima, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. Dr. Chilima has […]