I was born to a pastoralist Dinka family in South Sudan, and grew up herding cows along the Nile River all year round. As a typical Dinka boy growing up in that part of the world, my life would have continued along that path. However, once the civil war started, the entire country was torn […]

We asked a group of mid-career students from different parts of the world what they find most surprising and/or interesting about Americans and American culture.  We asked them to be very direct, which spurred an interesting and colorful conversation.  The views expressed are meant to inspire dialogue and openness within the Harvard Kennedy School community. […]

Some Harvard Kennedy School professors are in need of remedial training in the theory and practice of teaching and learning. This is the clear and concerning take-away from the recent analysis of course evaluations carried out by the HKS Progressive Caucus.

By Neil Gundavda When Golden Tate and M.D. Jennings “simultaneously” caught Seattle rookie Russell Wilson’s hail-mary pass on Monday Night Football a couple of weeks ago, the reaction was uproarious. Fans called for the heads of replacement officials. The sportscasters at ESPN, America’s (least) favorite sports-entertainment media monopoly, were flabbergasted.

As we HKS students crack our books and begin to think about midterms and papers, our mentors and professors are living double or triple lives. Even as they educate us for a brighter tomorrow, they wheel and deal behind the scenes of the biggest political campaigns in America and the world. Just the other day, […]

By Jon Murad Once you’ve been here for a while, you’ll eventually see them: the black SUVs parked in the Kennedy School Quad, with their flashing red and blue lights, and the taciturn men in dark suits with earpieces and Oakleys. And we’ve all noticed the Very Important People who occasion this swirl of pomp […]

By Karly Schledwitz You’ve probably seen that Indian guy with big headphones around his neck walking in the courtyard. He might have even talked to you in the forum during election week or maybe you heard about his campaign from a friend. Now that Rohit Malhotra has been elected as KSSG President, The Citizen sat […]

This year’s election for Student Government (KSSG) President sparked a debate over campaign spending rules and general HKS Elections Committee processes. The Elections Committee bylaws state that candidates running for President of KSSG are not allowed to exceed a budget of $100 on campaign materials. As such, all candidates are required to submit financial disclosure […]

By Amy Antonelli“We are here,” began Dean David Ellwood, “to hear and to honor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is indeed one of the great figures of our time.” So commenced the 2012 Godkin Lecture in the JFK Forum on Sept. 27, as the HKS community welcomed with an emotional standing ovation the revered Nobel […]

By Irene Shih For this year’s opening Citizen issue, I’d like to tackle the myth of being “too busy.” If you are reading my column right now (which of course you are), I congratulate you on finding the time between class, social events and procrastination to skim this first paragraph. First-year students, especially, are suffering […]

As a native Bostonian, I am often asked, “Where are the cool places to hang?” and “What are the fun things to do?” In the spirit of service, I offer this advice about how to pop out of the Kennedy School bubble and serve yourself all that Boston and New England have to offer.

‘There are only two Americans in this shot. Try to guess who. The other countries represented include Greece, Canada, Japan, Kazakstan, France and a Native American tribe. Love this place.’- This caption – which is for a photograph John Lee, MC/MPA ‘13, posted on Facebook.com showing fellow students sitting down for a meal of lobster […]