6.5.2008

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Kennedy School Class Day address

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, M.P.A. '71, of Liberia, Africa's first elected female president, delivers the 2008 graduation address at the Harvard Kennedy School...

Listen to the live audio recording.

1. Kennedy School dean David Ellwood introduces President Sirleaf.

2. Graduation Address

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, M.P.A. '71, of Liberia, Africa's first elected female president, delivers the 2008 graduation address at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Most popular

Illustration of college students running under a large red "MAGA" hat while others look on with some skeptisim.

How MAGA Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

A bronze sculpture of intertwined hands in a park, with a discussion panel in the foreground.

Is the Constitution Broken?

Harvard legal scholars debate the state of our founding national document.

Student walking under bright stage lights shaped like smartphones displaying social media apps.

Two Years of Doxxing at Harvard

What happens when students are publicly named and shamed for their views?

Explore More From Current Issue

Man, standing in small group of people outside the courthouse, holding a sign that reads "HANDS OFF HARVARD" in red letters

Harvard’s Standoff

Harvard’s Summer in Court

What Columbia’s settlement means for the University

Illustration of scientists injecting large syringe with mitochondria into human heart.

Research

Do Mitochondria Hold the Power to Heal?

From Alzheimer’s to cancer, this tiny organelle might expand treatment options.

Vivian W. Rong sitting on bench outdoors.

Undergraduate Column

Highlighting Harvard Magazine’s Fellows

The 2025-2026 Ledecky and Summer Undergraduate Fellows