University News | October 14, 2011

Fareed Zakaria named 2012 Harvard Commencement speaker

The international affairs expert, writer, and television host holds a Harvard Ph.D. in government.

Fareed Zakaria

International affairs expert Fareed Zakaria will be the principal speaker at Harvard's 361st Commencement, the University announced today.

Zakaria earned a Ph.D. in government from Harvard in 1993. A prolific writer, he has been an editor at Time magazine, Newsweek's international edition, and Foreign Affairs. His books include The Post-American World, The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad, and From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role. He is the host of the CNN international-affairs program GPS. Esquire magazine has called him "the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation."

In the official announcement, President Drew Faust called him "an unusually creative and incisive thinker in the realm of international affairs."

Zakaria will speak at the Afternoon Exercises—the annual meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association—which in 2012 take place on May 24.

Related topics

University News

You might also like

Two mounted pheasants displayed on a stand against a gray background.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Massachusetts Hall under a clear blue sky, showcasing a prominent clock and large windows.

Government Seeks to Move Funding Case to Contracts Court

In a new appellate brief, the Trump administration shifts its argument for rescinding Harvard’s grants.

Picketers holding signs march outside the Smith Campus Center, advocating for labor rights.

Harvard Graduate Student Workers Strike

Union demands higher pay, protections for non-citizen members, and changes to the harassment complaint process.

Most popular

Illustration of diverse healthcare professionals around a central medical cross symbol.

AI Outperforms Doctors in Emergency Room Tasks, New Harvard Study Shows

Researchers say the technology could help physicians with triage, diagnosis.

Two men in professional attire, one speaking at a microphone, the other gesturing while talking.

Why Is Silicon Valley Turning Conservative?

At the Harvard Kennedy School, Van Jones analyzes how Democrats lost the tech industry’s vote.

Massachusetts Hall under a clear blue sky, showcasing a prominent clock and large windows.

Government Seeks to Move Funding Case to Contracts Court

In a new appellate brief, the Trump administration shifts its argument for rescinding Harvard’s grants.

Explore More From Current Issue

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard in the Crosshairs

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Illustration of two students in Harvard hoodies, one speaking animatedly to a phone, the other reading, looking annoyed.

Undergraduate Column

We’re All Harvard Influencers, Like It or Not

In the digital age, it’s hard to avoid playing into the mythology.

A woman in glasses gestures while speaking to two attentive listeners at a table.

How to Cook with Wild Plants

From wild greens spanakopita to rose petal panna cotta, forager and chef Ellen Zachos makes one-of-a-kind meals.