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.

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.

You might also like

Modern building surrounded by trees and a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Harvard will rename the building following a $100 million gift from Stuart Zimmer ’91.

Construction site featuring tall concrete structures, cranes, and a blue sky with clouds.

Pritzker Hall, designed for collaboration, should be complete in 2027.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

Most popular

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Three smiling individuals in business attire, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Soccer player and goalkeeper Matt Freese standing in front of the net

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Explore More From Current Issue

Singer performing on stage with a guitar, wearing a hat, and surrounded by band instruments.

Arts & Culture

Singer Elisa Smith’s whiskey-soaked voice and subversive feminism is part of the genre’s urban shift.

Harvey Mansfield seated in a bright yellow chair, surrounded by bookshelves and cozy decor.

Faculty

The retired government professor has been a rare conservative voice on campus for decades.

Undergraduate Column

For both American and international students, growing up is like learning a new language.