Research & Ideas

Discover Harvard research, scholarship, and ideas shaping the world—from science and technology to policy, education, and the humanities.

A man with glasses, wearing a black suit and white shirt, smiling against a dark background.

Jason Furman: Capitalism Is Working. It Could Work Better.

On Open to Debate, the Harvard economist defended free market competition—with meaningful government involvement. 

by Schuyler Velasco

Joseph Nye, former Dean of Harvard Kennedy School and leading political scientist

Mark Carney on the Limits of Soft Power

At the 2026 Davos summit, the Canadian prime minister echoes Harvard’s Joseph Nye.

by Olivia Farrar

Dick Friedman, longstanding contributing editor to Harvard Magazine,

Five Questions with Dick Friedman

Harvard Magazine’s longstanding football editor reflects on his career in journalism.

by Dick Friedman

Freddy Guevara, a Venezuelan opposition leader and a visiting fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Harvard Scholars Discuss Venezuela After Maduro

A Harvard Kennedy School panel unpacks the nation’s oil sector, economy, and democratic hopes.

by Olivia Farrar

A portrait of Harvard faculty member Willy Shih

Five Questions with Willy Shih

A Harvard Business School professor unpacks the economics of semiconductors.

by Olivia Farrar

Modern glass building with reflective windows and trees, clear blue sky above.

U.S. Appeals Court Preserves NIH Research Funding

The court made permanent an injunction preventing caps on reimbursement for overhead costs.

by Jonathan Shaw

Smiling man in a checkered shirt poses outdoors with greenery in the background.

Sam Liss to Head Harvard’s Office for Technology Development

Technology licensing and corporate partnerships are an important source of revenue for the University.

by Jonathan Shaw

A vintage compass with cardinal directions marked in black and white.

Harvard Magazine Questionnaire: Law in a Lifeboat

Moral philosophers, legal experts, and generations of Harvard students have debated this Victorian-era cannibalism case. Now it’s your turn. 

Anne Neal Petri in a navy suit leans on a wooden chair against an exterior wall of Mount Vernon..

Mount Vernon, Historic Preservation, and American Politics

Anne Neal Petri promotes George Washington and historic literacy.

by Nell Porter-Brown

Man in a suit holding a pen, smiling, seated at a desk with a soft background.

A Congenial Voice in Japanese-American Relations

Takashi Komatsu spent his life building bridges. 

Evolutionary progression from primates to humans in a colorful illustration.

Why Humans Walk on Two Legs

Research highlights our evolutionary ancestors’ unique pelvis.

by David Kohn