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

Farmers often have to travel several hours to reach a village market like this one, in King’ori, Tanzania.

Calestous Juma promotes African agriculture

Calestous Juma sees agricultural innovation as a catalyst to promote development.

by Elizabeth Gudrais

Video: award-winning public-service ads designed to scare smokers into quitting

View ads from Massachusetts and Armenia designed to scare smokers into quitting.

Harvard Business School revises M.B.A. curriculum

Beyond case-method classes at Harvard Business School

Bernardo Flores, Rafael Tapajós, and Hannah Horowitz ’11 learn how to analyze data gathered from a weather balloon under the supervision of Professor Steven Wofsy

Harvard scholars study the Amazon rainforest under global climate change

Students grapple with the fate of the rainforest in a changing climate.

by Jonathan Shaw

Kermit "Kim" Roosevelt in 1950

Brief life of Harvard CIA agent who helped install the shah of Iran

Brief life of a Harvard conspirator: 1916-2000

by Gwen Kinkead

When poverty is defined as living on $1.25 or less a day, about 40 percent of both Ethiopians and Uzbekistanis are considered poor. But by multidimensional measures that capture living standards, almost 90 percent of Ethiopians live in poverty, while only a small percentage of Uzbekistanis do.

Amartya Sen proposes a measure of poverty that looks beyond income

A multidimensional poverty index, based on the ideas of Amartya Sen, reveals a different map of the world's poor.

The Radcliffe Institute’s “Why Books?” conference

The Radcliffe Institute’s “Why Books?” conference touches on a timely theme.

by Spencer Lee Lenfield

Harvard humanities center endowed

Securing a hub for interdisciplinary discourse

Can an HIV-infected person safely have a child with an uninfected partner?

Can an HIV-infected person safely have a child with an uninfected partner? Harvard scholars highlight a new approach.

Slide show: a reporter's notebook from travels in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya

A reporter's notebook from travels in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya