Commentary

In-depth perspectives and critical analysis from faculty, editors, and readers on public affairs, higher education, and Harvard’s evolving mission.

James Muller in white lab coat leaning on railing in hospital hallway.

Free Speech, the Bomb—and Donald Trump

A Harvard cardiologist on the unlikely alliances that shaped a global movement to prevent nuclear war

Harvard Medical School

At Risk

Severe threats to Harvard’s finances—and academic mission—in the new political landscape

Illustration suggesting how technologies may influence undergraduate writing

“AI Anxiety”

The Undergraduate on the uneasy collision of technology and writing

by Serena Jampel

Supersonic test pilot Chuck Yeager

Essays from Edward Tenner

Essayist Edward Tenner on technology’s pitfalls

Cambridge 02138

Correspondence about caregiving, football, feminism, free speech, and more

The Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial at sunset, with stone sculptures, commemorative plaques, and flags among bare trees.

“The World Right Now Cannot Afford Indifference”

Lawrence S. Bacow represents Harvard at the Auschwitz Liberation Observance.

by Lawrence S. Bacow

Who Should Define Campus Free Speech?

Skirmishing about what it means to protest

The facade of Widener Library with columns and steps with blue sky and trees

Silent Study-Ins

Harvard library protests challenge University regulations.

by Max J. Krupnick

Time To Stand Up

For an Asian American woman, performing comedy is about much more than jokes.  

by Catherine Yeo

Person seated under a tree in a garden with a view of distant hills and a blue sky.

Villa I Tatti: How Donors Influence Harvard's Art, Culture, and Academic Experiences

How gifts shape student experiences, in often unseen ways

by Serena Jampel

Colorful metal chairs arranged in a circle on the grass under trees in Harvard Yard. Red brick buildings in the background.

Quiet Conversations that Defined Harvard During a Viral Year

The quiet conversations that defined Harvard during a viral year

by Isabella Cho