Commentary

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

Vivian W. Rong sitting on bench outdoors.

Highlighting Harvard Magazine’s Fellows

The 2025-2026 Ledecky and Summer Undergraduate Fellows

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

illustration of a man with backpack approaching a open green lawn with holes in the lawn shaped as thought bubbles with University Hall in the distance the the silhouette of protesters on either side of the building

How Political Tension on Campus Creates Risk Aversion

How overheated political attention warps campus life

by Aden Barton

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AWOL from Academics

Behind students' increasing pull toward extracurriculars

by Aden Barton

A conceptual illustration of a student seated in a classroom facing an imagined image of herself in a different environment with flowers and rocks

Is Pedagogy About Us?

Questioning the intellectual rigor of bringing identity into the classroom

by Isabella Cho

Colorful Geometric Illustration

In Defense of Liberal Arts

A semester abroad clarifies the value of the curriculum back home.

by Sofia Andrade

An illustration of a young woman at an easel, holding a paintbrush and tracing a path while looking out across a landscape of other people following their own path

Uncharted Territory

A recent graduate thinks about what is means to take unconventional paths after Harvard.

by Josie Abugov

The Climate Connection Between Campus and Home

An undergraduate perspective on the gathering crisis

by Sofia Andrade