Nation & World

All Nation & World

  • What ‘The Prize’ taught Newark, and its author

    Harvard EdCast interviews Dale Russakoff, author of “The Prize.” The Washington Post reporter, who looked at the troubled education reform story of Newark, N.J., reflected on what can be learned from its failure to provide system-wide reform.

  • Measuring assimilation

    U.S. immigrants today are assimilating as quickly or quicker than past generations of immigrants, according to a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

  • Pope brings ‘Francis effect’ to U.S.

    Harvard Divinity School faculty will attend two of Pope Francis’ stops during his six-day visit to the United States Sept. 22-27.

  • Learning about learning: Creating a connection

    A newly integrated HarvardX and HILT research effort will probe residential and online learning, and the places in between.

  • MOOCs on the move

    As MOOCs grow in influence and sophistication, they’re no longer simply reimagined in a Harvard classroom or even in a nearby studio. Recently, transforming a residential course — going digital via HarvardX — included filming in far-flung Rwanda and Haiti.

  • That first draft of history

    Longtime CBS News reporter and now Shorenstein Center Fellow Bob Schieffer reflects on his 50-year career covering politics.

  • Straight dealing

    As Congress prepares to vote on a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program, Harvard Kennedy School experts consider its merits and shortcomings and look to what’s next.

  • The Venice connection

    Collaborative summer study program between Harvard and Venetian university marks its 10th year.

  • China syndrome

    HBS’ Dante Roscini explains China’s stock market crash and how investors worldwide are recalibrating the country’s once go-go future.

  • In Peru, progress against TB

    A branch of Partners In Health in Peru has reduced the number of deaths from multidrug-resistant TB through a system of careful protocols.

  • The maturing of MOOCs

    In a question-and-answer session, the researchers behind the edX platform reflect on the risks, rewards, and changes in online learning.

  • Study identifies new cheating method in MOOCs

    Researchers from MIT and Harvard have identified a new cheating method in MOOCs, and they suggest how to protect course certification.

  • Airing it out

    Harvard Law School’s Peter Carfagna breaks down the seemingly endless, ongoing legal battle over deflated NFL footballs.

  • A hard look at war’s reparations

    A Harvard study of Colombia’s civil war reparations program says it is the largest of its kind and well-received by the population, but may be too big for its own good.

  • Iran steps back

    Matthew Bunn, a nuclear policy expert at the Harvard Kennedy School, evaluates the restrictive nuclear deal announced between Iran and a U.S.-led coalition.

  • ‘One for the ages’

    The landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding gay marriage nationally is “one for the ages,” a Harvard legal analyst said, a judgment echoed by others.

  • New face for the $10 bill

    Three Harvard scholars talk about the role of symbolism in the announcement that a woman will replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill.

  • The art of political persuasion

    New political science research says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, political attitudes are a consequence of political actions, rather than their cause.

  • A blessing to slow climate change

    Scholars in theology, policy, and science weigh in on the pope’s call for sweeping action against climate change.

  • Insights on where we learn

    Four-day Harvard conference focuses on academic spaces, and how to improve them.

  • A clearer role for MOOCs

    Online courses are unlikely to take over higher education, says Lawrence Bacow, member of the Harvard Corporation and former president of Tufts University, but they can help revitalize learning.

  • Ready to change the world

    Lauren A. Taylor, who arrived at Harvard Divinity School in 2012 with a book contract and a desire to delve into global health partnerships, wants to change the public discourse around health care.

  • EdX marks the spot

    Harvard’s online courses evolve, as hybrid models effectively continue to mix remote learning with on-campus interaction.

  • Reflections on the Marshall Plan

    Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reflects on predecessor George C. Marshall’s Commencement address at Harvard in 1947, which extended America’s hand to a battered Europe and, in so doing, helped to create a stable postwar order and an inclusive, long-term U.S. foreign policy.

  • Medal of Honor moment

    Three recipients of the nation’s highest military award ― all Vietnam veterans ― toured Harvard’s Memorial Church during a visit on May 8.

  • Europe’s calmer side

    A Harvard Summer School course will take a novel approach to European history, examining centuries of violence through the lens of peace.

  • Uncertain forecast for Social Security

    A new study has found that the financial health of Social Security, the program millions of Americans have relied on for decades as a crucial part of their income, has been dramatically overstated.

  • The modern Buddhist minister

    The conference “Education and Buddhist Ministry: Whither — and Why?” was held at the Harvard Divinity School and marked a new undertaking for its Buddhist Ministry Initiative.

  • ‘Destruction across the city’

    Lara Phillips, a Harvard Medical School instructor in emergency medicine, was in Nepal during the April 25 earthquake that devastated Kathmandu and other areas. She and colleagues have traveled from the high-mountain clinic where they worked to offer assistance.

  • The women who questioned Wall Street

    A trio of Wall Street’s toughest critics talks about gender and taking on what’s been called America’s ultimate boys’ club.