Nation & World

Facing the drawdown of U.S. forces and the run-up to next year’s presidential election, Afghanistan has reached a critical moment in its troubled history.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s massive gathering of Hindu pilgrims, ended in March. But for Harvard researchers across disciplines, the festival and the tent city it spawned continue to yield lessons in everything from big data to urban planning.

Harvard graduate student Sakura Christmas is drawn to a tumultuous time in the history of northern China, when invasion, migration, and culture change altered the lives of traditional people forever.

Author James Carroll and Harvard Divinity School professor Francis Clooney explored the significance of the Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio’s selection as pope, the potential challenges he faces as the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, and the direction for the church in the years and decades to come.

A group of experts dedicated to grappling with the themes outlined in the Constitution gathered for an afternoon panel discussion at Harvard Law School to explore the importance of civics education.

After six years of work, Harvard Kennedy School Professor John Ruggie has developed United Nations-approved guidelines to ensure businesses respect the human rights of those they interact with around the world.

During a historic visit to Hong Kong and South Korea, Harvard President Drew Faust presided over an array of academic activities and alumni events.

Harvard Center Shanghai provides programming support, local expertise, and meeting space for Harvard researchers, students, and alumni in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

Jon Favreau, who recently stepped down after several years as President Obama’s head speechwriter, took a Harvard Kennedy School audience on a behind-the-scenes tour of the president’s best-known addresses.

Members of human rights organizations gathered at Harvard Law School to reflect on the lasting impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Carl Kay, president of the Harvard Club of Japan, reflects on a career in which his undergraduate concentration in Japanese studies led to a business helping U.S. companies gain a foothold in Japan.

Inspired by Harvard College, Trinity College Dublin will pilot a holistic model for admissions.

Speaking in South Korea at the conclusion of a five-day visit to Asia, Harvard President Drew Faust urged greater educational opportunities for women.

Harvard College and Graduate School of Design alumnus Paul Tange is changing skylines across Asia through the work of his Tokyo-based architecture firm, Tange Associates.

Daniel Koss, a doctoral student in Harvard’s Government Department, has spent nearly a year in China, studying how such a large, diverse nation could remain intact through decades of warfare, revolution, and unrest, and emerge to wield growing influence on the global stage.

Opening a weeklong visit to Asia, Harvard President Drew Faust on Monday called knowledge “the most important currency of the 21st century,” highlighting faculty research, student engagement, and online learning as central to Harvard’s global strategy.

During remarks at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, addressed ways to combat violence in schools.

Former dropout and wild child L. Todd Rose, an unconventional learner, is blazing new trails at the Ed School and has written a book about his journey, called “Square Peg.”

Daniel Koss, a doctoral student in Harvard’s Government Department, has spent nearly a year in China, studying how such a large, diverse nation could remain intact through decades of warfare, revolution, and unrest, and emerge to wield growing influence on the global stage.

After Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on Wednesday, Harvard analysts weighed in on what his selection, as the Vatican’s first Jesuit and first South American leader, could mean for the future of the Roman Catholic Church.

The fourth annual Harvard African Development Conference drew experts from across disciplines and the world for a snapshot of innovation in “the continent of the future.”

: The United States must do more to help its newest generation of veterans reintegrate by capitalizing on their desire to serve, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said at a panel event in honor of Harvard’s veterans.

U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, the House majority leader, embraced immigration reform, education changes, and medical research funding during a speech at the Harvard Kennedy School.

With a New England winter storm as an ironic counterpoint, a delegation of Senegalese officials arrived at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics Friday. In the lead was Macky…

Panel discusses “Forum on Food Labeling: Putting the Label on the Table,” in a presentation by the Harvard Food Law Society.

A new project at Harvard’s Pakistan Innovation Network brings professors and their research to students, activists, and entrepreneurs across South Asia via video conferencing, making possible connections that could spark social change.

Harvard anthropology doctoral student Nicolas Sternsdorff Cisterna is living in Japan to study food safety and how people make decisions to keep their families safe following the nuclear meltdown.

Andrew Young — minister, activist, politician, and diplomat — reflected during a Harvard appearance on the battles of the American civil rights era, and on the economic problems that remain.

Two political philosophers explored the role of religion in public life during a discussion sponsored by the nonprofit organization The Veritas Forum.

Harvard Kennedy School’s Indonesia Program is using a combination of faculty research, student backing, and direct engagement with Indonesia’s elected officials to learn about and support the sprawling island nation’s democratic efforts.