On any given week, Harvard’s campus is host to lectures, exhibitions, and seminars highlighting research by faculty and students conducting their work around the globe. A network of international offices for Harvard Business School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and University interfaculty initiatives maintains Harvard’s presence beyond its geographical boundaries, extending its footprint to almost every continent. As we recently learned, Harvard research extends even to the frigid reach of the South Pole.
Worldwide Week at Harvard aims to shine a bright light on this international work.
Starting with its kickoff event Friday, Engaging the World: Harvard College International Opportunities Fair, and continuing through Oct. 12, Harvard Schools, departments, research centers, student organizations, and administrative offices will host more than 50 events showcasing the breadth and depth of Harvard’s global engagement. Worldwide Week, now in its third year, provides a chance for the entire University community to participate in conversations about Harvard’s work worldwide, and draws attention to the inherently international nature of the research and teaching enterprise today. Events this year consider multiple perspectives, diverse voices, and cross-discipline conversations.
This focus was inspired by the call to action included in the recommendations from the Report of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Incorporating these prompts was critical, according to Mark Elliott, vice provost for international affairs, because, “It was important for us to encourage our colleagues to keep in mind the [taskforce] recommendations as we celebrate the robust opportunities for international research and study presently available to our community at Harvard. As this year’s program comes together, we are thrilled to acknowledge and showcase those whose voices and perspectives are not always represented here at Harvard, or in academia more broadly.”
To advance this call to action, an information session hosted by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging will be offered on Oct. 10, providing details about grant funding opportunities available to all members of the Harvard community through the Culture Lab Innovation Fund.