Two HKS research centers to join forces, increase focus on social sector

Two of Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) leading research centers will join forces. HKS Dean David T. Ellwood has announced that the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations will become the Hauser Institute for Civil Society and will reside within the Center for Public Leadership (CPL), effective July 1.

The merger will offer an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen focus on the social sector in the U.S. and overseas, enriching research in civil society and leadership while also helping to build a steady flow of talented, well-prepared students for the social sector. Nearly a quarter of Harvard Kennedy School graduates now enter the nonprofit field and many more have a keen interest in it.

The co-directors of CPL, Professors Max Bazerman and David Gergen, will lead the new enterprise. Christine Letts, the Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at HKS who currently serves as acting director of Hauser, will serve this coming year as senior adviser.

“The integration of the Hauser Institute within the Center for Public Leadership will ensure the continuation of successful programs and initiatives focused on leadership, as well as the advancement of scholarship and teaching related to the well-being of citizens and communities,” said Harvard University President Drew Faust.