News

Speaking to the moment.

March 26, 2024

Tarek MasoudIt’s not enough to talk about having difficult conversations about difficult subjects; scholars and students have to persist when things get uncomfortable. That’s been the guiding principle behind Middle East Dialogues, a series of Kennedy School events focused on the Israel-Hamas war that began in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

Organized by Tarek Masoud, Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Governance and faculty director of the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School, the series hosts Israeli, Palestinian, and American scholars, activists, and political figures sharing different viewpoints on a conflict that has fueled tensions on campus and around the world. Masoud’s choice of guests, including former Trump adviser Jared Kushner and controversial Palestinian scholar Dalal Saeb Iriqat, has drawn criticism from some.

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It may be neither higher nor intelligence. Religious scholars examine value, limits of AI.

March 15, 2024

Greg EpsteinA large crowd gathered in a small Bavarian town in Germany last year to take part in a Protestant church service done almost entirely by artificial intelligence. The ceremony featured sermons, prayers, and music, courtesy of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, which were delivered by four avatars displayed on a screen near the pulpit. The experiment drew mixed reviews: Some detected a lack of authenticity, while others were enthusiastic about AI’s potential to make services accessible and inclusive.

According to Greg Epstein, “If religious and secular people aren’t careful, what artificial intelligence is promising or threatening to do is really supersede religion or outpace it”.

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Share your input on OEDIB's upcoming website redesign

March 11, 2024

A side profile image of John Harvard Statue from Harvard YardThe Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging is in the process of an ongoing website redesign project. Over the last 12+ months, we’ve gathered community input through focus groups, meetings, and surveys.

With your input driving our updates, we are nearing the final phase of the redesign and want to make you aware of some upcoming changes.

Over the next week, we will be reorganizing the site with the goal of simplifying navigation for visitors based on your feedback. This includes changes to navigation menus and reorganization of some content.

You will also notice that certain content for faculty, staff, students, and researchers will require a Harvard Key login, protecting the privacy and safety of all community members. Alumni can get information on how to claim their Key by visiting the Harvard Alumni Association website.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to review all OEDIB content and webpages. During this time, we encourage you to share your thoughts, ideas, and input about how we can improve the website and your online experience. Harvard community members can share their perspectives via this form; those without a Harvard login can reach out by email.

We will continue to provide progress updates online, via the OEDIB newsletter, and during meetings with community members. If you have urgent questions or concerns, please email us at edib@harvard.edu.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to create a more welcoming, useful, and accessible website for the entire Harvard community.

12 win Harvard Culture Lab awards to advance inclusion and belonging

February 28, 2024

Harvard University Widener Library with students walking on the front lawn and sitting on steps leading up to the library.The Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging announced 12 teams as grant recipients for the 2023–24 Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund.

This year’s recipients include community members from across Harvard’s Schools and units, fulfilling the first grant requirement to work as a team and address critical challenges in equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging together.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/02/12-win-harvard-culture-lab-awards-to-advance-inclusion-and-belonging/

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Chaplains Discuss Being a ‘Good Neighbor’ at Harvard Dialogues Panel

January 24, 2024

A man wearing a Kippah addresses a crowd.

Five Harvard chaplains discussed the importance of dialogue and listening to opposing viewpoints amid ongoing tensions on campus in the wake of violence in the Middle East at a Tuesday panel.

The panel, titled “What it Means to Be a Good Neighbor,” was held at the Smith Campus Center as part of Harvard Dialogues, a University-wide initiative to promote the “ability to engage in respectful and robust debate.” The series — which includes workshops and discussions for Harvard affiliates — began last Friday and will run through the end of this week.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/24/chaplains-harvard-dialogues-panel/

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Mitt Romney on what really matters

January 23, 2024

Mans stands in front of a screen projecting U.S. Senator Mitt Romney in an auditorium.Circumstances shift, priorities change, and money comes and goes. But in a world where even facts seem to be at war with each other, U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney said Monday that a person’s values tend to be constant and ought to be heeded.

“When you go into an enterprise, go into a job, if you start compromising on your values, you’re going to find that maybe you’ll be more successful — I don’t know the answer to that — but I know you’re not going to be as healthy or as happy,” he said.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/mitt-romney-on-what-really-matters/