To Serve Better

Stories of people committed to public purpose and to making a positive difference in communities throughout the country.

“If you’re at an elite private school or a magnet public school where the norm is going to a four-year college, then you can basically just follow the current,” she said. “But if that’s not the norm, you’re left to discover it on your own,” as school staff are often overstretched, and family and friends may not have the time or firsthand knowledge to provide much guidance.

And that’s the reason Wheeler founded the Harvard Club of Seattle’s Crimson Achievement Program (CAP) in 2018. The initiative helps illuminate the path to college for high-potential ninth- and 10th-graders from Western Washington school districts in low-income areas. MORE

Pour une lettre de motivation réussie…

5 conseils pour réussir votre lettre de motivation

Vous souhaitez intégrer Sciences Po en 2020 ? Première étape de votre parcours du candidat, le dossier, et notamment sa pièce maîtresse : la lettre de motivation. Avant de vous lancer, quelques conseils et rappels utiles pour venir à bout de cet exercice. 

Il était une fois…vous : racontez une belle histoire

Qu’est-ce qui vous donne envie d’avoir un impact sur le monde ? À Sciences Po, nous recherchons des candidats qui souhaitent transformer leur talent en pouvoir d’agir. En racontant dans votre lettre une histoire personnelle, vous éclairez vos motivations, attestez de votre engagement et donnez du sens à votre candidature.

Votre lettre est à vous et à personne d’autre

Bien sûr, il est toujours bénéfique de demander un avis extérieur sur votre lettre. Mais ne multipliez ni les relecteurs, ni les révisions : si quelques ajustements peuvent améliorer l’ensemble, des changements trop nombreux peuvent dénaturer votre texte et au final lui faire perdre tout authenticité. Or, vous êtes la personne la mieux placée pour connaître et évoquer vos talents et vos compétences. Vous devez vous retrouver dans la version finale de la lettre, et en être fier. N’oubliez pas que, si vous êtes admissible et que vous allez à l’oral, vous devez pouvoir parler et commenter chaque mot sans difficulté.

All the Africans on the 2019 ‘TIME 100 Next’ list

The new TIME 100 Next list features rising stars from all over the world shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and other sectors.

“Although this focus lends itself to a younger group, we intentionally had no age cap — a recognition that ascents can begin at any age. The TIME 100 Next members all have grand ambitions, and they know they may face even greater setbacks. But by and large, ‘they are driven by hope.’ They are eager to defy the odds — and fight for a better future,” the magazine says.

The 2019 list pays homage to eight people from Africa. They are: MORE


International Education Week 2019

From November 18-22, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education are celebrating International Education Week (IEW) by encouraging Americans to seek opportunities to study abroad and welcoming international students to study in the United States.  International education makes the United States stronger, forging lasting connections between Americans and peers in other countries, bringing benefits to local communities, and generating knowledge to solve shared challenges.

During IEW, events at schools, universities and communities across the United States and around the world will focus on the importance of international education in fostering security and economic growth and highlight why more students should experience international education.

To open IEW, the State Department, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, released the annual Open Doors report of data and trends in international academic mobility.  In academic year 2018/19, for the fourth year in a row, more than one million international students studied at U.S. institutions of higher education, with an increase of .05 percent over last year.  The number of American students studying abroad also increased by 2.7 percent from the prior year, to 341,751 Americans.

Former Harvard Student (from Nigeria) Sues University for Denying His Degree Following Sexual Misconduct Findings

Former Harvard undergraduate Damilare Sonoiki ’13 filed a lawsuit against the University Oct. 21 alleging that the College unfairly withheld and ultimately denied him his degree after three fellow students accused him of sexual assault.

Sonoiki was set to graduate in May 2013. Two days before Commencement, however, two women formally filed formal sexual misconduct complaints against him.

Sonoiki still spoke as the Harvard Orator on Class Day and walked at graduation. Still, he was denied a degree because he was involved in a pending investigation. Several days later, the third woman filed an additional complaint against Sonoiki.

On Nov. 19, 2013, the Administrative Board found Sonoki responsible for the accusations, required him to withdraw from the College, and recommended his dismissal to the Faculty Council, according to his legal complaint. On Dec. 10, 2014, the Council dismissed Sonoki. He never received his undergraduate degree.

The Washington Diplomat Global Education Conference – November 12, 2019

In November 2019, an all-day Global Education Conference to convene embassy representatives, the private sector, universities, think tanks, U.S. government, international multi-lateral organizations and other educational institutions to discuss the latest developments in education and, specifically, the issues that are critical to foreign students coming to the United States and their foreign governments, which have a vested interest in finding top educational opportunities for their nationals, will take place in Washington DC. Among the myriad of topics we will examine are future education trends, including the skills needed to adapt to a 21st-century world, as well as other pertinent political developments affecting the field.

Applications Open: Executive Education Program on Cybersecurity

Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program
January 12-17, 2020

The next session of the Harvard Kennedy School executive program Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology will take place from January 12-17, 2020.

Our world is a place where cyberattacks can happen instantaneously. That’s why the security and resilience of critical infrastructure requires constant vigilance against cyber threats.

Led by Faculty Chair James Waldo, this one-week program focuses on the intersection of policy and technology, as well as how, together, they can address the critical threats of a cyber world. The objective is to provide technologists and policymakers with a conceptual framework for the design of both cybersecurity policy and technology.