Harvard Kennedy School Review

01/01/2024

As we close out the year, we wanted to do so with a big announcement: the release of Volume XXIII of The Kennedy School Review.

This volume would not be possible without the incredible 2022-23 editorial staff of KSR. Thank you to all who contributed, edited, and read each piece.

I especially want to thank Nicky Rault, the former co-Editor-in-Chief and Gabriel Kelvin, the Executive Director, for making this a reality.

Please take a minute to read the insightful articles of many of our friends, classmates, and colleagues.

Link:https://hksspr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/KSR-2022-23-Print-Edition-1.pdf

If you would like to purchase a physical copy, please fill out this form: https://rb.gy/mh59um

-- Sly Yushchyshyn, Editor-in-Chief

06/06/2023

Our pitch form is now open!! After submitting, you'll receive a response from us within two weeks.
🔗: bit.ly/KSR_pitch

05/29/2023

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Petro Buriak volunteered to defend his country. He lost both of his legs near the city of Kherson, but thanks to the Superhumans Center, a new state-of-the-art medical center in Lviv, Petro has been able to walk again with Ottobock prostheses.

CEO Olga Rudneva and Melinda Haring discuss the Center's plans to provide further support to Ukrainians wounded by war.

Superhumans Center: How One Prosthetics Clinic is Rebuilding Ukraine Articles  May 29, 2023 By Olga Rudnieva and Melinda Haring More than 400 days ago, 39-year-old Petro Buriak was driving a truck abroad and dreaming about playing dolls with his 5-year-old daughter when his route brought him home t...

05/18/2023

With the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in 2021, there are two central questions: are state and local governments prepared to spend the funds, and can they avoid fraud, waste, and abuse?

Dual MBA/MPA candidate from Wharton and Harvard, Michael Nelson argues that “government leaders can better navigate challenges of time, trust, and expertise if they adopt management practices from, of all places, business startups."

Approving $1 Trillion is Easy, Spending It Is the Hard Part: Local Governments Need Diplomatic Hustle to Make Effective Use of Infrastructure Funding Articles  May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 By Michael Nelson The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law over a year ...

05/11/2023

"Planned obsolescence is a tactic of designing products with a pre-set date of expiry, also known as “death dating.” Through planned obsolescence, businesses artificially limit the usefulness of a product to encourage more frequent purchases by consumers."

In her peice, Avantika Mathur explains what impact planned obsolscence has on consumer rights and product repairability.

Planned Obsolescence: Exploring the Role of Free Markets and Regulation in the Right to Repair Movement Articles  May 10, 2023May 10, 2023 technology By Avantika Mathur Last month, Tesla was hit with two class action lawsuits from Model S owners who claimed they were charged excessively high prices...

05/05/2023

"AI is a highly regulated industry, but unfortunately, there is no standardized AI regulation framework." What, then, are the financial burdens AI start-ups face trying to commercialize AI?

Weiyue Wu and Shaoshan Liu explore this question from their experience with PerceptIn, an AI start-up in the autonomous driving space.

Why Compliance Costs of AI Commercialization Maybe Holding Start-Ups Back Articles  May 5, 2023 By Weiyue Wu and Shaoshan Liu What are the compliance costs of AI commercialization? We explore the growth impacts of such financial burdens on AI start-ups through a field deployment perspective. While ...

04/26/2023

How did the rural district of Beed in India, with over 3 million people, successfully implement a lockdown that led to zero covid cases at the start of the pandemic?

The Superintendent of Police at the Indian Police Service, Harssh A Poddar (MPA ’23) writes how the guiding principles of the Beed district police—empathy, awareness, and firmness—were instrumental in curbing infections and saving lives.

Policing a Pandemic in Rural India: From Enforcement to Engagement Articles  April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 By Harssh A Poddar Throughout this spring of 2023, the world is witnessing a global surge in COVID cases, driven by variants of the virus such as the XBB.1.16 strain in India and the XBB.1.15 i...

04/25/2023

In Madagascar, Malagasy and French are the national languages.

However, Leila Pirbay, a native of Madagascar, and Paul Rosenboom argue that an “outdated, colonial-era” education system deepens disparities in the country because it “prioritizes the hegemony of the French language over educational attainment for the majority of the population.”

In their piece, they describe a practical approach for the country’s school system.

Education in French: A Harmful Colonial Relic or Beneficial Endowment? Briefs Featured Popular  June 1, 2020June 10, 2020 LEILA PIRBAY and PAUL ROSENBOOM Madagascar is strewn with remnants of the French colonial period. From its French-style colonial architecture to its prized French restaurants,...

04/24/2023

Facial recognition technology (FRT) is widely used today.

However, Maximilian Gahntz writes about the adverse effects the technology has on human and civil rights because it is often “inaccurate, discriminatory, or privacy-invasive.”

Regulating the Use of Facial Recognition Technology Articles Briefs Featured  September 2, 2020September 2, 2020 technology Maximilian Gahntz Facial recognition technology (FRT) has made rapid progress and is gaining more attention—both from potential users as well as from the general public. B...

04/19/2023

Senator Max Baucus and Congressmen Dave Camp write “Patent trolling at the USITC is a serious problem that calls for increasing oversight of how the agency operates. This has been an ongoing bipartisan concern and one we both encountered as Chairs of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees.”

Read their original piece for KSR below.

Max Baucus and Dave Camp: Protecting American Businesses Starts with Increasing Transparency at the USITC Articles Featured  April 18, 2023April 18, 2023 Government, patents, technology, transparency, United States By Max Baucus and Dave Camp We stand at a pivotal moment in our country’s history...

04/18/2023

"Global Citizen estimates that more than 152,000 teenage girls in Kenya became pregnant between March and May 2020 due to economic hardship during the country’s nationwide COVID lockdown."

In her piece, Majd A. Steitieh describes 4 policies the Kenyan government should implement to get teen mothers back to school and reinforce their educational rights.

Back to School in Kenya: How 152,000 New Teen Mothers Can Resume Their Education Featured Opinion  August 14, 2021April 15, 2023 COVID-19, education policy, Kenya, pandemic, teen mothers By Majd Steitieh Note: This article is featured in KSR’s 2020-2021 print journal. To read this and other full...

04/17/2023

Read the full article from KSR that The New York Times columnist Ross Douthat quoted in his latest subscriber-only newsletter.

Can Conservatism Be More Than a Grudge? Articles Featured Opinion  May 18, 2021April 14, 2023 conservatism, GOP, politics, republican By Julius Krein Since the end of the Cold War—and Ronald Reagan’s presidency—Republicans have won only one of eight presidential popular votes (George W. Bus...

04/16/2023

Are you an international student who just got accepted to study in the US? In a piece from 2020, Simon Dickson described how visa requirements frustrate and hurt prospective students’ spouses.

Studying in the US? Tell Your Spouse to Start Drafting their Resignation Articles Featured Opinion  April 17, 2020April 15, 2023 While international students are chasing their dreams at colleges across the nation, visa requirements are forcing their spouses to put theirs on hold. BY SIMON DICKSON...

04/15/2023

What's the best way to improve police-public relations while promoting peace and justice in India?

The former Commissioner of Police in Nagpur City Praveen Dixit writes about how he was able to address these challenges with the police Mitra program.

The Police Mitra: Achieving Innovative Justice in India Articles  April 4, 2023April 5, 2023 By Praveen Dixit Police play a pivotal role in maintaining and strengthening internal security in India. To be effective, police must win and hold the trust of the people. Traditionally, Indian police force...

04/14/2023

"If you want peace, prepare for war. For too long, Europe has ignored this fundamental Latin adage."

To help, Patrik Gayer (MC/MPA '23) provides 5 steps toward building new European capacities in the age of economic and political instability.

If You Want Peace, Prepare for War: 5 Steps Toward Building New European Capacities in the Age of Economic and Political Instability Articles  April 6, 2023April 5, 2023 European Union, NATO, security By Patrik Gayer Si vis pacem para bellum – if you want peace, prepare for war. For too long, Eur...

04/13/2023

“In 2019, Zach Moore was a new software engineer at a San Francisco-based tech company. He showed up to work early, walked around the neighborhood, and cleared his head. Incarcerated at age 15, Zach learned how to quiet his mind while spending 22 years in prison.”

April is Fair Chance month, which promotes fair hiring for people with records. To understand why that benefits businesses, read the new piece by Katie McMurray.

Businesses Benefit by Hiring People with Criminal Records Articles Opinion  April 6, 2023April 9, 2023 United States By Katie McMurray In 2019, Zach Moore was a new software engineer at a San Francisco-based tech company. He showed up to work early, walked around the neighborhood, and cleared h...

04/13/2023

The Kennedy School Review is now accepting pitches! 📜

Submit here: https://rb.gy/r8vtpd

If you have any questions, contact us via messanger or email at [email protected].