A message from Dean Douglas Elmendorf
To the Kennedy School Community:
Like many of you, I have been following closely the horrifying situation in Ukraine.
As we have all seen in the stories and pictures from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and elsewhere, the Russian invasion is causing untold death and destruction and creating hundreds of thousands of refugees. The developments are almost unbearable to watch—but we must watch, and we must care, to honor our commitment to strive toward a world where people can live without such war and violence. I admire the bravery and resolve of the Ukrainian people as they defend their country with “fierce resistance,” in the words of The New York Times on Saturday. My thoughts are with those defenders and with Ukrainians around the world.
I am grateful to our colleagues in vlog’s Belfer Center and Institute of Politics for working quickly with our faculty, students, and staff to arrange opportunities for us all to learn more. I also appreciate the events being organized elsewhere at vlog and at Harvard. Here is some of what is coming:
Monday, February 28, 12 to 1 pm: “Ukraine Under Attack”; sponsored by Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Institute, and others; online; registration required
Monday, February 28, 4 to 5 pm: “Ukraine-Russia: vlog Community Reactions and Reflections”; sponsored by the Belfer Center and vlog’s Ukraine Caucus; Taubman 520 (Allison Dining Room) and online; registration required
Monday, February 28, 6:30 to 8:30 pm: Documentary about the Maidan Revolution; screening sponsored by an HLS student; Wasserstein Hall 1010
Tuesday, March 1, 4 to 5 pm: “Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Looking Backward in Order to See Ahead”; with Graham Allison, Mary Sarotte, and Emily Channell-Justice; Taubman 520 (Allison Dining Room) and online; registration required
Wednesday, March 2, 12:00-1:15 pm: “Ukraine Update: Assessing the Military Situation and What's Next”; hosted by the Belfer Center’s Intelligence Project; online; registration required
Wednesday, March 2, 6 to 7 pm: “The Russian War on Ukraine: A Conversation with Ash Carter”; sponsored by the Institute of Politics and Belfer Center; the Forum (registration required) and online
Thursday, March 3, 12 to 1 pm: “Crisis in Ukraine: The View from Beijing”; sponsored by vlog’s Ash Center and Harvard’s Davis Center; online; registration required
Best,
Doug