Experience the world at Harvard

Worldwide Week at Harvard is set for Oct. 10-14.

Contact jessica_mccann@harvard.edu

October 6, 2022 4 min read

At any given time of year, Harvard is home to lectures, seminars, and exhibits on topics of immense global importance — from public health to the climate crisis to the preservation of democracy and human rights. In countries around the world and in Harvard’s 20 offices abroad, faculty, students, staff, and other members of our community conduct research aimed at answering some of the world’s most challenging questions.

Oct. 10-14, Worldwide Week at Harvard will highlight Harvard’s international activities on campus and abroad. After exhibit openings and an International Opportunities Fair over the weekend, Worldwide Week will kick off on Monday, when Harvard’s Schools, departments, research centers, student organizations, and administrative offices will host a wide variety of events showcasing the breadth and depth of the University’s global engagement.

“Harvard’s work is global by its very nature,” said Mark Elliott, vice provost for international affairs. “We welcome students and researchers from around the world to Harvard each year, who add immeasurably to the richness and diversity of perspectives on campus, and our research and teaching is deeply engaged with the world. In reality, almost any week at Harvard could be called ‘worldwide week.’ We are thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight our global reach and impact this October.”

Since 2017, the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs has highlighted hundreds of events hosted by Harvard’s Schools, departments, museums, research centers, and offices abroad. This year’s events include a number of panel discussions and seminars, as well as art and museum exhibits, open house and informational sessions for students, and an International Comedy Night hosted by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs on Oct. 13, featuring Zarna Garg and the Harvard College Stand-Up Comic Society.

Other highlights include:

Oct. 10: Rice: Seeds From Africa – Mini-exhibit examines the legacy of rice cultivation in the Americas, including the essential African knowledge systems required to establish this industry, the horrific human toll the Atlantic Slave Trade took to maintain it, and the enduring culture of the Gullah Geechee.
Oct. 12: Mobility: Memory And Transformation In The Eastern Mediterranean – From the transfer of ideas and people across borders through the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations to today’s large-scale distress migration, Greece is a key location for understanding the impacts of mobility in the Eastern Mediterranean. Join the Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece for a panel discussion on a question of essential importance to the EU today.
Oct. 12: Brazilian Democracy Under Attack: 1964 And 2022 – In 1964, a military coup d’etat inaugurated two decades of dictatorship in Brazil; in 2022, a right-wing government works to undermine democratic institutions. Join the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies to explore the similarities and differences between 1964 and 2022 and discuss how Brazilian democracy can overcome this challenging moment.
Oct. 13: Muslim Women Speak: The Quest For Human Rights And Gender Justice In Islam – Join the Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World at Harvard Law School for an interactive panel discussion with leading Muslim women’s rights advocates, who will speak about their experiences in navigating the relationship between Islamic law and human rights advocacy.
Oct. 13: Archaeological Exploration of Sardis Student Open House – Sardis is one of the longest-running international projects sponsored at Harvard and one of the oldest classical archaeology projects in the Mediterranean. Join the Harvard faculty, staff, and Harvard Art Museums staff involved in the project to introduce students to the excavation’s activities and their experience of working at the site.
Oct. 14: “Days” (Film Screening) – Tsai Ming-liang, Lee Kang-sheng and Anong Houngheuangsy join in person to discuss “Days,” Tsai’s delicate observational film that asks unsentimental questions about what constitutes fulfilling human connection.