Standing on my apartment’s balcony over Tahrir, I imagine what someone would’ve thought, staring at the exact same spot in the middle of “Liberation” Square three years earlier. With Mubarak finally removed, the square’s circular roundabout, usually crammed with cars and microbuses, would have been filled with civilians and soldiers alike, a mixture of uniformed … Read more
This article appeared in November 2013, four months after the Egyptian military ousted the Muslim Brotherhood-backed President Muhammad Morsi. On July 18, 2013, just two weeks after former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi was ousted, Interim President Adly Mansour gave his first address to the nation. In his speech, Mansour explicitly stated his commitment to establishing … Read more
For an institution whose ostensible goal for graduates is that we “depart to better serve our country and our kind,” Harvard has an awful lot of unnecessary expenditures. These excesses will never discount the amount of good that has come from Harvard (the college boasts legions of graduates who have left Cambridge to do incredible … Read more
It costs roughly $245,000 to get an undergraduate degree from Harvard College. That is more than 21 million Kenyan shillings, 32 million Sri Lankan rupees, 52 million Yemeni Rials, and 405 million Nigerian naira. Without a doubt, this is a lot of money anywhere in the world, even without taking different currencies or exchange rates … Read more
On February 20th, Harvard students gathered in front of Massachusetts Hall to demand $250,000 of increased funding from the University to support student life. In an interview with the Crimson, Undergraduate Council President Gus Mayopolous noted that “[President Drew Faust]…didn’t necessarily think that it was realistic that the UC should expect this money to fall … Read more
Five hundred and thirty-nine college educations, especially 539 of America’s brightest youth being pulled out of their low-income backgrounds and given the chance to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the world, seems like an incredible gift. However, a closer analysis of the potential beneficiaries of these 539 four-year full scholarships (made possible … Read more
For an institution whose ostensible goal for graduates is that we “depart to better serve our country and our kind,” Harvard has an awful lot of unnecessary expenditures. These excesses will never discount the amount of good that has come from Harvard (the college boasts legions of graduates who have left Cambridge to do incredible … Read more
One hundred and fifty million dollars go a long way. With that amount of money one could probably renovate a shanty-town in sub-Saharan Africa, distribute millions of malaria nets, or fund a vaccination campaign in a developing country. How, then, can such a huge donation to the richest university in the world be justified? The … Read more
Kenneth Griffin went to Harvard. Then he became wealthy running a hedge fund called Citadel. Now, he is generously giving $150 million of his fortune to Harvard, and I think this is a fantastic idea. The observations made in Matthew Yglesias’ recent Slate article are misguided and myopic, implying that the current size of Harvard’s … Read more
Since Andrew Carnegie penned “The Gospel of Wealth” in 1889, his pragmatism has guided American philanthropy. He never squandered his giving on inefficient charities, nor did he hoard his wealth for the mere posthumous honor—the goal was results. Carnegie wanted to empower people to better themselves and society, stimulating a multiplier effect and ultimately stretching … Read more