Join the discussion: Harvard’s Recent Missteps and Their Impact on Its Reputation as a Producer of Global Problem-Solvers

Harvard University, long revered as a beacon of academic excellence and a training ground for leaders who tackle real-world challenges, has had some serious problems.

The most recent backlash was caused by a Chinese student Yurong “Luanna” Jiang’s 2025 commencement speech. This incident reminded me of former president Claudine Gay’s 2023 congressional hearing. 

These cases raise questions.

To recap what happened.

In May 2025, Jiang delivered a commencement speech titled “Our Humanity,” emphasizing universal empathy. While historic as the first Chinese woman to speak at Harvard’s commencement, her speech drew polarized criticism. In the US, some on platforms like X accused her of echoing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rhetoric, citing her use of phrases linked to Xi Jinping and her father’s alleged NGO ties. In China, Weibo users criticized her as an out-of-touch elite, reflecting resentment over class divides. Jiang’s failure to address pressing issues—like Harvard’s fight to retain its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification amid 2025 visa crackdowns targeting Chinese students—made her speech seem detached, amplifying perceptions of Harvard producing rehearsed performances over substantive insight.

Similarly, Claudine Gay’s December 2023 congressional hearing on campus antisemitism exposed Harvard’s vulnerability to political scrutiny. Gay’s evasive, legalistic responses to questions about whether calls for violence against Jews violated policy sparked outrage, leading to her resignation in January 2024 amid plagiarism allegations. The episode painted Harvard as unprepared for culture wars, failing to equip its leader to navigate complex political realities with clarity. 

These incidents reflect poorly on Harvard’s mission to train leaders who bring insight to chaos. Both suggest a gap in preparing students and leaders for polarized, real-world challenges, undermining Harvard’s promise to produce problem-solvers. Firms hire Harvard graduates for their analytical skills and prestige, but these cases raise doubts about whether the university fosters the cultural fluency needed for today’s complexities.

Yet, these could be isolated cases. 

Harvard’s global ranking, billions of endowment, and continued worldwide applications suggest its prestige endures. The unique contexts—Gay’s rare congressional grilling and Jiang’s historic speech amid US-China tensions—may not signal broad decline. 

Still, they could hint at systemic challenges, such as: 

• Do Jiang and Gay’s missteps indicate deeper flaws in Harvard’s leadership training, or are they outliers driven by unique pressures?
• How might these incidents affect Chinese students’ trust in Harvard as a path to global leadership?
• What steps could Harvard take to better equip students and leaders for culturally and politically complex moments?

What do you think?

If you have interesting ideas about these questions or others, and also love a chance to practice speaking about them in Mandarin, this is your chance.

Details about this session is below:

Topic: Harvard’s Recent Missteps and Their Impact on Its Reputation as a Producer of Global Problem-Solvers

• 1:00 PM - 2:30PM, July 18, 2025 (HK time)
• Online
• HKD300 per person (Maximum 6 participants)

Register before July 15, 2025. 

Use this Google form to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeO4UA-zDF9kmJdMHenLDlFgrCIHU1JWL1o4-IT885EYko9GQ/viewform 

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More about this course:

“What Is Your Opinion” is a platform for high level Chinese language learners to share their views and thoughts on a wide range of events which are shaping our world, and of course, to practice speaking Mandarin as well.

This course is a natural extension for students who have completed the Mandarin Express series (or equivalent) and would like to have a platform to further their study by engaging in topical discussions.

It’s best for students who are interested in world events, including but not solely about events which China’s stances influence the outcome.

Read more about this course here:

https://www.mslmaster.com/index.php/teaching-learning-resources?view=article&id=241&catid=11 

If you’d like to see a list of all Chinese courses on offer, click here:

https://www.mslmaster.com/index.php/mandarin-lessons 

If you’d like to check out all upcoming group classes, click here:

https://www.mslmaster.com/index.php/teaching-learning-resources?view=article&id=93&catid=11