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Tag: Harvard

  • Trump administration revokes Harvard’s authorization to admit international Students

    Trump administration revokes Harvard’s authorization to admit international Students

    The Trump administration on Thursday rescinded Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, who account for more than a quarter of the institution’s student body. The move marks a major intensification in former President Donald Trump’s dispute with the prestigious university.

    The decision comes after Harvard declined to comply with federal demands for increased oversight of its admissions and hiring practices. Trump has accused the university of fostering anti-Semitism and advancing what he describes as a “woke” liberal agenda.

    Harvard, which counts 162 Nobel laureates among its affiliates, has strongly defended its institutional independence and denied the accusations. The revocation is likely to trigger significant legal and political backlash, with experts warning of its potential impact on academic freedom and the future of international education in the U.S.

    In a letter addressed to Harvard, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated: “Effective immediately, Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) is revoked.” SEVIS is the system that manages the enrollment of international students in the U.S.

    Trump had previously warned that Harvard could lose its ability to admit foreign students if it failed to comply with government directives aimed at increasing federal control over the private institution.

    “It is a privilege—not a right—for universities to host foreign students,” Noem wrote. “All institutions must adhere to Department of Homeland Security regulations, including specific reporting requirements, to retain this privilege.”

    The letter cited Harvard’s refusal to provide requested information, claims of fostering an unsafe campus environment, accusations of hostility toward Jewish students, support for pro-Hamas sentiments, and the implementation of what the administration called racially divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies.

    University records indicate that international students make up more than 27% of Harvard’s total enrollment.

     

  • Ex-CBN deputy gov, Moghalu to address Harvard’s Africa Development Conference

    Ex-CBN deputy gov, Moghalu to address Harvard’s Africa Development Conference

    Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, President and Vice Chancellor of the  African School of Governance (ASG) has been selected  as keynote speaker for the 2025 Harvard University’s Africa Development Conference (ADC) Summit.

    This is contained in a letter to Moghalu by organisers of the annual summit that would be held at  the  Harvard University Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA .

    The letter was released by Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos.

    The  letter from the organisers read: “The summit would hold from April 11 to April 12,  with the keynote address theme as:  “Africa by 2040: The Future of the  African Youth”.

    The organisers  noted that the theme  raised an urgent question: “Will Africa’s rapidly growing youth population be an asset or a liability – a force for transformation or a challenge to overcome.,”

    According to them,   Moghalu was chosen due to his  distinguished leadership in economic governance, monetary policy and financial inclusion, making him  an ideal keynote speaker for the 2025  ADC.

    “Your insights will  be invaluable to our discussions.

    “Each year, the ADC, founded by students of African descent at Harvard Law School and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard Kennedy School) draws over 500 attendees and features more than 50 thought leaders from various institutions.

    ‘This includes heads of state, policymakers and influential figures, to share strategies and foster collaborations for sustainable development in Africa.”

    Moghalu was appointed president and vice-chancellor of the African School of Governance in October 2024.

    “The ASG was Co-founded in 2024 by Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda and Hailemariam Desalegn, a  former prime minister of Ethiopia in collaboration with a network of African academics, philanthropists and senior policymakers.

    ASG is a pan-African, graduate-level university of public policy, envisioned to build a generation of African leaders that will transform governance in the continent, equipped by an ASG education with the mindsets, knowledge and skills to tackle Africa’s challenges and opportunities in the 21st century,” it stated.

    Moghalu’s career trajectory included 17 years in the international civil service of the United Nations with strategic assignments at duty stations at the UN Secretariat Headquarters in New York, Cambodia, Croatia, Tanzania, and Switzerland.

  • Ganduje congratulates Yusha’u on appointment as EIC, Africa Policy Journal, Havard

    Ganduje congratulates Yusha’u on appointment as EIC, Africa Policy Journal, Havard

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has congratulated Dr Jameel Yusha’u on his appointment as Editor-in-Chief of the popular Africa Policy Journal, Harvard.

    Ganduje’s message is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar on Saturday in Kano.

    The governor praised Yusha’u, being the first Northerner who got the position there at Harvard, a citadel of scholarship.

    “We are proud to have young scholars like you excelling at the global arena.

    “You are a turning point in media and communication studies. We learned that he did excellently well when he was the Lead Strategic Coordinator with Islamic Development Bank.

    “As 2022-2023 Mid-Career Master in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and also an Edward Mason Fellow, Kano state is proud to have Jameel Yusha’u.

    “On behalf of the government and good people of Kano state, I am congratulating Yusha’u for ascending to this important position of the Editor-in-Chief of Africa Policy Journal. The first scholar to attend the position from Northern Nigeria,” he emphasised.

    Yusha’u was a senior lecturer in Media and Politics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, and associate lecturer in Global Journalism, University of Sheffield.

    He left Nigeria as a lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.

    Yusha’u has many published works to his credit at the global media/communication studies journals, such as Global Media Studies, Journal of Arab and Muslim Media Research, among others.

  • Netizens slam Gbajabiamila for flaunting Harvard photographs

    Netizens slam Gbajabiamila for flaunting Harvard photographs

     

    …Twitter users describe him as insensitive

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has come under heavy fire from Netizens following a post he made on Twitter announcing that he was participating in a leadership course at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, United States.

    The speaker had on Tuesday posted photos of himself receiving lectures at the prestigious university, saying he had gone back to school even at old age.

     

    “Back to class. In a leadership course at

    @Harvard

    @Kennedy_School
    . Forget the number of grey hairs one is never too old to learn, broaden or sharpen your skills,” he tweeted and splashed photographs of himself at the programme.

    The show-off came same day the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had declared mass protests across Nigeria over a protracted strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that entered its sixth month this week

    As soon as Gbajabiamila announced his presence at Harvard on his twitter handle, angry Nigerian Twitter users responded with a lot of venom, describing him as insensitive, wicked, shameless.

    One of the respondents, Philemon Oswald condemned the decision of Gbajabiamila to seek further education abroad at a time ASUU has been on strike for several months and the Federal Government has been unable to resolve the issue.

    Another Twitter user, Whitedust @Raw14Real also took to his handle and wrote thus: “There has never been a doubt that those elected to serve the people serve only themselves. On a day the entire country is grounded by solidarity protests with ASUU, you are here posting pictures about educating yourself because you are at Harvard.”

    Greatex @ Abigor_Gr8t lamented that Nigerian leaders don’t believe in Nigeria, hence, according to him, “they are busy securing their future abroad,” while telling the poor gullible Nigerians to be patriotic.

    Segun Israel @I’m -Segun Israel had this to say:
    “Nigerians are responsible for the current leadership problems. This kind of experience won’t stop until we start doing background checks on whoever desires to run for a public office. We should be the ones selecting our representatives, not the other way round.”

    Similarly, Kanma Samuel @Musingmusite wrote thus: “These shameless people think having something to do with the educational system outside makes them better than others in this country. So even fools that should work to make the country’s education system better go there to show off shamelessly.”

    Ubong Anang @obonguby wrote the following: “Its the level of how insensitive and contempt and lack of regards by our opportunist rulers. Criminals everywhere – young or old, from LG to federal level. Commander of BH occupying Aso Rock as President is not bothered provided his islamization and Fulanization plot is achieved.”

    OB@ obekpa-SA also expressed anger at the development. He wrote: “It’s simply a lack of Emotional Intelligence. That, coupled with apathy & an ‘i-don’t-care attitude over the plight of Nigerian students. Just one instance of our Leaders clearly showing they don’t give a damn & there is nothing anyone can do about it.”

    In a separate post, Lion of Zingh, another Twitter user observed that Nigerian political leaders often “go to Harvard to boost their resume and ego but fail miserably where common sense is needed,” while
    Mr Bond attributed the Speaker’s action as a demonstration of the insensitivity of the APC government in Nigeria.

    John Ukagwu @JohnUkagwu simply wrote:
    “They don’t have shame at all. You all closed down schools in Nigeria but run abroad to study. If they were on strike like you misfits here in Nigeria, I wonder where you will go to pose for pictures.”

    According to Napoli @isholanomic, Gbajabiamila was at Harvard “simply to mock Nigerian students that they re in a failed, bad lands” and described him as a clog to Nigeria’s wheel of progress.

    Yahaya Monday @AgidiJnr
    Your number 3 man in government hierarchy goes to the Harvard to take a leadership course amidst ASUU strike. That verifies the scary fact that the elites don’t care about you. If they and their children could access quality education in Europe, education in Nigeria can decay!”

    Lanre Joda also wrote :
    “These guys are illiterate! No truly educated person would do what they do! They lack emotional intelligence! I wonder how they engage Havard lecturers etc in academic conversations! The ability to speak gud grammar isn’t education.”

  • Anambra Leads Again In JAMB Examination , Lauds Ezekwelisi and Okigbo for Senior Fellowship at Yale, Harvard

    Anambra Leads Again In JAMB Examination , Lauds Ezekwelisi and Okigbo for Senior Fellowship at Yale, Harvard

    Anambra State, whose two candidates in the 2020 examination of the Joint Admissions and matriculation Board (JAMB) scored the highest marks, has continued its brilliant performance in the tests conducted by the body.

    In the just released 2021 JAMB examination result, Chibuzor Chibuikem Monwuba, an indigene of Awka whose father is a field engineer with an international oil company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, scored 358 out of a maximum 400 marks.

    In the 2020 result, Ego Agnes Maduafokwa from Ihiala broke JAMB examination’s history by scoring 365 marks out of a possible 400 while David Nwobi from Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area followed closely with 363 marks.

    “I am so pleased with the news that Anambra State has maintained its educational dominance in examinations conducted by JAMB, West African Examinations Council and National Education Council”, declared Governor Willie Obiano yesterday when the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, broke the news to him a few minutes after the governor led an educational event in Awka to mark the 30th anniversary of Anambra State.

    Former Central of Nigeria Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, an internationally recognized economics professor and reformer who is now the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the November 6 gubernatorial in the state, was one of the persons the governor personally honoured at the educational event which took place at the Oma Events Centre.

    Meanwhile, Chief Obiano has directed both the Commissioner for Information and his counterpart in the Ministry of Basic Education, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, to include Master Chibuzor Monwuba, who is going to study engineering at Covenant University in Ogun State, in the list of young Anambra persons to be honoured for academic excellence which has, in turn, brought honour to the state.

    “We must continue to demonstrate in word and deed that Anambra State is truly the Light of the Nation”, the governor added.

    In another development, the state government congratulated two intellectuals from the state who have been appointed to prestigious positions in two Ivy League institutions.

    The government in a statement today in Awka expressed joy that former World Bank Vice President Oby Ezekwesili is resuming work at Yale University as senior fellow while Patrick Okigbo III, a management consultant in Abuja, is returning to Harvard as a senior fellow after a successful tenure at the institution.
    A statement signed by Mr. C. Don Adinuba, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment lauded the two Anambra State-born trailblazers, Oby Ezekwesili and Patrick Okigbo III, for raising the bar in education.

    Ezekwesili will teach two postgraduate courses on Democracy and Africa’s Political Distortions, and Resolving Africa’s Economic Philosophy Dilemma during the 2021 Fall Semester in Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs that applies evidence-based scholarship to challenges of maximum global importance, such as climate change, war and peace, ethnic conflict, inequality, and migration.

    Ezekwesili had previously worked as Director of the Harvard-Nigeria Economic Strategy Project with Prof Jeffery Sachs at the Center for International Development, Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts.

    Okigbo III will continue with making presentations and working on issues relating to governance and how it affects the economy.

    The founder of Nextier, a policy think-tank firm with a focus on remaking governance and development, has served on many government committees with over 20 years experience.

  • Harvard names Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Global Public Leaders Fellow

    Harvard names Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Global Public Leaders Fellow

    Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance minister of Nigeria and former managing director of the World Bank, has been named the next Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

    The announcement was made on Monday by Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf, revealing Okonjo-Iweala begins her fellowship this month.

    “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will bring to the Kennedy School a wealth of practical experience and insights into the development challenges and achievements in Africa and across the developing world.

    “As the longest-serving finance minister in Nigeria and a leader at the World Bank for more than two decades, she engineered successful new approaches to fostering sustained and inclusive growth in developing countries.

    She will enrich our campus conversation on the public policy choices needed for effective governance that serves societies,” Elmendorf said.

    In October 2019, Okonjo-Iweala delivered the Robert S. McNamara Lecture on War and Peace in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Kennedy School.

    “I am honored to be able to return to the Kennedy School as the Angelopoulos Fellow, and to work with students and faculty who are wrestling every day with the world’s most complex development problems,” she said.

    Okonjo-Iweala was the longest-serving finance minister in Nigeria and the first woman to hold that position. She was also the first female foreign minister.

    Okonjo-Iweala drove systemic financial reforms and strengthened fiscal transparency to fight corruption, tripling the country’s growth rate. She also negotiated a $30 billion reduction in Nigeria’s external debt.

    In her 25-year career at the World Bank, she rose to the No. 2 position of managing director of operations and oversaw the development portfolio for South Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central Asia.

    A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University (1976), Okonjo-Iweala earned her doctorate from MIT and has been awarded 15 honorary degrees.

    She was recognized as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes magazine for four years in a row, and by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

    She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019. Currently, Okonjo-Iweala is chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has immunized 760 million children in the developing world against infectious diseases.

    She is also co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.

    The Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Program was established with support from Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, president of the Athens 2004 Olympics, former ambassador of Greece, lawyer, and recently appointed committee chair of “Greece 2021.”

    The program provides opportunities for high-profile public leaders who are transitioning from office or other leadership roles to spend time in residence at Harvard Kennedy School reflecting, teaching, learning, and conducting research.

    During her time at the Kennedy School, Okonjo-Iweala will meet with students and scholars as well as lecture, write, and participate in public discussions and forums.

    Okonjo-Iweala becomes the fifth Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow since the program’s inception in 2011. Previous fellows are Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia; Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations; Tarja Halonen, former president of Finland; and Felipe Calderon, former president of Mexico.

  • ‘Hear Word!’ gets Harvard nod

    Celebrated Nigerian stage drama, ‘Hear Word’ which spotlights gender inequality and other societal ills will be shown in Harvard University, Cambridge USA.

     

    The play will be staged at the 556 capacity Loeb drama centre at the American Repertory Theater.

    Hear Word! is set to show from January 26 to February 11.

    The successful play is directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa . The cast of Hear Word! include Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola, Ufuoma McDermott, Elvina Ibru, Zara Udofia-Ejoh, Omonor, and Rita Edward.

    Hear Word! is a powerful piece of performance art that combines artistry, social commentary and true-life stories of inequality and transformation, delivered by some of Nigeria’s most talented actresses. The stories are based on real issues affecting the lives of women across Nigeria and examine what factors limit their potential for independence, leadership and meaningful contribution.

     

    The show not only gives a voice to these women, it provides the world with insight into their unique or universal challenges. Tackling topics such as circumcision and barrenness as well as more universal challenges like child molestation, gender-based violence and woman trafficking, HEAR WORD! bravely serves up the cultural and societal norms that oppress and limit African women. It empowers women to break the culture of silence, unite, challenge the status quo, move beyond barriers and create solutions.

     

    Revealed:Why Nigerian entertainers use drugs

  • Osinbajo in U.S. to deliver Harvard historic Africa Rising lecture

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is in the U.S. to deliver a lecture at the Harvard University, Boston, U.S. on Africa Rising course at Harvard Business School.

    Osinbajo, while at Harvard, would also engage in marathon meetings at the Ivy League school.

    Harvard described the lecture as a historic moment as it would be the first time that an Africa-focused course would be offered at Harvard Business School.

    In extending the invitation to Osinbajo, Harvard noted that it deeply admired the immense progress that Nigeria had made under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The university specifically noted the work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, which the vice-president chairs.

    The university said: “It would be the highest honour for us were you to accept our invitation as we deeply admire the immense progress that Nigeria has made during your tenure.

    “Not only as the country’s Vice President, but also as Chairman of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council.

    “By all accounts, this Council has spearheaded crucial initiatives and we very much hope that you will speak to those, as well as to Nigeria’s rise in world economic rankings and the vast range of business initiatives that are ongoing in your country.”

    The vice-president is expected to, during the lecture, highlight the progress made by the present administration in improving the country’s economy and investment climate.

    Osinbajo had in October 2016 delivered a lecture at the university’s ‘Nigeria in the World’ seminar also at the invitation of the university.

    The vice-president spoke on: ‘Destroying Boko Haram and the Rebuilding of Nigeria’s North-East’.

    While at Harvard, he would hold meeting with Margot Gill, the Harvard University Marshall and Prof. Emmauel Akyeampong and the Centre for African Studies Affiliates at Centre for African Studies at the university.

    He also would have lunch with the Harvard Law School Students and Faculty at the Harvard Law School.

    Osinbajo would then hold meeting with Prof. David Wilkins and tour the Centre on the Legal Profession and Nitin Nohira, Dean, Harvard Business School at the university.

    The vice-president would later have dinner with MBA students, Harvard Business Faculty and Harvard Business School Alumni from Africa.

     

  • Osinbajo to deliver lecture at Harvard today

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the invitation of Harvard University, Boston, United States, would be delivering the inaugural, keynote lecture at the university’s “Africa Rising” course at Harvard Business School today, (Tuesday, January 16).

    In extending its invitation to the vice president, the university noted that it deeply admired the immense progress that Nigeria has made under the Buhari presidency, including the work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC.

    “It would be the highest honour for us were you to accept our invitation as we deeply admire the immense progress that Nigeria has made during your tenure not only as the country’s Vice President, but also as Chairman of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council. By all accounts, this Council has spearheaded crucial initiatives and we very much hope that you will speak to those, as well as to Nigeria’s rise in world economic rankings and the vast range of business initiatives that are ongoing in your country,” the university said.

    The top US university further described the lecture as a historic moment as it would be the first time that an Africa-focused course will be offered at Harvard Business School.

    During the lecture, Mr. Osinbajo, a law professor, would highlight the progress made by the Buhari administration in improving the country’s economy and investment climate.

    In the latest World Bank Doing Business index, Nigeria climbed up 24 places and was placed on the list of 10 most reformed economies globally.

    Alongside the president, the vice president has been a strong advocate in the future of a greater Africa, and has proffered solutions on how to make the continent work better for its people and the rest of the world.

    In a keynote address at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London recently, Mr. Osinbajo emphasised the continent’s depth of talent and innovation across Agriculture, ICT, Hospitality, Fashion, Energy, Manufacturing, Entertainment, and many other fields.

    The vice president, who will leave for Boston today, is expected back in Abuja later on Wednesday.

    Earlier in the day, Mr. Osinbajo had, alongside President Muhammadu Buhari, laid wreaths in honour of fallen heroes of the Nigerian Army at the National Arcade, Abuja, to mark the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

  • Chika Ike goes back to school

    Chika Ike goes back to school

    ….Gets admitted to Harvard after years of trying

     

    Nollywood actress, Chika Ike has disclosed that she will be going back to school to sharpen her business acumen. The talented role interpreter and entrepreneur made this revelation on her Instagram page earlier today. According to her, she got accepted into Harvard Business School after trying for five years and getting rejected.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWFXTx0FSy7/?taken-by=chikaike

     

    The excited Chika wrote on Instagram:”I finally got accepted into Harvard business school for my masters. After trying for 5 years and getting rejected. Yes ! The prestigious Ivy League University.I’m super excited.The good part is it’s an executive study so I can work as an actress, TV host and CEO “ she said.

    The filmmaker also noted that though she started a business at the tender age of 17, she operated her business via the vehicle of self-education.

    “I started business at age 17 and I’ve been doing this solely on self-knowledge and instincts, I think it’s time to hone my business skills from the mother of all business schools so I can have a sustainable company . …. God is awesome, he has done so much for me, looking at all my achievements so far .His grace has been with me all through. Doors that people said will never open, opened for my sake ….May he gives you a blessing that looks like a lie such that people will question your blessings because of its magnitude. May your Enemies be confused and in awe of your blessings “.

    Ike began her career as a model at age 16 just after graduating from secondary school.In 2005, she made her film debut in Sweet Love. She went on to play major roles, such as “Nikita” in Bless the Child, To Love a Stranger and Paradise.