Hoping to learn more about the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation?
By Christina Marchand, Senior Associate Director for Democracy Initiatives at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
The research centers at Harvard Kennedy School are a great resource for students to get involved with real-world policy issues. The mission of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation is to develop ideas and foster practices for equal and inclusive, multiracial, and multiethnic democracy and self-government.
Senior Associate Director for Democracy Initiatives Christina Marchand discusses the various ways incoming students can engage with the Ash Center’s initiatives and opportunities.
What work does the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation focus on?
The Ash Center focuses on strengthening democracy in the United States and around the world by working on projects related to antiracism, electoral reform, Indigenous governance, social movements, artificial intelligence, engagement, and participation. The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia, housed at the Ash Center, advances research and teaching about policy challenges within the region and Asia’s place in the global community, with initiatives focused on China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
What resources does the Ash Center provide to students?
Students are front and center. We’re deeply committed to enriching the educational experience for students at Harvard Kennedy School. The Center provides tuition assistance as well as a wide range of co-curricular opportunities, including funding for student-led events and initiatives, research and applied learning experiences, study groups, and more. In addition to teaching degree courses, our faculty actively advise and engage with students from the moment they arrive on campus for orientation through graduation.
“The Ash Center focuses on strengthening democracy in the United States and around the world by working on projects related to antiracism, electoral reform, Indigenous governance, social movements, artificial intelligence, engagement, and participation.”
Christina Marchand, Senior Associate Director for Democracy Initiatives at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
How can students get involved with the Ash Center at HKS?
First and foremost, students can sign up for the Ash Center newsletter to get the latest news, research, and upcoming events. We also send special student-focused newsletters with information on study groups, research assistant positions, and other ways to get involved. Students who are interested in the Center’s various projects should feel free to reach out to us directly—whether seeking funding for events or research, or hoping to connect and collaborate with our community of students and fellows working on these issues.
What is your role with the Center?
As the Senior Associate Director for Democracy Initiatives at the Ash Center, I focus on building and sustaining an intellectual community of faculty, visiting fellows and scholars, and students who are committed to addressing democracy’s most pressing challenges. I oversee our faculty workshops and initiatives, as well as the Center’s Reimagining Democracy Fellows Program and a range of student programs.
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