Student Ambassador Kris Li

 

This fall, Kris Li (MPP '26) joined the Carr Center as one of its Student Ambassadors. Kris is a human rights expert from China who focuses on gender equity, labor rights, and related practices in authoritarian states. She has worked with grassroots NGOs and non-profits across China and Latin America, focusing on anti-gender-based violence, labor protection, and LGBTQ+ rights protection. As a Student Ambassador, Kris serves as a key liaison between the Carr Center and HKS's many human rights-focused student groups.

Can you tell us about yourself and your background in public policy and human rights?

I studied International Relations and Spanish during my undergraduate program in China, focusing on Latin American politics, with an exchange experience studying political science in Costa Rica. My work experiences are mainly in nonprofits, including agencies like the United Nations University for Peace.

I have been an activist and community leader in anti-gender-based violence and labor rights, working with NGOs in China and Latin America. Growing up in China, I’m familiar with state violence and censorship in the human rights arena and the humanitarian process. With experience working in rural areas of China and Ecuador, I am dedicated to channeling different experiences of human rights movements in the Global South.

I also dedicate a lot of time to comprehensive sex education for communities since it is a fundamental way to teach people about their rights, about how to love themselves and each other without violating anyone’s autonomy. Sex education is about human rights!

Which degree are you studying at Harvard Kennedy School, and what are your main areas of interest?

This is my first year in the Master of Public Policy program at HKS. Aligning with my experience, I will continue to focus on gender-based violence and labor rights, especially in the context of China and Latin America. At the same time, I have a wide range of academic interests in international human rights topics, such as human rights violations of AI and Big Tech, gender and state violence, and humanitarian response.

What drove you to join the Carr Center as a Student Ambassador? What do you hope to do during your time with the Carr Center?

As I have dedicated my work to community-building at different levels for years, I strongly believe in the value of real people in political discussions. HKS students, faculty, and affiliates deserve to gather around the Carr Center’s work to form a larger human rights community from which we can bring our shared learning to the world—and I want to contribute to this process.

Since joining the team, I’ve already organized a co-sponsored event between HKS’s Human Rights Professional Interest Council (PIC), the Latin American Policy Association, and the Carr Center. During my time here, I plan to facilitate more co-sponsored events like this, showing the people of HKS all the intersections of international human rights and their policy areas. I will also promote the Carr Center’s work in the Harvard student community beyond HKS.

Besides being active in the Human Rights PIC and the Latin American Policy Association, I also belong to the leadership team of the LGBTQ Caucus, a warm family for LGBTQ+ groups and allies at HKS. I look forward to channeling more research from the Carr Center in LGBTQ+ rights to this community!