Harvard Kennedy School celebrates our graduates as they advance public service across the globe.
Our graduates embody the HKS mission that skilled, bold leadership and smart public policy can improve lives everywhere.
Visit commencement.harvard.edu for general information about Harvard Commencement.
Dean Jeremy Weinstein encourages the Class of 2026 to revitalize the technology of democracy in an age of optimization
“We don’t get to choose the biggest challenges of our time—we only choose how we respond to them,” Dean Jeremy Weinstein told the master’s and PhD students who graduated on Thursday, May 28.
Livestreams
Zanny Minton Beddoes MPA 1992 delivered the 2026 HKS graduation address
Minton Beddoes has led The Economist as editor-in-chief since 2015. Under her leadership, The Economist has grown to 1.25 million subscribers and strengthened its standing as one of the world's most authoritative voices on economics, politics, and global affairs. In her address, she asked HKS graduates to drive change amidst challenge.
Graduating Student Profiles
For Sisay Lelissa MPA/ID 2026, opportunity comes with responsibility
Sisay Lelissa MPA/ID 2026 reflects on the journey that brought him from Ethiopia to Harvard Kennedy School—and on his commitment to turning opportunity into impact for communities across Africa.
A vital link between astronauts and mission control
After a year at the Kennedy School, Grier Wilt MC/MPA 2026 returning to NASA ready for next lunar missions.
The obligation of talent
Simone Ginanneschi MPA 2026 believes talented people have a moral responsibility to give back to their communities.
Believing in the power of the people
Paige Swem MC/MPA 2026 believes real change happens when institutions share power with the people.
Ready to move mountains
Aïssata Lam MC/MPA 2026 on leaving government office for HKS, becoming a mother, and her next phase of impact.
Meals, friendship, and the economics of belonging
Gabriella Fleischman PhD in Public Policy 2026 traces how a simple dinner invitation in rural Malawi can ease loneliness, spark new livelihoods, and reshape our understanding of inequality.
For the HKS Class of 2026
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