By Ruthie Gottesman MPP 2025
Harvard Kennedy School students are busy during the summer months, putting their classroom training to work to deepen their understanding, apply new skills, and bring their knowledge to a new challenge, professional sector, policy area, or part of the world.
Ruthie Gottesman MPP 2025 was part of the inaugural cohort of the David Gergen Summer Fellowship, a program designed to foster pathways to public service for emerging leaders by enabling meaningful summer internships in public service and leadership. Read what Ruthie shared about the experience.
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The last time I lived in London, it was 2019 and I was immersed in Shakespeare’s world, studying his plays in performance during a dedicated study abroad program through my university. Upon returning this summer through the David Gergen Summer Fellowship and starting my internship with the Government Innovation team at the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), I felt much more aware of the political landscape and the pressing issues facing the UK and the world.
However, upon reflection in my final days here, my internship has been the perfect bridge between my study abroad experience as an English literature major and my recent career shift into public policy. Shakespeare’s themes of how the individual relates to their government have found unexpected echoes in my work here at TBI. Just as Henry V and King John grapple with questions of leadership and public trust, I found myself analyzing how artificial intelligence (AI) can reshape the relationship between governments and their citizens.
“In a fast-changing world, thoughtful policy analysis can help leaders adapt and take advantage of new technologies for the greater good.”
At TBI, I’ve been excited to contribute to two reports. The first, on governing in the age of AI, allowed me to explore how technology can enhance governance and public service delivery at the local authority level. We surveyed how AI can address pressing issues such as record levels of unmet care needs and homelessness. Second, I delved into reimagining digital public infrastructure, building out a guide for policy leaders.
Three key learnings stand out from my experience. First, I saw the importance of creating good policy before navigating the political landscape, rather than letting politics limit our ability to envision solutions. Second, I learned to move beyond financial constraints and instead focus on how to restructure services to make them better, cheaper, and more efficient. Finally, I recognized the necessity of framing research output to follow a compelling and accessible narrative, ensuring that busy political leaders can grasp the insights and guidance we provide.
I am incredibly grateful to the Gergen Fellowship for providing the tailored support that helped me find and make the most of this opportunity. As I return to Harvard Kennedy School to complete my Master in Public Policy, I am inspired to continue pursuing a career dedicated to how governments can use technology to transform public services. In a fast-changing world, thoughtful policy analysis can help leaders adapt and take advantage of new technologies for the greater good. As the Bard reminds us in Hamlet, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
The David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program supports trailblazing public service and leadership opportunities, enabling a select number of Harvard Kennedy School students to gain meaningful, practical, hands-on experience and develop important networks through summer internships in government or nonprofit service.
This post was originally published on the Center for Public Leadership website.
