“I Want to Learn”
by Stephen Steacy on March 11, 2009 in Opinion
A student practices his Telugu script on the chalkboard in a Rishi Valley classroom. Photo: Stephen Steacy
Just seventy miles away from the economic miracle of Bangalore, India, with its gleaming IT campuses reminiscent of Silicon Valley, lies an obscure rural valley experiencing a miracle of its own: the Rishi Valley Education Center. While Rishi Valley may not have the media appeal of companies like Infosys and other upstart IT companies that are changing the way the world does business, it is having a profound and fundamental impact on the Indian educational system. Read more
International Students Struggle to Finance Their HKS Education
by Ronald Philip on March 11, 2009 in Opinion
Saturday evenings are the bleakest for many international students at HKS. Unable to afford a dinner out with classmates, they eat instant noodles at home and scour the net for fellowship opportunities, part-time jobs, and that elusive paid private sector internship that might make it financially possible for them to come back to HKS for their second year. The financial crisis has exacerbated the debt woes of many HKS students and the worst hit are from developing countries. These students’ public service dreams stand to be sacrificed at the high altar of debt unless HKS expands aid and loan repayment programs to international students. Read more
So Wrong, and Yet, So Right
by Emily Cadik on March 11, 2009 in Opinion
Early spring is the best. The snow is starting to melt, the trees look like they might someday sprout leaves, and inspired conservatives from around the country descend on Washington, DC for the best televised event of the year: CPAC. The Conservative Political Action Conference always promises hours of truly inspiring entertainment, and this year was no exception.
I was fortunate enough to attend CPAC as a wee undergraduate interning in DC. My mission: collect egregious literature for the progressive advocacy group I was working for. So I threw on some pearls and a George Bush button and set on my way. Several hours later, I walked out in a Reagan-induced haze, my bag brimming with exciting loot, like a fetus bookmark and a pamphlet on the woman’s role as homemaker. I also had new friends, like the two old white women manning the Black Republicans table. Read more
KSSG Releases Results of Student Survey
by Tina Chong, Editor-in-Chief on March 11, 2009 in News
• Teaching quality, financial aid, OCA among top student concerns
The KSSG released results from its school-wide student survey. The online survey, administered during the week of February 17, sought student feedback on a variety of topics, from faculty quality to school policies like bidding and shopping days. The comprehensive survey received high response rates from nearly all of the degree programs, with an overall response rate of 85 percent. Read more
PAEs, SYPAs Bring Stress and Excitement to HKS Second-Years
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on March 11, 2009 in HKS News
As the snow melts and winter turns slowly into spring, second-year students in the MPP and MPA/ID programs are increasingly feeling the pressure of their respective capstone masters projects: the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) for MPPs and the Second Year Policy Analysis (SYPA) for MPA/IDs. Read more
One Year Out
by Samina Uddin, Features Editor on March 11, 2009 in Features
Seven HKS ’08 alums reflect on their Kennedy School experience and how it got them to where they are today.
- The Writing Life by Karim Bardeesy (MPP ‘08)
- Reaching out to Americans in Tough Economic Times by Kirsten Broderick (MPA ‘08)
- From HKS to the PM’s Strategy Unit by John McDermott (MPP ‘08)
- Lessons Learned by Ben Renda (MPA/MBA [Sloan] ‘08)
- Changing the World, One Country at a Time by Tamas Landesz (MC/MPA ‘08)
- Beyond Private Sector Considerations by Waqar Ali (MPA/MBA [Sloan] ‘08)
- Combating Terrorism at the Defense Intelligence Agency by Jacky Hardy (National Security Fellow ‘08)
Artist-in-Residence: Justin Barra, MPP ’10
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on March 11, 2009 in Culture
Justin Barra is a first year MPP student studying education policy. He spent the last six years in San Francisco working in education and playing with his band, Smith Point. The band has recorded two CDs, and its music has been featured on several national television shows and commercials. Read more
Beyond Private Sector Considerations
How will the economic crisis affect Obama’s healthcare plan? Who will be the winners and losers? This was my first case assignment as a consultant at Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. Read more
TQM SOPs at HKS
by Stephen Ander on March 11, 2009 in Opinion
One of the predictable side effects of the recent economic crisis has been skyrocketing numbers of graduate school applications. Specifically at the Kennedy School, a member of the admissions committee reported that the admissions office has received over 1,700 MPP applications for the incoming fall class, up from 1,200 last year.
While these numbers can be a beneficial burden to help HKS glean the best students, no doubt these students are not just applying to the Kennedy School. They will have a bevy of top policy, law, business, and government programs from which to choose. Given this competitive environment, the Kennedy School must innovate to continue to attract the cream of the crop. My fresh and simple recommendation would be to weave facets of Total Quality Management (TQM) into the HKS standard operating procedures (SOPs). Read more
Reaching Out to Americans in Tough Economic Times
by Kirsten Broderick on March 11, 2009 in Features
Last fall at HKS, I spent every free minute studying “Case In Point” or stalking friends with consulting gigs to practice case-based interviews. Prior to HKS, I had never considered consulting – but because it provided challenging work, and enough compensation for rent and my student loans, it seemed to be the only realistic career option. Read more
