Harvard University made history on 15th December by appointing Claudine Gay - a woman of colour - as its president.
Gay is Harvard’s first president of colour - and the second woman - to hold the role in the university’s nearly 400 years of history. In a video, Gay said: “For me, this role is about harnessing the power of ideas and supporting the people who pursue them. Few things give me more joy, more energy, than talking to a colleague working in a field that’s new to me or hearing the questions that are on the mind of a new generation of students. These conversations let me see the world with fresh eyes.”
Gay, who is 52 years old, has led Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences as the Edgerley Family Dean since August 2018, having served previously as Dean of Social Science from 2015 to 2018. She was recruited to Harvard in 2006 as a professor of government.
Daughter of Haitian immigrants, she said in the video: “...for those who are beyond our gates, if this prompts them to look anew at Harvard, to consider new possibilities for themselves and their futures, then my appointment will have meaning for me that goes beyond words.
“Our community is a large and diverse team and we are united by a shared commitment to academic excellence and leadership and all the values that ensure it. Embracing those values, especially academic freedom and wide open inquiry, is not only the path to excellence but it’s how we harness our breadth and diversity to build the legacy that our institution deserves.”
