The first round of the Director's Internship application closed on Sunday, February 2 at 11:59 PM EST. These applications are being processed. We are accepting applications to a smaller subset of organizations from Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 24. 

Students may only submit 1 application to Round 2 of the 2020 Director's Internship Program. Students who applied to the 2020 Director's Internship Program prior to Sunday, Feburary 5, 2020 (Round 1) are still eligible to submit one additional application. 

Eligibility: All Harvard College undergraduates who are returning to campus in Fall 2020 may apply. Former Director's Interns are not eligible to apply.

Office Hours: Friday, February 21 from 2-3 PM at the Institute of Politics (L-166)

Application Deadline: Monday, February 24 at 11:59 PM EST

Join Professor Michael Sandel, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, and Gwyneth Williams, Shorenstein Center Fellow, for a discussion covering the competition of ideas in today’s polarized environment.

Join us in the JFK Jr. Forum for a live screening of the final Democratic Debate before the Nevada caucus. Watch the candidates live from the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, NV. Doors will open at 8:30PM.

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163) 

Topic: The Dangers of Demagoguery

Guest: Evan McMullin (Former Operations Officer, CIA; Independent Candidate for President during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election)

Description: There’s been a rise in nationalist populist movements across the globe. How has the movement influenced the American political landscape? Are democratic norms, institutions and ideals under threat as a result?

IOP Resident Fellow Tara Setmayer is a CNN Political Commentator, ABC News Political Contributor and former GOP communications director on Capitol Hill.

Location: Institute of Politics (L-166) 

Topic: Diplomacy in the Age of Populism

Description: For this session, I will talk about Brexit. I spent close to 20 years of my career on EU policy and negotiation. With the invaluable benefit of hindsight, I think I can now see some of the mistakes that the British government made which contributed to public disillusion with the EU. But there were other factors too, notably a largely hostile media.

IOP Resident Fellow Lord Kim Darroch's diplomatic career spans over 40 years, primarily focusing on national security issues and European policy while serving as the British Ambassador to the United States (2016-2019), National Security Adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron (2012-2015), Permanent Representative to the European Union (2007-2011), and EU Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair (2004-2007).

Location: Starr Auditorium, Harvard Kennedy School

Learn about careers in politics and public service from an accomplished panel of young professionals, recent graduates from Harvard College, and current graduate students: 

• William Greenlaw (College '17) is a first-year law student at Harvard Law School. 
• Makeda Daniel (College '19) is a Support Services Advisor at The Steppingstone Foundation
• Emma Ogiemwanye (GSD '20) is a Master's Candidate in Urban Planning & Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 
• Osaremen Okolo (College '17) is the Senior Health Policy Advisor for the Office of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)

Co-Sponsored by IOP Internships & Career Services, Black Pre-Med Society, Harvard Society for Black Scientists and Engineers, Black Pre-Law Association 

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163) 

Topic: Who Is Challenging Us and What Do They Want? Threats to the 2020 Election

Guest: Shelby Pierson (Intelligence Community Election Threats Executive)

Description: Revelations of Russian influence efforts illustrated how a small investment by a skilled adversary can cause chaos in the American political system. As other adversaries have learned from Russia’s actions in the 2016 election, how has the threat of malign influence proliferated in 2020? Who else is attempting to influence American politics and how has the threat evolved in four short years? Mark Harvey is joined by Shelby Pierson, the Intelligence Community Elections Threat Executive, to examine the landscape of influence operations.

IOP Resident Fellow Mark P. Harvey is the former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council Staff, and over the past 15 years, has helped author a wide variety of plans, policies, and doctrine to foster resilience through effective risk management.​

Location: Institute of Politics (L-166) 

Topic: Staffing an Elected Official

Guests: 

• Michelle Rothblum (Director of Scheduling, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris; Former Principal Associate Director of Scheduling, The White House)
• Josh Hsu (Former Policy Director, Kamala Harris for the People; Former Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris)
• Emily Langner (Former Associate Staff Secretary, The White House)

Description: This session will go over the key elements of serving as a trusted advisor to an official. We will go over how staff can thrive in this environment, stay one step ahead, and what missteps to avoid.

IOP Resident Fellow Rohini Kosoglu is a senior advisor to U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris, having most recently served as Chief of Staff to her presidential campaign, Kamala Harris for the People.

RSVP here.

In light of the novel Coronavirus and its rapid spread across one of the most populated nations in the world, Robert Delaney will be able to give him some insight into its impact on China and the world, and what the outbreak has shown us about politics.

Robert Delaney is the South China Morning Post’s North America bureau chief. He spent 11 years in China as a language student and correspondent for Dow Jones, Newswires, and Bloomberg and continued covering the country as a correspondent and an academic after leaving. His debut novel, The Wounded Muse, draws on actual events of Beijing’s changing landscape while he lived there. His areas of expertise are China news, market news, international relations. He speaks English and Mandarin.

This IOP event is the second Forum in our 2020 Election series featuring embedded reporters sharing stories from the presidential campaign trail. We will reflect on the outcome of the New Hampshire primary with national political reporters who are covering Democratic primary candidates: Astead W. Herndon (The New York Times), Josh Lederman (NBC News), Arlette Saenz (CNN Political Correspondent), and Sean Sullivan (The Washington Post) in conversation with IOP Senior Fellow and The Washington Post chief correspondent Dan Balz.

Location: Institute of Politics (L-163)

Topic: The Republican Party Post Impeachment —What’s Next?

Guest: Michael Steele (Chairman, Republican National Committee, 2009-2011; Lieutenant Governor, Maryland, 2003-2007)

Description: During the impeachment trial, the Republican party circled the wagons for President Trump, ultimately leading to an acquittal in the Senate despite almost half the country in favor of removal according to several polls. However, over several election cycles, the Republican party electorate appears to be contracting not expanding. GOP elected officials are retiring in droves. Suburban voters are abandoning the party. It’s becoming older and whiter. Is this the Trump effect? Is it sustainable? Can the trend be reversed?

IOP Resident Fellow Tara Setmayer is a CNN Political Commentator, ABC News Political Contributor and former GOP communications director on Capitol Hill.

Location: Institute of Politics (L-166)

Topic: Diplomacy in the Age of Populism: Introduction & Overview

Description: For the opening session, I will discuss the role of a diplomat; how an embassy functions; what an ambassador does; and the contrast between bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. I will then talk about the evidence that populism is on the march across Western democracies (and more widely); set out why I think this matters; list some of the possible factors; suggest some specific issues for future discussion; and invite initial thoughts and comments.

IOP Resident Fellow Lord Darroch's diplomatic career spans over 40 years, primarily focusing on national security issues and European policy while serving as the British Ambassador to the United States (2016-2019), National Security Adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron (2012-2015), Permanent Representative to the European Union (2007-2011), and EU Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair (2004-2007).