Garber Opens 375th Commencement With Defense of Academic Freedom

University President Alan M. Garber ’76 opened Harvard’s 375th Commencement with a defense of academic freedom and open inquiry, nodding to the University’s ongoing effort to answer critics who say the school has grown intellectually closed off.

Garber praised the graduating class for modeling the values he said Harvard must continue to protect, commending students for their ability to “disagree constructively, listen generously, and speak freely.”

“By championing academic freedom and open inquiry, you have fortified this great American university, reminding so many of the myriad ways in which this institution helps people discover more about themselves, about one another, and about the world,” he said.

As he did in last year’s Commencement address, Garber did not directly reference Harvard’s dispute with the federal government. But he acknowledged the “legitimate concerns of our critics” and framed the University’s response as a renewed commitment to free expression.

Harvard has faced mounting scrutiny — from inside and outside its gates — over whether its campus culture discourages dissenting views. Garber has spent the past two years attempting to prove those allegations wrong.

In his Thursday remarks, Garber pointed to the various civil discourse projects that have headlined his tenure thus far — an interfaith initiative, a Building Bridges Fund, and a concerted effort to increase pluralism programming on campus.

“Our cause is just. Our principles are worthy. And our contributions to the common good are vital,” he said.

Garber positioned his push to increase intellectual diversity and open debate as a moral imperative in the pursuit of truth.

“Free and open inquiry must be protected and nurtured,” Garber said. “The unfettered pursuit of knowledge — Veritas — must be protected and nurtured. Because truth without liberty is a fire without air.”

But Harvard, Garber said, should not rest on its laurels.

“This moment demands of us ongoing vigilance and unyielding effort as we continue to defend the University and its ideals,” he said.