Julien Berman
Latest Articles
An Endowment Tax Is Worse Than You Think
As I’ve written previously, university spending generates enormous social good. That’s why, for generations, the government has subsidized our research. Now, in a complete about-face, the Trump administration wants to punish us for it.
To Kill a University
Killing American universities, arguably the greatest innovation engines in human history, will not only destroy higher education as a catalyst for social progress, it may also forever cripple the American economy.
Should Harvard Admit More Rich Kids? Actually, Yes
So, sure, get rid of admissions preferences for legacies. Hell, do the same for recruited athletes. But maybe it would be best for Harvard to avoid biting the hand that feeds it.
Have Harvard Students Become More Progressive? I Used Data To Find Out.
Students — at least, those who write opinion articles for college papers — have, in fact, become more progressive along almost every possible axis.
Allston Is Gentrifying, but Harvard Isn’t To Blame
Harvard owns 360 acres of land in gentrifying Allston, but is it actually shaking up the economic landscape?
For Harvard, the Name Is the Game
Yes, Harvard already receives hundreds of millions of dollars annually in current use gifts. But we should get more. My strategy: First, sell even more naming rights, and second, let the market set their prices.
Students Make Bad Career Choices. Harvard Should Step In.
Harvard isn’t a government, but it does have a vested interest in the contributions that students make to society once they graduate. As such, Harvard can and should take similar steps to influence students’ choices.
Teach for Prestige
The million dollar question: How can we incentivize more college students — especially ones graduating from Harvard and other elite institutions — to become teachers?
The Conveyor Belt To Corporate Law
So, to all students interested in using law to change the world: Don’t let yourself get swept up in the corporate current. Recognize the structural forces you will need to constantly resist. Otherwise, you’ll probably wake up in 20 years at a large law firm, whether or not that’s what you really wanted.
Taking the Ivory Out of the Ivory Tower
Higher education appears to be locked in a vicious cycle: Students of color have less access to support and mentorship, leading to less faculty diversity, which in turn makes it harder for students from underrepresented communities to envision themselves in faculty positions. Underrepresented students should be supported at every step on the path to professorship.
Latest Media
With Billions at Risk, Eight Affiliates React
Across the country, the White House has taken the unprecedented step of dangling federal funds as a bargaining chip in its engagement with universities. This week, they came to Harvard under the auspices of an investigation into antisemitism. At a crossroads for our University and higher education as a whole, hear from eight affiliates — among them a former Harvard Hillel President, experts on authoritarianism, and a graduate suing the University — on what comes next. — Max A. Palys ’26 and Saul I.M. Arnow ’26, Editorial Chairs