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Harvard dean Khurana reflects on his journey
Khurana has lead the institute since 2014.
Rakesh Khurana / Harvard
Harvard College dean Rakesh Khurana reflected on his 11-year journey leading one of the world’s most prestigious institutions as his tenure comes to an end.
Khurana, who also holds positions as the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development and professor of sociology, plans to return to teaching within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at Harvard Business School.
Also read: Harvard dean Khurana defends diversity amid Trump’s DEI crackdown
“To be in a place where the past is being honored, the present is being contended with, and where the future is being shaped through research is an incredible privilege,” Khurana said.
Reflecting on his tenure, Khurana emphasized Harvard’s mission of fostering intellectual and personal growth. “Our aim has been to educate citizen leaders and be clear how we do it — through the transformative experience of a liberal arts and science education,” he told the Harvard Gazette.
Since his appointment in 2014, he has overseen significant institutional changes, including the expansion of student support services, a renewed focus on academic integrity, and initiatives to enhance intellectual engagement on campus.
Under his leadership, Harvard introduced an honor code, restructured the General Education program, and launched the Intellectual Vitality initiative to encourage deeper academic exploration.
"One of the things that I feel good about is that there’s a strong sense of understanding of the College’s mission. That clarity has let us take numerous actions on everything ranging from adopting an honor code, which is emblematic of the kind of aspiration that we want to have for our students, to the renewal of the Gen Ed program, which occurred at a time when there was a debate over whether it would even continue,” he explained.
Khurana lauded the college's aim of uniting people across the world, citing his own his upbringing in India. “Bringing together people who are, for the first time, living with and learning from people with very different backgrounds and experiences is probably the greatest opportunity we have."
Khurana, first arrived at Harvard in 1993 for graduate school, earning a master’s in sociology in 1997 and a Ph.D. in organizational behavior in 1998.
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