Lessons Kenya can draw from the resignation of Harvard president

It's the dream university for any aspiring student from all corners of the globe. Being an alumnus of Harvard opens doors to opportunities and prestige. Its acceptance rate is about three per cent.

This exclusivity is a source of prestige; only a few walk along its hallways. During my visit, I observed students queuing to touch the left boot of the statue of the founder, John Harvard. It's considered a sign of good luck in exams.

The prestige of the university also comes from the fact that its alumni hold prominent positions in society, in both the public and private sectors. More importantly, they control the thought process through publishing in journals, books, and the general media. A good example is Michael Porter, whom every business or economics student knows, having accumulated 579,892 citations by January 5, 2024. Achieving 1,000 citations is considered an accomplishment for any of us.

Harvard, like all old universities, is a beneficiary of time, which helps in brand recognition. How many generations have gone through Harvard in its 368 years?

In Kenya, having gone through the 63-year-old UoN gives you brand recognition, unlike new universities. You are also likely to meet its alumni. Never mind, the university law of 2012 equalized all the universities. Previously, each university was established by an act of parliament, giving it a lot of independence.

The prestige of the university obeys the economic laws of supply and demand. That's why, except for short courses, you are unlikely to get an online degree from top universities like Harvard. Even Covid-19 did not increase the supply of degrees from such universities. They are wary of brand dilution.

The regular ranking that puts Harvard and other old universities at the top reinforces their prestige, some say elitism. So much so that we name our local schools and even hardware stores after Harvard. There is a "Harvard" in Embu, Dagoretti, and Nakuru. Seen it elsewhere?

Harvard is in the news, and it's about its leadership. Its first black president resigned after 6 months. She was accused of giving an academic answer to a very serious question about antisemitism on campus, along with presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). Only the MIT president has remained in office. The three are women summoned by the USA Congress to testify on antisemitism on campus. It's not clear why the three were selected. I will leave MIT and UPenn for now. The Harvard president's case was more dramatic. Read on.

The Harvard faculty expressed support for her despite her unsatisfactory answers to questions by US congressmen. Then the bombshell hit; she was accused of plagiarism, failing to cite other people's ideas, or presenting them as her own. In academia, that's equivalent to treason.

There are accusations that she did not cite some sources in her dissertations and research papers in her field of study, political science. Others, from major donors to conservatives, claimed she was a DEI hire. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DIE) is a policy that ensures in hiring; the three factors are considered, at times muting the qualifications. The insinuation is that she was hired to satisfy DEI, not based on her qualifications, which are stellar based on her alma maters and work experience.

DEI is a significant issue in the USA. Joe Biden, in Executive Order 13985 quoted on June 25, 2021, notes, "The Federal Government should have a workforce that reflects the diversity of the American people. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplaces yield higher-performing organizations." The same is expected of other institutions.

The use of DIE, conservatives argue, disadvantaged the majority, read the whites. That's why hiring for high-profile jobs like the Harvard president is often controversial. The DIE becomes more emotional when you add controversies and conspiracies like the great replacement theory. In its simplicity, the theory states that some elites are trying to replace the whites and their distinctive cultures with immigrants, read Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Arabs. No wonder they oppose immigration.

By having Claudine Gay, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, resign as Harvard president, the conservatives have won, and they may not stop at that. Remember, they hold sway in the US Supreme Court? They could return to the fold if Donald Trump wins back the White House.

DEI helps lots of marginalised citizens access opportunities they may not. We mimicked DEI through "Face of Kenya," which should be demonstrated in hiring. We can debate the extent to which our DEI is fair. We use it through a quota system in high schools and regional balance in government jobs. But there is always a big question, when does it end? One would have thought in a developed country like the USA, a job like that of a university president would not generate so much heat. Perhaps it reflects the influence of this university.

Any lessons for us from Harvard? The debate over Gay will not end soon, more so when race and gender are factored in. When I posted her resignation on the WhatsApp group of dons, there was total silence. Maybe we do not "feel" she is one of us.

It's time I reread the presidential working team report on education and link it to the Harvard story. One unintended consequence of the 2012 university law is that our universities lost some of their independence. Go through any graduation advert in our public universities and get an idea of who got the upper hand in this law. Free speech and academic freedom are at the heart of the big debate in the USA, pitting conservatives against liberals. What are the big debates in Kenyan higher education beyond CBC and its funding?

I think it's time we examined our own DEI and see if it's fit for purpose, especially in higher education. Let's end by asking who are conservatives and liberals equivalent in Kenya? And why are our university heads not called President despite so much Americanisation?