Harvard’s Engagement in U.S. Policy towards Asia

This panel critically examines Harvard’s historical participation in shaping U.S. policy and intervention in Asia across the twentieth century. From its role in advancing colonial governance in the Philippines and influencing immigration policy through the 1924 Asian Exclusion Act, to its involvement in the Vietnam War and its entanglements with Thai political life, the panel considers how academic authority, expertise, and institutional networks at Harvard contributed to the formation and implementation of U.S. strategies in Asia. These cases invite reflection on the broader responsibilities of universities in global political histories.