In a reflective account following his final lecture at Harvard University, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras offered on Tuesday an overview of his recent academic residency, a three-week fellowship at the Center for European Studies. During his time at Harvard, Tsipras participated in a series of seminars, high-level discussions, and visits to leading research institutions, engaging with both academic and political figures on key global challenges.
Tsipras delivered three seminars on subjects ranging from Greece’s debt crisis and its recovery path, to geopolitical developments in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, to historical and modern perspectives on monetary unions. These lectures were hosted across Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Center for European Studies, drawing attention to Greece’s regional role, its diplomatic efforts under his leadership—such as the Prespa Agreement—and the parallels between ancient economic alliances and today’s Eurozone.
Among the notable individuals Tsipras met were former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former U.S. National Security Council advisor Fiona Hill, and Harvard scholar Shoshana Zuboff, with whom he discussed the implications of surveillance capitalism and the urgent need for democratic regulation in the digital age. He also visited major MIT research labs, including the Sea Grant Lab, the Nuclear Reactor Lab, and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, engaging with directors and researchers on topics ranging from ocean engineering to artificial intelligence.
Tsipras also connected with the Greek academic diaspora in Boston, attending a dinner hosted by chemical engineering professor Gregory Stephanopoulos and discussing ways to strengthen the ties between Greek researchers abroad and scientific development in Greece. He highlighted the importance of not just facilitating the return of scientists to Greece, but building lasting networks between them and domestic academic institutions and startups.
His stay coincided with mounting political tensions in the U.S., including a high-profile standoff between the federal government and Harvard over funding. Tsipras joined demonstrators in Boston, expressing solidarity with those opposing political interference in academia.
Reflecting on his experience, Tsipras noted the privilege of being immersed in a vibrant intellectual environment at a time of global uncertainty. As he put it, "In a world undergoing rapid and dramatic change, it is more urgent than ever to offer a progressive compass to confront the challenges ahead and build a better future."
