Research and Education for Communities in Humanitarian Crisis

The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) is a university-wide academic and research center in humanitarian crisis and leadership. Our mission is to create new knowledge and advance evidence-based leadership in disasters and humanitarian crisis. Our work focuses on two main areas: the Humanitarian Academy at Harvard and Research & Translation.

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The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

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Humanitarian Academy at Harvard

HHI produces a variety of online and in-person trainings designed to prepare students, practitioners and emerging leaders to succeed in the humanitarian field. 

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Professional Education

Professional Education

Programs to train emerging leaders, executives, and practitioners on best practices to maximize impact in their humanitarian work.

Online Education

Online Education

Free online courses that focus on the fundamentals of humanitarian response.

Harvard Students

Harvard Students

Activities and offerings to prepare Harvard Graduate and Undergraduate students to enter humanitarian careers. 

Research and Translation

HHI programs explore topics critical to communities affected by crises, such as disaster preparedness, risk resilience, humanitarian negotiation, gender-based violence, program evaluation, and the ethical use of data in humanitarian settings.

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Humanitarian Strategies

Investigates how to advance the humanitarian field, focusing on the critical areas of negotiation, leadership, education, and evaluation.

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Risk, Resilience, and Response

Examines the impact of complex humanitarian emergencies and aims to find ways to improve resilience and response.

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Technology and Innovation

Explores the impact of emerging technologies on the humanitarian field, focusing on both ethical and technical considerations.

Featured Course

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Building a Better Response

Free online course that aims to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian practitioners. Links to an external site.

Field Perspectives Video Series

In the face of crisis, one female humanitarian in Yemen coordinate logistics for international humanitarian organizations. This is the story of how logistician Farah Altarifi entered a male dominated part of the humanitarian sector.