To our colleagues, friends, and supporters,
Recently, we have witnessed unprecedented attacks on scientific discovery, scholarship, and students, especially international ones. We are in an extraordinary and perilous moment that demands a steadfast response. As Harvard University defends academic freedom, we recommit ourselves to advancing the science of data, and we invite you to support our efforts.
As leaders of a data science initiative at Harvard, we are reminded that data science stands in contrast to partisanship and division. It is grounded in objectivity and the pursuit of truth. Its power lies in extracting insights from massive, complex datasets that transcend ideology, helping us make informed decisions for the greater good.
Pick an issue that is important to you: whether you can ensure that a family member receives the best treatment for a disease, whether you can protect your home from the next climate-related disaster, whether you can be assured that you are breathing clean air, or whether you care about equitable access to high-quality education. There is so much at stake. Our current AI revolution is advancing solutions for all these challenges and more. It must be informed by solid evidence. Solid evidence requires data and data science.
But these advances we celebrate are hard-won and did not happen overnight. They are the result of years of work, substantial federal government investment, and endless hours of teaching and community building. And continued progress is fragile: what took decades to build is disappearing, hour by hour.
In this critical moment, the Harvard Data Science Initiative and the Harvard Data Science Review support research and education in the pursuit of truth. We enable access to data and the development of advanced data analytics and AI capabilities for informed data-driven decision-making. We embrace the AI revolution with a human-centered approach, prioritizing responsibility, ethics, and interpretability. We provide learning opportunities for the next generation of researchers who will drive scientific discovery and those who will transform industry through AI to drive economic growth.
As we recommit ourselves to accelerating scholarship across all disciplines through data science and AI, we invite you to learn more about the Harvard Data Science Initiative, engage with the Harvard Data Science Review’s data science coverage, and support our community. We will continue to pursue truth for the benefit of society, and we hope you will join us.
Sincerely,
Francesca Dominici, HDSI Faculty Director
Stratos Idreos, HDSI Faculty-Co-Director
Liz Langdon-Gray, HDSI Executive Director
Xiao-Li Meng, HDSR Editor-in-Chief
Rebecca McLeod, HDSR Managing Director