Christiane Amanpour’s Commencement Speech at Harvard Kennedy School (May 28, 2025)

CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour delivered the commencement address at Harvard Kennedy School on May 28, 2025, speaking to 605 graduating students from 38 U.S. states and 86 countries — the most cosmopolitan class in the school’s history, with 59% international students.

Key Quotes

“America needs ambassadors like you.” — Amanpour urged graduates to pursue government service and public roles at a time when institutions face what she described as “wholesale destruction.”
“The truth will still get out no matter how many words are banned.” — Defending journalism and free expression amid increasing pressure on media worldwide.
“Be truthful, not neutral.” — Her professional mantra, emphasizing that journalism’s role is to report facts accurately rather than creating false equivalence between truth and misinformation.
“Moral courage can often be harder even than physical bravery.” — Telling graduates they will face moments requiring them to “speak up, to not follow the herd, to break with the tribe.”

Main Themes

Moral Courage

Amanpour emphasized that graduates will face defining moments that require standing up for what is right, even when it means breaking with peers or powerful institutions. She described moral courage as potentially harder than the physical bravery required in war zones she has covered throughout her career.

Defense of Public Service

She spoke forcefully against the dismantling of government institutions, specifically citing USAID and the Peace Corps. Her message to the graduates — many of whom came to Harvard Kennedy School specifically to pursue public service careers — was to enter government and be the “ambassadors” America needs.

Journalism as a Pillar of Democracy

Drawing on her decades of reporting from conflict zones around the world, Amanpour called journalism “a vital pillar of any civil society and functioning democracy.” She pushed back against the idea that journalists should be “neutral” rather than truthful, arguing that false balance undermines public understanding.

Empathy and Bridging Divides

Amanpour advocated for understanding opposing perspectives through “empathy, which is the foundational stone for any peacebuilding.” She urged graduates to listen to those they disagree with while still holding firmly to factual truth.

Academic Freedom

The speech came at a significant moment for Harvard, which had been engaged in a public dispute with the Trump administration over research funding and international student enrollment policies. Amanpour’s remarks on truth and institutional integrity resonated with this backdrop.

Personal Story

Amanpour shared her own experience as a foreign student who arrived in the United States during Iran’s 1979 revolution, when Iranian students faced hostility on American campuses. She connected this personal history to the experiences of the international students in the graduating class, many of whom navigate complex political dynamics between their home countries and the U.S.

About the Event

The Harvard Kennedy School Class of 2025 included students from 86 countries, making it the school’s most internationally diverse graduating class. The commencement took place on Harvard’s campus on May 28, 2025.

Source: Harvard Kennedy School