Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University

The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics engages in teaching and research about pressing ethical issues; fosters sound ethical reasoning and civic discussion; and brings its work to the broader community in the public interest. Under the leadership of Professor Danielle Allen, the Center is home to fellowship programs, strategic initiatives, and public events that address practical ethical questions across a wide range of fields – from business to social policy, democratic institutions, Artificial Intelligence, and many more.

In the spring of 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Edmond and Lily Safra Center marshalled its deep and multi-disciplinary intellectual resources in support of an integrated policy response to the pandemic that sought to align objectives of health, economy, justice, and democracy. The result was three policy roadmaps, 23 white papers, technical advisory manuals, and data tools for practitioners and the public that helped people understand what was needed to protect lives, liberties, and livelihoods simultaneously.

Among its other initiatives, the Center has taken the lead in encouraging the creation of a range of new undergraduate courses at Harvard and, in partnership with schools and universities across the country, the growth of ethics-oriented courses and high-quality instructional resources for students of all ages nationwide.