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Events

Explore our upcoming events, find video and audio from our past events, and subscribe to stay updated on all of our talks, panels, and live webcasts.

Welcome to the Berkman Klein Center’s events. These get-togethers are all about having great conversations and making new connections in a friendly and inclusive space. We believe everyone has something interesting to say. Please bring your ideas, experiences, and unique perspectives. Feel free to critique ideas and speak from your own experience, all in the spirit of lively and respectful discourse.

Thanks for helping us create a great community atmosphere!

Our hybrid and virtual events are hosted on Zoom with closed-captioning. Questions can be submitted to the moderator, who will highlight popular and emerging themes and relay them to the speakers. Please note that translation services are currently unavailable.

Public event recordings will be available one week after the event. You can find them on the event page or BKC’s YouTube channel. For the latest updates, follow BKC on X or LinkedIn.

Respiratory illnesses like flu, COVID-19, and RSV affect millions annually. Protect yourself and others by wearing a high-quality face mask in crowded indoor settings and staying home if you're unwell.

Harvard University and the Berkman Klein Center welcome individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact our Event Specialist at [email protected] in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for American Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the University will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.

For further questions about accessibility on Harvard's campus, we invite visitors to check out Harvard University Disability Resources page and the Digital Accessibility page.

For in-person attendees, below is a list of resources regarding parking and accessibility at HLS. Harvard is a tough area to find parking, but we do have a number of options around Lewis.

For those with accessibility needs who have handicap parking permits:

  1. Private HLS parking is available at 10 Everett St Garage (the garage recommended for events) for a moderate fee. Passes must be purchased in advance and printed ahead of time. For more info on Accessible Parking at HLS click here.
  2. Public handicap spots are spread out throughout Cambridge. Click here for a guide to public Cambridge parking, and click for campus interactive accessibility maps. The closest spots within reasonable walking distance and NO major roadways to cross are located at 2 Kirkland St, 23 Everett St, and 12 Oxford St. All 3 locations are located within 1 block of Lewis. Please note, so long as the driver has a legal handicap permit, they can park at any public, paid metered spot, or "Residents Only" spot in Cambridge, but MUST have their permit displayed at all times in their car window. If the permit is not visible, they will be ticketed and/or towed. They do NOT need to park in a handicap spot so long as their permit is visible.
  3. The most accessible streets to park on (meaning no major roadways to cross and within reasonable distance of Lewis) are Everett St, Oxford St, and Kirkland St.

For those not using handicap parking permits:

  1. Private HLS parking is available at 10 Everett St Garage, 52 Oxford St Garage, and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. These are the 3 privately owned Harvard garages recommended. Click here for daily permit purchasing information, which must be done ahead of the event. A day rate is $25. Click here for Harvard’s Parking Map.
  2. Public, metered parking spots are available. They range in maximum parking time limit from 2-4 hours for $1.50-$2.00/hour. Please note, if you pay using the mobile Passport Parking app, you will NOT be able to renew your session once it ends. You will have to feed the meter using coins as the app will not permit you to surpass the maximum parking limit. (continued below).
  3. Car-pooling and public transportation are great ways to save money and time. These methods of transportation are highly recommended to those who can do so! 

The Berkman Klein Center is located on the 4th and 5th floors of the Lewis Law Center. The street address is 1557 Massachusetts Avenue. Most events occur in the 5th floor multipurpose room. The Center is wheelchair-accessible and includes accessible restrooms. The building is key card access only. For public events, staff will be stationed at the door to allow entry.

If an event is being catered, it will be noted in the event description and you will be prompted to indicate your dietary preferences on the RSVP form. Food is always offered on a first come, first served basis. The more we know, the better we can prepare, so please always RSVP. If you were unable to RSVP, please still come but consider not taking a meal unless there is an abundance.

Using a variety of local caterers, BKC does its best to provide an assortment of clearly labeled dietary options at all catered events. We usually have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.

For all event related needs or concerns, please contact someone on our Events Team at [email protected] or call our Event Specialist at 617-384-0596. Thank you.

Past Events

Event
Jul 11, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Weapons of Math Destruction

How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Please join us for a timely discussion of the role of data science in public life. All are welcome at this free event open to the public!

Event
Jun 28, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Jonny Sun and Jonathan Zittrain in conversation

Author of the Book “everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too” by jomny sun (the aliebn)

Join Jonny Sun, the author of the popular Twitter account @jonnysun, for a conversation in celebration of his new book “everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too” by jomny sun (the…

Event
Jun 26, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Expanding Access to Medicines and Promoting Innovation

A Practical Approach

Global Access in Action: Conversations in Global Health, Innovation, & the Digital World

Event
Jun 23, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy

with the author, Berkman Klein Center Faculty Associate Tressie McMillan Cottom

A former insider discloses the story behind for-profit schools to explain the exorbitant price tags, the questionable credentials, and the lose-lose options for Americans seeking…

Event
Jun 12, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Potential Uses of Miniature Spectrometers to Mitigate the Health Crisis in Developing Countries

featuring HLS Professor William Fisher

Global Access in Action: Conversations in Global Health, Innovation, & the Digital World

Event
May 23, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Can We Talk?

An Open Forum on Disability, Technology, and Inclusion

This event was co-hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and Harvard Law School Dean of Student's Office, Accessibility…

Event
May 16, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

How to regulate the future of finance?

featuring John Schindler from the Federal Reserve, Jeff Bandman from the CFTC, and Valerie Szczepanik from the SEC

Event Description US market regulators offer perspectives on the benefits and risks of the financial technology revolution from distributed ledgers, p2p marketplaces and…

Event
May 11, 2017 @ 8:30 AM

Next Gen Podcast Distribution Protocols

Innovation and Governance in Open Development Initiatives

The goals of the symposium include furthering cooperation among various players in the world of podcast creation and distribution and consideration of recommendations on standards…

Event
May 9, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Twitter and Tear Gas with Zeynep Tufekci

The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest

Join us for this firsthand account and incisive analysis of modern protest, revealing internet-fueled social movements’ greatest strengths and frequent challenges.

Event
May 3, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Digital Rights and Online Harassment in the Global South

featuring Berkman Klein Affiliate, Nighat Dad

An inside look at the challenges facing women, human rights defenders, and other internet users in Pakistan, from online harassment to privacy and free expression.

Event
May 2, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

The Quantified Worker

with Berkman Klein Fellow, Ifeoma Ajunwa

To apply to Futurecorp, please submit your resume, list of references, and a genetic profile. Once hired, we'll make an appointment for you to receive a sub-dermal tracking…

Event
Apr 27, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Holding Hospitals Hostage

From HIPAA to Ransomware

For hospitals and healthcare providers, data protection efforts have long been driven by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This talk will look at recent…

Event
Apr 25, 2017 @ 10:00 AM

Meeting 21st Century Municipal Internet Access Needs

Perspectives from Boston City Hall and Brookline on City and Regional Infrastructure Planning

Hosted by Responsive Communities, a project of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

Event
Apr 25, 2017 @ 4:00 PM

The International State of Digital Rights, a Conversation with the UN Special Rapporteur

David Kaye in conversation with Nani Jansen Reventlow

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, David Kaye, is joined in conversation by Nani Jansen Reventlow, a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center…

Event
Apr 25, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Digital Expungement

Rehabilitation in the Digital Age

Can digital technology lead to the extinction of criminal rehabilitation? How should policymakers strike a balance between protecting civil rights and public safety while ensuring…

Event
Apr 19, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

A More Perfect Internet

Promoting Digital Civility and Combating Cyber-Violence

An exploration of issues related to digital incivility with an emphasis on cyber-violence. When digital turns incivil, how does the law respond?

Event
Apr 18, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Internet Access as a Basic Service

Inspiration from our Canadian Neighbors

Join the Berkman Klein Center and the HLS Canadian Law Student Association as Mr. Blais speaks about broadband, internet, and the future of connectivity in Canada and around the…

Event Series

Digital Health @ Harvard Lunch Series

The Digital Health @ Harvard brown bag lunch series features speakers from Harvard as well as collaborators and colleagues from other institutions who research the intersection…

Event
Apr 17, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

JP Onnela

This is a talk in the monthly Digital Health @ Harvard Brown Bag Lunch Series, which is co-hosted by the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy,…

Event
Apr 14, 2017 @ 5:00 PM

In Dialogue with Loomio & Enspiral

Moving Platform Cooperativism from Theory to Practice

Join some of the worker-owners of the Loomio co-op for an inside look at some of the more mature experiments under the “Platform Cooperativism” umbrella.