Shots In The Dark: He's Killing Them in Asia

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

He's Killing Them in Asia

Larry Summers is hugely popular in India, China and other Asian nations, according to the International Herald Tribune.

It is going to be so interesting when Summers returns to Cambridge! He has done an impressive job of rebuilding his reputation everywhere outside 02138 (and, to some extent, inside it). He goes to Davos, to the Aspen Institute, to Washington—all places that play to his strengths. His column in the FT seems to be well-liked. He may or may not be writing a book.

I can't help but think that his presence at Harvard is going to be tricky for Drew Faust, who has many merits of her own but can not match Summers in terms of ability to make news and sheer intellectual firepower.

¶ 8:52 AM

Comments:

Yikes. In light of the last thread but one, the title you've chosen for this post seems to invoke, quite tastelessly, a different President.

Unintentional surely.

SE

# posted by Anonymous : April 17, 2007 9:01 AM

Unintentional, yes. Violence may just be on/in my mind this morning.

# posted by Richard Bradley : April 17, 2007 9:02 AM

"sheer intellectual firepower"---if there was one thing to be learned from summers' presidency, it was that sheer intellectual firepower counts for nothing in the absence of common sense or basic civility. and many wonder if sheer intellectual firepower was nothing more than assertiveness run amok.

# posted by Anonymous : April 17, 2007 9:36 AM

Summers ability to make headlines is of course not the same as the ability to make institutional changes.

Harvard would do well to document where things are at present in those areas most likely to engage Summers speaking power. This way it would be easy to remind him or others if and when his prose gets ahead of himself.

For example, you mention International Affairs are likely to continue to engage Summers attention. Where is Harvard really internationally? TS seems to think that in terms of number of foreign students and scholars things are today worse than they were prior to Summers arrival. It might be useful to get the hard facts on record and to make sure those who matter know the facts.

Summers talked much about study abroad, but another poster brought up the Crimson article highglighting that they were closing study abroad programs because of lack of student interest.

# posted by Anonymous : April 17, 2007 9:36 AM

Agreed. Summers record internationalizing Harvard wa sso poor that the University is about to lose a major gift for this very purpose.

# posted by Anonymous : April 17, 2007 9:38 AM

If Summers is so popular outside of Harvard, why won't someone offer him a job so that he can LEAVE? He's like a guy who can't move on when the girl has told him that it's over. Instead, he keeps calling the girl, criticizing her new boyfriend, and haunting her steps.

Summers fans: please send job offers that will help the guy move on and regain some dignity.

# posted by Anonymous : April 17, 2007 10:19 AM

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