From the Dean

We anticipate the start of every new academic year with excitement and optimism. However, events that unfolded during 2023-2024—in Israel and Palestine, and then on college campuses across the country, including here at Harvard—shook and tested Harvard Business School. It was difficult to learn that some members of our community felt unseen, unwelcome, or unsafe. With humility and a commitment to address our shortcomings, we began work last January to ensure that the School exemplifies inclusive excellence and is a place where everyone can thrive.
Even as we strived to address these challenges, the core work of research, teaching, and learning continued. HBS faculty members embraced the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), finding ways to incorporate ChatGPT into their courses and leveraging it to enhance the learning journey across our educational programs. The Digital Data Design Institute (D^3) accelerated its efforts to bring research-driven insights about AI to business leaders, convening hundreds of alumni and other practitioners for a groundbreaking AI conference in Klarman Hall last spring. The Information Technology (IT) and Digital Transformation (DTx) groups pushed the boundaries of AI bots and other tools in ways that will transform how we teach and learn. Outside of the digital realm, the Institute for Business in Global Society (BiGS) hosted roundtable discussions with business leaders around the world, delving into the role that business should play in addressing a range of complex challenges including climate change, racial equality, and economic inclusion.
The knowledge our faculty generates from these and other activities feeds directly into our classrooms, and our educational programs remain strong. The MBA and Doctoral programs continue to attract immensely talented and passionate applicants from around the globe; Executive Education brought more than 12,000 participants to campus for a mix of focused, custom, and comprehensive leadership programs; and HBS Online marked its tenth anniversary by enrolling nearly 42,000 learners, bringing the total to just over a quarter of a million since 2014.
None of this would be possible without the dedication and generosity of HBS alumni. We continue to be driven by our mission of educating leaders who make a difference in the world. Our alumni—the organizations they lead, the communities they serve, the impact they realize—are the measure of our success. We want to be present for our alumni throughout their professional journeys and are excited to imagine how new AI tools will enable us to reshape the arc of a lifelong relationship with the School.
You’ll read about all of this and more in this annual report, which also features a deep dive into our financials and some other key metrics on the health and vitality of Harvard Business School.
Srikant Datar
Dean of the Faculty