Harvard University today announced two new professorships in civil discourse and one in artificial intelligence, thanks to gifts from alumni Alfred Lin ’94 and Rebecca Lin ’94. These professorships are part of a broader endowment that supports these important areas of research within the Faculty of Humanities.
The gift comes in the wake of the university’s recent release of a new report on a public survey that provides recommendations to faculty and students about how to debate and disagree in the classroom and within the larger campus community. Last year, Edgerly Family Dean Hopi Hoekstra launched the Civil Discourse Initiative at FAS, and undergraduate students participated in the Intellectual Vitality Initiative, both of which foster constructive conversations within Harvard. .
“Alfred and Rebecca’s support will help advance civil discussion practices and research in our classrooms and campuses, and accelerate innovation and discovery in AI,” Hoekstra said. “Their formative experiences as students and their enduring commitment to Harvard University are evident in this touching gift.”
The gift represents the Lins’ continued contributions to the university over more than 30 years and was presented in celebration of Harvard’s 30th alumni reunion. This new gift is part of a larger gift from the Class of 1994, which this year set a record for the 30th alumni campaign, the highest-grossing alumni campaign in Harvard history. A total of 599 class members donated more than $200 million.
Rebecca and Alfred Lin.
Lin’s gift grants the Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professors in Civil Debate and the Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professors in Artificial Intelligence positions at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. will be given. Lins’ gift also launches the Edgerly Family Dean Innovation Fund for Generative AI.
“What I’m saying is that Harvard students often strive to do ‘both,’ rather than settling for ‘one or the other.’ “Alfred and Rebecca perfectly demonstrated the spirit of possibility with their latest act of generosity,” said President Alan Garber. “By dedicating their support to civil discourse and artificial intelligence, they are strengthening the foundations of our campus culture and pushing the boundaries of educational practice. Advances in these two areas will help the university We are deeply grateful to the Lins for their support and their vote of confidence in Harvard University.”
“We came to Harvard with strong values. Some of those values have been challenged. Some of them have been reaffirmed. And we believe that here, through dialogue, I believe it will continue to be a special place for advancing important ideas,” said Alfred Lin.
“Although Alfred and I have always tried to support Harvard in any way we can or continue to do so, we also believe in supporting Harvard during difficult times and want to help in times like these. “I think so,” Rebecca Lin said.
The Lins hope their gift will help support an environment where people “have different opinions but are not unpleasant.” Alfred audited the government course “Justice” previously taught by Michael Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, and Harvey Mansfield, the William R. Kennan Jr. Professor Emeritus of Government. (and recently updated by Sandel). He remembers two professors trying to find the truth and taking opposing political views on a controversial topic.
Alfred Lin and Rebecca Lin, Harvard University, 1994.
“They would advocate extreme views. They were never offensive, they were always thought-provoking,” Alfred said. “We modeled what we learned about social discourse in ‘Justice’ and other classes as we talked around the table at the Quincy Grill.”
It is in these memories that the Lins endowed two professorships in the field of civil debate. The Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professor of Civil Discourse recognizes faculty for five-year terms who have made significant contributions to developing students’ ability to engage in meaningful dialogue through teaching, advising, and mentoring. The second Lin professorship will support faculty members whose research and teaching focuses on civil discourse and dialogue, ethics, academic freedom, and free speech.
Alfred studied applied mathematics and Rebecca concentrated on physics in college. The couple’s previous gifts were drawn to support financial aid for undergraduate students pursuing applied science and engineering. Their interest in advances in computer science and artificial intelligence is reflected in the SEAS Professorship and a new endowment called the FAS Dean’s Innovation Fund, which aims to bring to the fore the importance of integrating generative AI tools into teaching and learning. I am.
Alfred Lin is a partner at Sequoia Capital, which invests in early-stage companies in financial technology, robotics, healthcare, and more. He is on several boards including Airbnb, DoorDash, Houzz, and Zipline. Rebecca Lynn is an artist credited with storyboarding for various Walt Disney Animation Studios television series and feature film Recess, School’s Out. She serves on the boards of the California Academy of Sciences and the UCSF Foundation. The couple previously worked at Zappos, with Alfred serving as chairman and chief operating officer and Rebecca managing real estate.
