“People who knew something talked together, totally informally,” recalls Prof. The Berkman Center for Internet & Society began as a seminar. Nesson and that small, original Berkman cohort “it seemed obvious that we were moving into a different environment in which We the People could connect.”
It was 1995, back when Yahoo was a hand-curated listing of sites, and it was still unusual to see a business advertise its Web address. Myles agreed it would be a wonderful thing to have a center to explore and expand the Internet and society…And that was it.” “Around the table were Fern-my partner and spouse-and Myles Berkman, and me. Charles Nesson, sitting on the porch of his house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It got started around this table,” recalls Prof. It was written by David Weinberger-a former fellow (2004-2009) and current senior researcher at the Center, and member of its Fellows Advisory Board-with the active collaboration of Berkman staff, fellows, and faculty. We focused on the current state of the program in this report, using past experiences only to illuminate success factors and opportunities for growth. The Fellows program has evolved over time.
From these interviews a remarkably consistent set of themes emerged. We approached writing this report as a journalistic task, interviewing a cross-section of fellows, faculty, and staff, including during a group session at a Berkman Fellows Hour. The aim is to derive lessons that can be applied to other institutions. This report was funded by the Ford Foundation, long a supporter of Berkman Center programs and events, to explore what makes the Berkman Fellows program successful. It’s quite possible that an email has been sent to their mailing list inviting any and all to assemble for a meal at a local restaurant or, increasingly commonly, at the one of fellows’ homes where a meal will be prepared, usually collaboratively.Īt the end of the day, the fellows will have worked at their own paces, had lively conversations with colleagues, been stimulated by a talk from an expert likely out of their own field, engaged in cross-disciplinary discussions in a group of the whole, discovered a new shop or pub in Harvard Square, deepened social bonds at an informal dinner, and been stretched in purposeful and serendipitous ways. Some go back to their individual work or to the collaborative projects at the center of their fellowships. The format varies, and the discussions are usually spirited.Īt four, the fellows drift into smaller informal groups. Attendees try to finish the lunch the Center provides before the speaker throws the session open for discussion.Īt two o’clock, the fellows assemble for the only regularly scheduled time for all of them to be alone together. The attendees from the Center and the community routinely over ow into the Center’s small lounge. Others might be working at home, attending a class or event at the University, or enjoying Cambridge - especially if the Tuesday was after this winter’s epic high tide of snow had ebbed.Īt noon the fellows gather for the Tuesday talk, usually featuring a guest or a fellow. On any particular Tuesday morning in the spring semester of 2015, in the Victorian house the Berkman Center shares with a handful of other Harvard organizations, you would have been likely to find Berkman Fellows hanging out in one of the rather small public areas, laptops open and earbuds plugged in, or talking with other fellows in the kitchen or lounge area. Introduction A Good Day to be a Berkman Fellow