Overview:
Access to world-class higher education can be transformative for small island nations like Palau, strengthening national capacity and cultivating future leaders. This exploratory research examines the feasibility of a partnership between Harvard University and the Palau Government to expand pathways for Palauan students—especially in light of Harvard’s newly expanded financial aid program and the current absence of Palauan representation at the university.
Access to higher education plays a crucial role in national development, particularly for small island nations like Palau, where educational opportunities abroad can contribute to capacity‑building and leadership development. In March 2025, “Harvard University President Alan M. Garber and Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra on Monday announced that Harvard College will be free for students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less and tuition-free for students from families with annual incomes of $200,000 or less. This significant expansion of financial aid, which begins in the 2025-26 academic year, will make Harvard affordable to more students than ever, especially from middle-income families” (The Harvard Gazette, 3/17/2025). As one of the world’s leading academic institutions, Harvard University offers a wealth of resources and networks that could benefit Palauan students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to address local and global challenges. However, despite Harvard’s commitment to diversity and global outreach, Palauan representation within the university is not just limited—there are currently no Palauan students at Harvard, and there have not been any Palauans enrolled at the university before.
This exploratory research project seeks to examine the feasibility of a partnership between Harvard University and the Palau Government to enhance recruitment efforts and facilitate pathways for Palauan students to access Harvard’s academic programs. Specifically, the study will investigate:
1. Historical and Current Engagements – Analyzing existing connections between Harvard and Pacific Island nations, particularly any prior engagement with Palauan students.
2. Barriers to Access – Identifying financial, academic, and logistical challenges that may hinder Palauan students from applying to and attending Harvard.
3. Potential Collaboration Models – Exploring strategies that Harvard and the Palau Government can adopt, such as scholarship programs, preparatory initiatives, mentorship networks, and institutional partnerships.
4. Case Studies and Best Practices – Reviewing successful educational partnerships between Harvard and other underrepresented communities to inform recommendations.
Historically, Harvard University has played a significant yet largely unseen role in the Western Pacific. In April 1962, a US Presidential National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM-145) tasked Harvard Business School with initiating a process to integrate the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands into the American sphere of influence. NSAM‑145 established the political framework within which President Kennedy, more than a year later, dispatched a mission to Micronesia to delineate the contours of a colonial strategy that would be consistently pursued by subsequent U.S. administrations. This mission was led by Anthony M. Solomon, a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business Administration, and the resulting document became widely known as “The Solomon Report.” As Bob Aldridge and Ched Myers later observed, the report served as “the blueprint for U.S. neocolonialism in the Pacific” and “provides disturbing reading on American political ambitions” (Aldridge and Myers 1990, pp. 22, 23). In any event, Harvard now has a more urgent role to play in the education of students from the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
By conducting this research, I aim to provide actionable recommendations for establishing a sustainable partnership that promotes educational equity and strengthens Harvard’s presence in the Pacific. A successful collaboration would not only benefit individual students but also contribute to Palau’s long-term development by fostering a new generation of leaders with world-class education and global perspectives.
Palau, together with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, should actively pursue opportunities to connect their students with institutions such as Harvard. This effort could begin by inviting Harvard representatives to visit the islands and collaborate with local education officials on student preparation, admissions pathways, and application guidance.
Richard Salvador