HLP Expands Research Service Learning (RSL) Opportunities -- HLP currently is working to establish a RSL pathway in the public policy curriculum. Read more.

At research institutions such as Duke University, research is the cornerstone of intellectual activity. The Hart Leadership Program places a strong emphasis on the research component of its pedagogy. We are actively involved in a number of campus-wide and national assessment efforts to gauge the impact of our academic programming on students’ intellectual, ethical and civic development.

The scope and focus of our research scholarship and activities are described below.

Research Service Learning - In South Africa, townships struggle to curb youth violence. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, former neighbors look for ways to mend the deep, damaging rifts created by civil war. And in Durham, North Carolina, a crisis response center strives to improve its support services for victims of sexual assault. At Duke, students are using an approach called Research Service Learning (RSL) to explore these and other issues. Learn more.

Assessment and other Faculty Research – As the Hart Leadership Program continues to refine and enhance its leadership development pedagogy, we actively seek opportunities to gauge how best to help young adults succeed in a rapidly changing and competitive world. On Duke’s campus and through national partnerships, we are documenting why our approach – combining critical reflection, experiential learning, and an emphasis on writing – is so successful, while learning from and collaborating with our colleagues engaged in similar activities. We're also sharing -- through books, articles and presentations -- our insights into what it takes to unlock the leadership potential of individuals and groups. Learn more.

HLP Library - From Inside the Resistance, a behind-the-scenes account of the Iraqi insurgency, to Enrique's Journey, the harrowing story of a Mexican boy's quest to be reunited with his mother, today's best-selling nonfiction captures the complexities of such pressing issues as U.S. foreign policy, illegal immigration, and the on-the-ground implications of well-intended but problematic policy decisions. The Hart Leadership Program library offers these and more than 850 other book titles for loan to Duke faculty, students and staff. Themes include global health, political ethics, American government, leadership and personal development, politics in the Middle East, research methodology, and community activism. Learn more.