On October 4, 2025, at 11:00 am, the Memorial Church at Harvard University will host a celebration of the life and legacy of Professor Joseph S. Nye, Jr., who passed away in May at the age of 88.
Professor Nye was a distinguished thinker and one of the founding members of the Boston Global Forum’s Board of Thinkers, beginning with its very first day on December 12, 2012. From the outset, he played a vital role in shaping the vision and intellectual foundation of BGF, bringing his wisdom, humility, and global perspective to its mission of peace, democracy, and responsible governance in the AI Age.
To honor his memory, the Boston Global Forum will introduce a series of photographs capturing Professor Nye’s last moments in his office at the Harvard Kennedy School. On October 11, 2017, as he prepared to conclude his time in that space, Professor Nye presented to BGF the chair he had used for many years, along with two of his personal notebooks and two pens.
In those final moments in his office, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum, joined him in conversation, reflection, and shared remembrance. Together they spoke of ideas, vision, and responsibility — themes that Professor Nye championed throughout his life — while photographs were taken to preserve this intimate moment.
These images stand as a moving testament to Professor Nye’s generosity, his intellectual gifts, and his enduring connection to the Boston Global Forum. His legacy as one of the world’s leading thinkers on power, leadership, and ethics will continue to inspire generations to come.
