Elizabeth Mou '28

Elizabeth is a junior in Pforzheimer House studying Government and Psychology, with a secondary in African Studies. As an international student from Juba, South Sudan, Elizabeth grew up in a country home to more than sixty ethnic groups and languages. Religious, ethnic and communal divides were at the foundation of her interest in alternative solutions to resolving conflicts. These experiences shaped her interest in civil discourse and her belief in the power of dialogue to bridge differences and transform conflict. For Elizabeth, intellectual vitality begins with the ability to question not only the ideas of others, but also the pressures and assumptions that shape our own choices. She is particularly interested in what gives people the courage to say no to ideas, expectations, and social pressures that conflict with their values, and, just as importantly, to understand and articulate why.

Before Harvard, Elizabeth worked to expand opportunities for children and young people to participate in national dialogue in South Sudan. She helped establish the South Sudan Children’s Parliament and later led child-participation programming with Save the Children, mentoring many young people and supporting youth representatives who participated in international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly and conferences of the parties and the African Union Assembly. As Head Girl of her secondary school and chairperson of its Child Rights Club, she organized discussions and workshops on children’s rights and advocated for South Sudan’s ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. These experiences taught her that meaningful dialogue not only requires equal participation from all sides but also creating conditions in which all sides can question, disagree, listen, and speak with conviction without fear of persecution and retaliation.

At Harvard, Elizabeth serves as Global Partnerships Chair of the Harvard African Students Association (AfriSoc), where she works to expand access to internships and career opportunities for African and African-descendant students, particularly in the humanitarian sector across Africa, Europe, and the United States. At the Mattering Initiative Student Advisory Board, she contributes to building a campus culture where students experience belonging beyond achievements. She is also involved with the Institute of Politics through the Women’s Initiative in Leadership and the Global Affairs Program. On the Intellectual Vitality Student Advisory Board, Elizabeth hopes to bring intellectually vital conversations into the everyday spaces of Harvard, from House gatherings, dining hall meals, to student organizations. She is interested in exploring how social pressure, identity, and belonging influence whether students express disagreement or remain silent. She hopes to help cultivate a Harvard where intellectual courage means having the maturity to sit with conflicting beliefs and trying to understand them. She hopes that Harvard can become a place that shapes students’ ability to listen to dissenting opinions with the humility to examine why one believes it—while also imbuing the confidence to question those beliefs, and the curiosity to understand those who see the world differently.