Students get a lesson from President Bienen in leadership and how to manage disagreement
Litowitz Center event focuses on navigating differences to improve communication
March 30, 2026
| By Brad Zakarin
The Litowitz Center’s year-long cocurricular offering trains students how to listen better, identify areas of (dis)agreement with others and communicate their perspectives in an increasingly polarized environment. Photo by Jill Norton
Interim President Henry Bienen recently joined students in the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement’s undergraduate certificate program to discuss how they are applying the program’s lessons in classes, the workplace, and conversations with family and friends. It was also a rare opportunity to ask a university president questions about leadership and how Bienen, specifically, has managed disagreement throughout his career.
The year-long cocurricular offering trains students how to listen better, identify areas of (dis)agreement with others, and communicate their perspectives in an increasingly polarized environment.
Eli Finkel, faculty co-director of the Litowitz Center, moderated the discussion in Schapiro Hall, one of the residential venues that hosts the program’s formal sessions. The coffee hour was a result of students’ desire to engage more with each other and special guests around the theme of enlightened disagreement.
When asked for life advice, Bienen shared a story of planning to leverage his Russian language skills for research in the Soviet Union (now Russia) and unexpectedly finding himself in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and learning Swahili. Through the personal anecdote, Bienen stressed the importance of being open to the unexpected and willing to adjust to new circumstances and information.
Slide 1: The event was a rare opportunity to ask a university president questions about leadership and how Interim President Henry Bienen, specifically, has managed disagreement throughout his career. Photos by Jill Norton
Slide 2: Eli Finkel, faculty co-director of the Litowitz Center, moderated the discussion in Schapiro Hall, one of the residential venues that hosts the program’s formal sessions. Photos by Jill Norton
“I enjoyed the chance to hear the perspective of someone who has spent their entire career working through disagreements and learning about the strategies they’ve picked up along the way,” said junior Ritvik Viniak. “I’m getting better at using disagreement as a tool to improve communication and develop better solutions.”
First-year Anne (Yu-En) Chiang said the intimate coffee hour with President Bienen “truly was an unforgettable experience,” adding that she sees the year-long program as “a unique space for us to engage with big ideas and connect them to real-world leadership” and would strongly encourage other students to participate in the future.
After a busy Winter Quarter, the Litowitz Center also organized five small-group dinner outings with Center leaders as well as a coffee hour with President Emeritus Michael Schill.
Brad Zakarin is curriculum director of the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement.
