And almost all of those affiliated with the school speak of the symbolic significance of a Harvard diploma. "Third World governments have an enormous respect for Harvard," Pyle says. "Just the name alone gives great prestige to an alum."

But some students criticize the value of the school's curriculum--which focuses on primarily American case studies. Fernandez, who sent a memo about the curriculum to faculty members, points to several problems with using American cases. Most, he says, assume a very stable environment and a working constitution which are often lacking in the developing world. "They don't teach you to react in a catch-as-catch-can world," he adds.

Also, Fernandez believes that looking at problems from an American perspective often reverses the vantage point most foreigners naturally have. Citing the study of energy policy, he says, "For a Third Worlder from an oil producing country, the goals of U. S. energy policy are contrary to his own country's. It's like looking at things from the other side of the barrel."

The K-School is trying to change its curriculum to include more foreign cases. Several new internationally oriented offerings have already born introduced. "Public Management in Developing Countries," for example, uses a large majority of non-American cases.

Fernandez and others contend a Harvard degree is primarily valuable as a credential for those who wish to go into "the establishment" in their home country.

"The problem is that 90 percent of the political talent in many developing nations is outside of the establishment and will never play an leadership role unless a government changes, or more specifically, is overthrown. So then you have to ask yourself, does this Harvard educations really have any pure educational value? The answer for some I'm afraid is no".

But others do not share Fernander pessimism "Truthfully, says one student the number of practical things we learn is not tremendous. But you gain a different perspective on yourself on your country on life by coming to the Kenedy School And that alone is pretty good".