For part of this time, Zakaria served as a nonresident tutor in Adams House.

Former dean of the Kennedy School of Government Joseph S. Nye called Zakaria “a terrific choice” for Commencement speaker.

Zakaria “has a deep love for America, but also the critical detachment from someone who has seen it from a distance as well as up close,” he said.

Nye, who was a professor of international affairs during Zakaria’s time as a graduate student at Harvard, recalls conversing with Zakaria about his thesis, remembering him as “a very serious scholar” who was “very interested in theory” and was among the “brightest of his cohorts.”

Although Nye said he expected Zakaria to touch on the problems facing the United States as it enters a phase of decline, he said he would not be surprised if Zakaria spoke about something entirely different.

“He’s a very original mind,” Nye said. “You never know what he’s going to say.”

Zakaria—who has also given graduation speeches at Brown University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale University, among other institutions—said his role as a Commencement speaker reminds him of his age.

“I’ve always thought of myself as vaguely postgraduate. You no longer think of yourself as a bright young thing when you’re giving speeches to bright young things,” Zakaria said.

Zakaria—who is a member of the Yale Corporation—said he will be rooting for Yale at this year’s Harvard-Yale football game so as not to violate his fiduciary duties.

But if Harvard wins, he said, “I’ll be at the 50 yard line cheering them on.”

—Staff writer Rebecca D. Robbins can be reached at rrobbins@college.harvard.edu.