When sophomore Natalie Bernstein was deciding where to attend school, she recalls, “I was debating between universities and the fact that SNF Agora was on campus really sparked my interest in Hopkins.” Now a double major in political science and psychology, with a recently declared minor in civic life, Bernstein has found JHU to indeed be a campus where empathy is just as important a tool as data analysis.
“Sometimes people think that those who think differently than them either don’t care, want people to suffer, or are just oppositional or contrarian. It’s important to show people what they have in common.”
Bernstein serves as secretary of a student group called IDEAL, which hosts speaker events and roundtable discussions on timely issues, structured to expose students to diverse perspectives. “We bring students together to talk about current events…to get students engaged and talking with each other across partisan lines in a constructive space” she explains, noting that many political disagreements stem from shared concerns viewed through different lenses.
Bernstein sees the act of coming together, with openness and intellectual humility, is important for our understanding of global democracy. In class, Bernstein admits that she started out with “a bit of an American exceptionalist view,” but a first-year seminar called Democratic Erosion, offered by SNF Agora, opened her eyes to how other countries with constitutions modeled on the U.S. have slipped into autocracy. Understanding global patterns, she realized, requires a combination of empathy and serious inquiry into human behavior—two themes that guide her studies.
Bernstein’s approach comes down to recognizing the power of respectful listening, even when the facts are disputed. She acknowledges that “a lot of times people are living in different realities,” so instead of dismissing them outright, she stresses patience. “I think it’s important to be empathetic,” she says, especially given how misinformation can take root in insulated information environments. For Bernstein, empathy doesn’t mean conceding to falsehoods; it means taking the time to hear what people believe and why, then gradually introducing credible evidence to foster greater understanding.
Through SNF Agora, Bernstein feels she’s found the perfect environment to blend inquiry with action. While she’s deeply interested in the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of politics, she also strives to engage in tangible conversations that unite people across divides. Bernstein is also energized by the opportunities SNF Agora provides to interact with scholars who merge academic work with real-world solutions. Her conviction remains steadfast: constructive disagreements and solutions can follow if people focus on shared humanity first. And she sees these convictions borne out in the work of institute faculty and fellows.
In a university best known for laboratories and medical discoveries, Bernstein’s journey shows how civic research, empathy, and inclusive dialogue can flourish just as vibrantly, proving that the science of democracy is as vital as any other field—and, in many ways, just as urgent.