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From Demanding Change to Making It.

The Burnes Center designs and implements practical solutions to society’s hardest problems. We develop innovative, participatory, and equitable approaches to solving public problems using new technology.

from the burnes center

  • Rebooting Democracy – News That Caught Our Eye #9: March 25th, 2024

    Updates, research, and change-making that caught Burne’s Center’s Artificial Intelligence and Social Impact Fellow Jay Kemp’s eye, stories related to ways in which AI is…

    Mar. 25, 2024 | Jay Kemp | Reboot Democracy
  • Rebooting Democracy – News That Caught Our Eye #8: March 18th, 2024

    Updates, research, and change-making that caught Burne’s Center’s Artificial Intelligence and Social Impact Fellow Jay Kemp’s eye, stories related to ways in which AI is…

    Mar. 18, 2024 | Jay Kemp | Reboot Democracy
  • Let AI remake the whole U.S. government, with human ingenuity alongside data

    Burnes Center Direct Beth Simone Noveck reflects on Josh Tyrangiel’s latest Washington Post article.

    Mar. 14, 2024 | Beth Simone Noveck | Reboot Democracy

Burnes center projects

  • Impact Studio: Unlocking Literacy

    Convening community conversations on improving literacy and equity.

  • InnovateMA – AI For Impact

    Solving public sector problems by tapping into the potential of Artificial Intelligence and the talent of Northeastern students.

  • InnovateUS

    Delivering free online learning for public servants by public servants on data, digital, and innovation skills with an emphasis on evidence-based and equitable approaches.

  • Reboot Democracy

    Advancing collective intelligence with artificial intelligence.

  • Power at Work

    Contributing to a discourse in the United States that emphasizes the importance of collective action and puts workers and worker power at the center of…

  • The Internet We Deserve

    A Lecture Series on the history and possibilities of the Internet.

  • Impact Studio: Election Subversion

    Bringing together diverse experts to counter efforts that undermine the integrity of U.S. elections.

IN THE NEWS

  • Ted Landsmark on racism, the flag attack photo, and seizing a chance to make change

    Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director of the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University,…

    Mar. 21, 2024 | Ted Landsmark | Boston Globe
  • Rethinking the Future of Artificial Intelligence: Debunking the AI Risk Hype

    The Burnes Center Director Beth Simone Noveck explains AI tools are not sentient or human.

    Mar. 14, 2024 | Kevin Topolsky | EBlog.pl
  • Not Everyone Thinks AI Is Going To Destroy Us

    The Burnes Center Director Beth Simone Noveck explains AI tools are not sentient or human.

    Mar. 14, 2024 | Pymnts | Pymnts

upcoming events

  • Workshop

    Mastering dX: Upskilling Your Workforce for the Age of AI

    Burnes Center Director Beth Simone Noveck and Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris are joining Rick Maher to explore AI and its potential role in…

    12:30pm1:15pm

    Virtual

    Mar.
    28
    2024

  • AI In Action: Closing Plenary Session featuring Audrey Tang and Beth Novek

    Burnes Center Director Beth Simone Noveck is interviewing Audrey Tang, Digital Minister for Taiwan.

    12:00pm1:00pm

    In person: 716 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02120
    Virtual: Zoom registration

    Apr.
    05
    2024

  • TO BE RESCHEDULED: The Internet We Deserve with Shoshana Zuboff 

    On April 9 at 2 p.m., hear from Shoshana Zuboff, the author of three major books, each signaling a new epoch in technological society. Her…

    2:00pm3:00pm

    Northeastern’s Boston Campus, Exact Location TBD

    Zoom

    Apr.
    09
    2024

  • AI for Participatory Planning

    Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI Lecture Series presents “AI for Participatory Planning” with guest lecturers Damiano Cerrone and Liza Gazeeva from UrbanistAI. Co-hosted…

    5:00pm6:30pm

    In person: Ryder Hall, 11 Leon St #102 Boston, MA 02115

    Virtual: Zoom

    Apr.
    11
    2024

  • Workshop

    InnovateUS: Government and Higher Education: Partnering for AI Success

    2:00pm3:00pm

    Virtual

    Apr.
    18
    2024

  • Workshop

    InnovateUS: All Your AI Questions Answered!

    2:00pm3:00pm

    Virtual

    Apr.
    25
    2024

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Change-makers are made, not born.

Everyone has the potential and the power to become a successful problem solver.

We cannot solve tomorrow’s challenges with yesterday’s tools.

Innovative technologies, policies, and partnerships are required for systems-level change.

How you implement matters.

Solving problems in practice requires going beyond innovative ideas to implementation of equitable solutions that measurably improve people’s lives.

The future depends upon all of us.

Tackling systemic public problems demands that we work closely with communities from day one.

WHAT WE DO

  • Education

    Teaching and learning the skills of social change and impact

  • Research

    Building the emerging field of global social change and impact

  • Convening

    Connecting communities of mission-driven leaders

  • Action

    Leading implementation of innovative solutions in key areas, including education equity, strengthening democracy and reducing gun violence

EDUCATION

Solving Public Problems

Our free foundational course providing the skills to design and implement social change.

  • Tools and technologies for designing and implementing mission-driven projects
  • Ways to use Big Data and community wisdom to tackle problems  
  • How to combine subject matter expertise and problem-solving skills
  • An introduction to leading social and public innovators

Interactive exercises

Video tutorials

12-part online program

SOCIAL CHANGE AT NORTHEASTERN

As a university-wide center, we look for new opportunities to collaborate with others engaged in social-impact work.

OUR BENEFACTORS

About the Burnes family

The Center is named in recognition of the generous investment made by the Burnes Family: Nonnie and Richard Burnes, and their three children, who have championed many social causes.

Nonnie Burnes, who passed away in August 2021, leaves behind a remarkable legacy defined by her selfless commitment to making real change in her communities and around the world. A 1978 Northeastern School of Law alumna, Nonnie pursued equality and justice, and was passionate about empowering others. She was a leader in the Massachusetts legal community and left a legacy of championing women’s rights and liberties. She upheld and advocated  these ambitious values while serving on Northeastern’s Board of Trustees and as a senior university fellow at the university’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.   


“For all who were fortunate enough to know her, Nonnie Burnes was a pure joy; a person of unequaled spirit, courage, and grace, with a passion for helping others that defined her every undertaking.”

JOSEPH E. AOUN
PRESIDENT, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

MISSION AND VISION

The challenges societies face today cannot be solved with yesterday’s toolkit. The Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University advances real-world impact by teaching individuals and institutions the skills needed to design and implement innovative and equitable solutions to our hardest problems. In the process, we are building a new field of social impact that leverages data, technology and community wisdom and the power of institutions to enable systems-level change in practice.

NEWSLETTER

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