MIT Center for International Studies

Explore the rest of our précis issue here: cis.mit.edu/publications...

Following a $45 million gift from the Stanton Foundation, @ssp-mit.bsky.social launched the Center for Nuclear Security Policy
to expand its leading work on the vital issue of global nuclear security.
Read about CNSP in our latest edition in précis: cis.mit.edu/publications...

Don’t miss this opportunity to join a vibrant scholarly community! Apply today to be part of the 2026-2027 cohort of Postdoctoral Associates at CIS!
Learn more about this exciting role and how to apply here: cis.mit.edu/opportunitie...

Washington has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Indian goods in response to India’s purchases of Russian oil.
“India’s request to purchase Iranian oil runs counter to Trump’s long-standing opposition to measures seen as strengthening Tehran,” Papa said.

“Its core message remains: strategic autonomy comes first. But with Washington increasingly assertive and linking trade incentives to India’s energy choices, New Delhi is aware ties may now depend on a tangible response,” Papa said.

Is India buckling under US pressure on Russian oil purchase? New Delhi may import oil from US-blacklisted suppliers such as Iran and Venezuela, according to media reports.

Mihaela Papa, director of research and principal research scientist at CIS, said India was treading carefully, continuing to import Russian oil while signalling its openness to talks with Washington:
www.scmp.com/week-asia/ec...

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Laidlaw Scholars Program, to be administered through MIT-UK! Made possible by a generous $1.1 million gift from the Laidlaw Foundation, this initiative focuses on shaping MIT undergraduates for ethical global leadership.
cis.mit.edu/news/mit-int...

Explore the full issue here: cis.mit.edu/publications...

John Githongo, our 2024-2025 Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow, weighs in on the implications of Trump's efforts to reconfigure the international business playing field by pausing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Read his commentary in the latest edition of précis here: cis.mit.edu/publications...

On climate, America is more than Washington In spite of drastic federal rollbacks, numerous public and private actors remain committed to environmental causes

"America’s federal retreat on the environment is very real. But the country is also unique in its private and organized capacity... Much of America is still trying to play its part in mitigating climate change." writes Evan Lieberman (@evlieb.bsky.social), director of CIS.
ft.com/content/a3d9...

Mai Hassan, associate professor of @mitpolisci.bsky.social and faculty director of the MIT-Africa Program, co-authored a guest essay in @nytimes.com discussing the consequences of the international community recognizing Sudan’s juntas.
Read here: nytimes.com/2025/09/21/o...

@mitsloan.bsky.social

YouTube video by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) The World at MIT: Fiona Murray

Fiona Murray, faculty director of the MIT-UK Program, reflects on her path to becoming a professor at MIT, her research interests, and MIT's global community.
Watch here: youtu.be/G-XX-Ul0V0Q?...

Attention MIT faculty: Our 2025-2026 Global Seed Funds application is now open!
Our Global Seed Funds (GSF) program enables MIT faculty to launch innovative research projects with peers at universities and public research institutions around the world.
Learn more here:
cis.mit.edu/opportunitie...

Evan Lieberman (@evlieb.bsky.social), director of CIS and professor of @mitpolisci.bsky.social, will speak on Boundaries of Contagion: How Ideas About Us and Them Shape the Politics of Global Health on September 17, 2025, at 2:30 PM, in the Singleton Auditorium at MIT Building 46.
Learn more below:

In ‘darkest of times,’ young Israelis and Palestinians become business partners - The Boston Globe Two organizations with Greater Boston roots turn to tech and entrepreneurship to bridge the fraught divide in the Middle East.

MISTI-MEET brings together young Israeli and Palestinian leaders to create positive change and promote intercultural dialogue through technology and entrepreneurship, as highlighted in @bostonglobe.com.
Read the spotlight here: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/06/b...

Our new issue of precis is here! This edition features interviews with Director of Research Mihaela Papa and Wilhelm Fellow Dafna Rand, essays on corruption and nuclear intelligence, a spotlight on @ssp-mit.bsky.social Center for Nuclear Security Policy, and much more.

cis.mit.edu/publications...

Why countries trade with each other while fighting MIT political scientist Mariya Grinberg’s new book, “Trade in War,” examines why warring countries keep trading with each other.

Mariya Grinberg (@mitpolisci.bsky.social, @ssp-mit.bsky.social), examines the curious phenomenon of economic trade during military conflict in her new book “Trade in War."
Read more about her new book and research here: news.mit.edu/2025/why-cou...

How MIT MISTI is helping international students build tech careers in the Netherlands From AI algorithms to medical devices, MIT MISTI interns are bringing technical skills and entrepreneurial mindset to the Netherlands.

This summer, the MIT-Netherlands Program placed 26 students to work across a diverse ecosystem of startups, scaleups, SMEs, and research institutions, contributing to advancements in AI, MedTech, and sustainability.
Read the spotlight here: siliconcanals.com/mit-misti-ne...

Welcome back to campus! Last week at the Academic Expo, our MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI) team greeted MIT’s Class of 2029 and introduced them to the exciting global opportunities offered through MISTI programs!

“…American foreign policy could better serve our country & the world w/ an approach that harnesses the power of national pride while valuing a global playing field,” writes @evlieb.bsky.social in @nytimes.com.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/o...
@ssp-mit.bsky.social @mitpolisci.bsky.social @mit.edu

Congratulations to the third cohort of Pathways@GDL students on completing their summer internship! Pathways@GDL is funded by @mitpolisci.bsky.social, @mit-cis.bsky.social, and MIT-Africa. Read more about this summer's cohort below:

NATO at 75: Rebalancing the Transatlantic Alliance Despite modest increases in European defense spending, the United States still carries a disproportionate share of the continent’s defense burden.

Barry Posen, Ford International Professor of @mitpolisci.bsky.social and former director of @ssp-mit.bsky.social, was recently featured on a panel on rebalancing the transatlantic relationship, hosted by @cato.org.
Watch here: www.cato.org/events/nato-...

A hand places a tile on a game board.

Erik Lin-Greenberg lectures at the front of a room.

A Chinese flag in the foreground with a game board in the background.

Eric Heginbotham lectures in front of a fireplace and American flag.

On July 20-24, SSP’s Wargaming Lab held its annual Summer Wargaming Institute at the MIT Endicott House. The Institute, led by the Lab co-directors Erik Lin-Greenberg and Eric Heginbotham, is a four-day “bootcamp”-style program attended by participants from academia, government, and think tanks.

Lights Out? Wargaming a Chinese Blockade of Taiwan A Chinese blockade of Taiwan could see the greatest naval battles since World War II. Twenty-six wargames illustrated the risks to China, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States that would ensue. Prepara...

Eric Heginbotham, principal research scientist at @ssp-mit.bsky.social, co-authored a @csis.org report based on 26 wargames simulating a Chinese blockade of Taiwan.
Read the report here: www.csis.org/analysis/lig...

YouTube video by J-WAFS at MIT The Jameel Index Forum: Food Trade in the Current Age of Uncertainty

Mihaela Papa, director of research and founder of our BRICS Lab, delivered the thematic address at the launch of the Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability. Watch her address and the event below: youtube.com/watch?v=1kvI...

Lauren Sukin (@laurensukin.bsky.social), Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at @ssp-mit.bsky.social, recently co-authored a study examining US public opinion on relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Read more below:

How China hounds pro-democracy activists in Boston - The Boston Globe Dissidents in exile in the US face surveillance, harassment, and sometimes threats from agents linked to the Chinese government.

Alicia Chen, the 2025 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow, explores how pro-democracy dissidents in Boston face surveillance, harassment, and threats from the Chinese government.
Read here: bostonglobe.com/2025/07/18/o...

Julia Lodoen

“I am very thankful to have received the Guillemin Prize, which allows me to continue this research by visiting archives in Argentina and Uruguay. These archives contain documents created and circulated by the military regimes in both countries, which allows me to examine the inner workings of the coercive apparatus, as well as decisions about repression.” Julia Lodoen

Congratulations to SSP PhD candidate Julia Lodoen on receiving the Jeanne Guillemin Prize!

The @mit-cis.bsky.social Guillemin Prize supports research for women PhD candidates studying international affairs.

YouTube video by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) The World at MIT: Yasheng Huang

Watch the latest #ThinkBigThursday episode with Yasheng Huang (@yashenghuang.bsky.social), faculty director of the Center’s MIT-China program. youtu.be/AmrzGl5XWeI?...
@mitsloan.bsky.social