MIT Center for International Studies

06/04/2026

“I believe that we're in a geopolitical moment that really calls on CIS and CIS strengths, and by that I mean that the questions of technology and research and development in the hard sciences are fundamental to almost every single question we ask on international affairs.”

Dafna Rand, PhD, joined MIT Center for International Studies as its 2025–2026 Robert E Wilhelm Fellow, bringing decades of experience in foreign policy, government service, and think tanks.

Rand has held multiple leadership roles in the US government, most recently serving as US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor through May 2025. Her research and publications focus on international security and democratic reform, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and include two books on the topic.

At CIS, she has been instrumental in launching MENA Futures, an initiative that fosters thoughtful, multidisciplinary conversations about how MIT can engage with the region.

Learn more about her research during her fellowship here: https://youtu.be/fyjFohaqUn0?si=pHN-oS8B4LTdt1-x

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Dafna Rand, PhD, joined the MIT Center for International Studies as its 2025-2026 Robert E Wilhelm Fellow. She served as the US assistant secretary of state ...

06/03/2026

Join us tomorrow at 12:00 PM for Best Practices to Save Multilateralism.

Mihaela Papa, director of research and principal research scientist at CIS, will join a panel of experts discussing vulnerabilities in the current multilateral order and innovative approaches to restoring trust and strengthening global cooperation. The discussion will draw on findings of a three-year project conducted by ENSURED.

A virtual attendance option is available. Learn more here: https://unu.edu/cpr/event/best-practices-save-multilateralism

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Exploring the vulnerabilities of the current multilateral order – and the innovative practices required to strengthen global cooperation

06/03/2026

Israel announced it’s expanding attacks in Lebanon, targeting the outskirts of Beirut.

05/28/2026

Congratulations to our graduates!

Congratulations to our Political Science PhDs! We celebrate the dedication, determination, and creativity of all of our graduates and look forward to staying in touch in the coming years.

Front row: Suzanne Freeman, Wenyan Deng, Ye Zhang, and Diana (Tingxuan) Zhu.

Back row: Sukrit Puri, Nicholas Blanchette, Eleanor Freund, Eyal Hanfling, Raymond Wang, and Wright Smith.

MIT Security Studies Program MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences MIT Center for International Studies Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

05/28/2026

✨ "MIT gives you incredible technical training, but MISTI provides the chance to apply that knowledge in a completely new environment — where constraints, users, and systems are all different."

🏆 Harley Carroll ’26, one of the recipients of the 2026 Suzanne Berger Award for Future Global Leaders, has completed MISTI programs in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Italy.

🌎 Her experiences include Global Teaching Labs in Italy and Germany, a MISTI Global Classroom in Abu Dhabi, and a summer internship in London!

Learn more about her MISTI experiences here:

Harley Carroll ‘26 has completed MISTI programs in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Italy. She participated in Global Teaching Labs over two IAPs, where she taught biology and math in Italy and Germany.

05/27/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Eduardo Rivera, assistant director of MISTI Data Systems and managing director of MIT-Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, on receiving the Infinite Mile Award at Thursday’s ceremony!

✨ We’re grateful for his many contributions to MISTI!

05/27/2026

Evan Lieberman, director of CIS and Total Professor of MIT Political Science and Contemporary Africa, discusses findings from his recent paper, “Beyond the tap: The limited value of democracy for delivering universal safe water access in low- and middle-income countries,” which shows that democratic countries have fallen behind in ensuring access to safe tap water.

Read more here: https://news.mit.edu/2026/some-democracies-struggle-to-ensure-safe-drinking-water-0521

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

While democracies are slightly ahead of non-democracies when it comes to providing at least some water to the public, they have been falling behind when it comes to ensuring that water is clean and safe, a new study shows.

05/26/2026

Join us on Thursday, June 4 at 12:00 PM for Best Practices to Save Multilateralism, co-sponsored by United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, Global Governance Innovation Platform, and ENSURED.

Mihaela Papa, director of research at CIS, will speak on a panel discussing recent research on the vulnerabilities of the current multilateral order and the innovative practices that could restore trust and strengthen global cooperation.

Join in person at One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in New York City or attend online. Learn more here: https://unu.edu/cpr/event/best-practices-save-multilateralism

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Exploring the vulnerabilities of the current multilateral order – and the innovative practices required to strengthen global cooperation

05/19/2026

MIT Associate Professor Daniel Hidalgo, a political scientist who studies elections, democracy, and political behavior in Latin America, is honored as “Committed to Caring” for graduate student mentorship.

05/19/2026

We recently bid farewell to our 2025–2026 fellows at our final CIS lunch of the semester.

Each year, our fellows bring invaluable perspectives and expertise to CIS through their research and engagement with our community.

We are grateful for all they have contributed to CIS and look forward to seeing where their work takes them next.

• Dafna Rand, 2025-2026 Robert E Wilhelm Fellow
• Andrii Galkin, Alyona Glushko, Andriy Popov, Radmila Segol, Volodymyr Tkach, Global MIT At-Risk Fellows (GMAF)-Ukraine fellows
• Habib Adebisi Abubakar, Odinakachukwu Chidinma Echeta, Usman Garba, Obumneme Onyeka Okwonna, Empowering the Teachers (ETT) fellows
• Lilia Yapparova, fellow
• Joanne Lin, Fulbright fellow
• Eli Sanchez, Center for Nuclear Security Policy postdoctoral fellow
• Joshua Byun, Florian Galleri, Beenish Pervaiz, CNSP Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows
• Claire Smark (United Kingdom), Heukjin Boo (South Korea), Jasmine Latimore (Australia) CNSP international fellows, Center for Nuclear Security Policy
• Lt Col Dan Knudson, US Marine Corps; Col Ian Fleischmann, US Army; Lt Col Jonathan Ng, US Air Force; CDR Brian Laws, US Navy; LTC David Powell, US Army; MIT Security Studies Program military fellows
• Joshua Kertzer, visiting professor

Learn more about our fellowship programs here: https://cis.mit.edu/opportunities/fellows-affiliates