Channel Title: MIT Center for International Studies (MIT CIS) Channel Description: More than seventy years ago, MIT established the Center for International Studies to conduct research to help the United States in its cold war struggle against the Soviet Union. Before long, however, the Center broadened its focus to include research and teaching in a wide range of international subjects, among them development studies, comparative politics, international relations, social movements, security studies, and international science and technology. Information about accessibility can be found at https://accessibility.mit.edu/ <video> Starr Forum: The 2024 US presidential election: The world is watching Description: Starr Forum: The 2024 US presidential election: The world is watching: Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 Experts weigh-in on how citizens and leaders from other world regions are viewing the November 5th US election. What do they believe is at stake for their countries and regions? Is America still seen as a model for democracy? How do they view the candidates? SPEAKERS: Katrina Burgess on Latin America. Katrina Burgess is professor of political economy and director of the Henry J Leir Institute of Migration and Human Security at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Her research areas include Latin America, political economy of development, comparative politics, and migration and diasporas. She is the writer and producer of Waylaid in Tijuana, a documentary film that explores US immigration policies. "Courting Migrants: How States Make Diasporas and Diasporas Make State," is one of her award-winning books. John Githongo on Africa. John Githongo hails from Kenya, where he was a journalist and became a leading light in the international Transparency movement. He has held a variety of government, non-government and academic appointments, and was recognized by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the world’s 100 top global thinkers. Among his many posts, he serves as a senior advisor to the Office of the President of South Sudan on governance. He currently resides at the MIT Center for International Studies as its prestigious Robert E Wilhelm fellow. Prerna Singh on Asia. Prerna Singh is the Mahatma Gandhi Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Brown University. Her research interests include the comparative political economy of development; identity politics; and the politics of South Asia and East Asia. Her book, "How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India," analyzes the causes of variations in social welfare institutions and development by focusing on the dramatic divergences in social policies and outcomes across Indian provinces. Daniel Ziblatt on Europe. Daniel Ziblatt is the director of Harvard University's Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies where he is also Eaton Professor of Government at Harvard University. His research focuses on Europe and the comparative study of democracy. His recent book, "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point," co-authored with Steve Levitsky, provides an analysis of American democracy in comparative perspective. Moderator: Evan Lieberman is the Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa and the director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He conducts research on the political-economy of development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. He studies the democratic politics of governing ethnically and racially diverse societies, including the challenges of public health, climate adaptation, and ensuring respect for human dignity. Lieberman is the author, most recently, of "Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid." The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is a world premier, university-based research and education center. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/ Sign up for our email lists here: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis The MIT Starr Forum is a flagship public event series hosted by CIS. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/about-starr-forum </video> <video> Lessons from battlefield Ukraine: With Ukraine’s former defense minister Oleksii Reznikov Description: Lessons from battlefield Ukraine: A conversation with Ukraine’s former defense minister Oleksii Reznikov: Thursday, October 17th, 2024 Speaker: Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s former defense minister, led Ukraine’s defense establishment in the lead up to Russia’s full-scale invasion and during the first year and a half of the war. Mr. Reznikov will discuss the successes and challenges of Ukraine’s defense effort, the role of technology and uncrewed systems, and the evolution of the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Discussant: Mariana Budjeryn, PhD, is a senior research associate with the Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. She is the author of "Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine." Co-Chairs: Carol Saivetz is a senior advisor in the MIT Security Studies Program. She is the author and contributing co-editor of books and articles on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues. Elizabeth Wood is the Ford International Professor of History at MIT. She is the author most recently of "Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine," as well as articles on Vladimir Putin, right-wing populism in Russia and Turkey, and more. Co-sponsors: MIT Center for International Studies (CIS), MIT Security Studies Program (SSP), MIT-Eurasia Program, and the MIT-Ukraine Program. The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is a world premier, university-based research and education center. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/ Sign up for our email lists here: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis </video> <video> Research Recap with Anjana Sankar Description: Research Recap highlights recent work that is being done at MIT's Center for International Studies. This episode features the 2023-2024 Elizabeth Neuffer fellow Anjana Sankar. During her 15-year career, Sankar has reported on the ground from Syria and inside Kurdish prisons; embedded with Emirati military forces and covered the UAE’s deployment in the Saudi-led war; and reported on the coalition forces’ counter-terrorism war against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Sankar’s coverage also includes the initial peace deal between Israel and the UAE, the Syrian refugee influx into Germany and natural disasters in India and Nepal. The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship provides academic and professional opportunities to advance the reporting skills of women journalists who focus on human rights and social justice. The fellowship was created in memory of the Boston Globe correspondent and International Women’s Media Fellowship (IWMF) Courage in Journalism Award (1998) winner Elizabeth Neuffer, who died while reporting in Iraq on May 9, 2003. In collaboration with Neuffer’s family and friends, the IWMF started this program to honor Neuffer’s legacy while advancing her work in the fields of human rights and social justice. The fellow completes research and coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies and journalism internships at The Boston Globe and The New York Times. For more information: https://cis.mit.edu/news-media/news-releases/human-rights-journalist-anjana-sankar-joins-cis-its-2024-elizabeth-neuffer </video> <video> Israeli, Palestinian, and American relations: Now and in the future Description: The 2024 U.S. election and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: How the outcome here impacts the situation there </video> <video> From Ideas to Impact: A Conversation with Michael Sheldrick, Co-founder, Global Citizen Description: From Ideas to Impact: A Conversation with Michael Sheldrick, Co-founder, Global Citizen: Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 Michael Sheldrick is the co-founder and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty. A policy entreprenuer, he leads the organization's campaigns to mobilize support from governments, businesses, and foundations. He is the author of the best-selling book, From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World (Wiley: April 2024). With a career that spans the world of pop and policy, he has worked with an impressive roster of international artists such as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Priyanka Chopra, Rihanna and Usher, as well as prominent political leaders including Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and former Australian Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. He has co-produced some of the world's most impactful social campaigns and events, including the annual Global Citizen Festival in New York, the Guinness World Record-winning virtual concert One World: Together At Home, and the Nelson Mandela 2018 centennial celebration, Mandela 100. These initiatives have reached millions of people in over 150 countries and helped secure over $40 billion in support for local and regional organizations working to provide access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and climate resilience. Panelists: The panel consists of the following academic-policy entrepreneurs who will respond and discuss the qualities that are important in their work and for implementing change: Erhardt Graeff, associate professor of social and computer science, Olin College of Engineering Mihaela Papa, director of research and principal research scientist, MIT Center for International Studies Wonyoung So, PhD candidate, MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning and a lead researcher at the Data + Feminism Lab at MIT Co-sponsored: Morningside Academy for Design, Data + Feminism Lab at MIT The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is a world premier, university-based research and education center. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/ Sign up for our email lists here: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis </video> <video> Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar: Gaza: ‘Can Anyone Hear Us?’ Description: The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar April 2, 2024 “Gaza: ‘Can Anyone Hear Us?’” Dr. Sara Roy, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University </video> <video> Mapping exile: Bridging knowledge and advocating for scholars at risk Description: About the speaker: Pascale Laborier is a professor of political science at Paris Nanterre whose research over the past decade has focused on the history of scholars in exile. Some of her recent scholarship has focused on refugee scholars from Uruguay and Chile during the dictatorships. She is one of the founders of PAUSE, a French organization with private and government funding that helps refugee scholars in France find university jobs and funds them for their first year of teaching. Together with an artist-photographer she has created an exposition on these themes that will be shown at MIT in April. The exposition has been shown in Germany, France, and Belgium and currently in Uruguay and Chile. Full bio: https://isp.cnrs.fr/project/laborier-pascale/ Co-sponsors: MIT Center for International Studies, Inter-University Committee on International Migration The Inter-University Committee on International Migration Since its establishment in 1974, the Inter-University Committee on International Migration has been a focal point for migration and refugee studies at member institutions, which include Boston University, Brandeis University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Harvard University, MIT, Tufts University, and Wellesley College. The committee is chaired by MIT as a program of the Center for International Studies (CIS). Migration Seminar Series During each academic year, the Committee sponsors a seminar series on international migration, The Myron Weiner Seminar Series on International Migration, held at MIT's Center for International Studies. The seminars explore factors affecting international population movements and their impact upon sending and receiving countries and relations among them. Sign up for our email lists: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis #migration #scholarsatrisk #refugees #france </video> <video> Israeli, Palestinian, and American relations: Now and in the future (Session 3) Description: The struggle over normalization and the future of American-Arab-Israeli relations in the MENA region </video> <video> South African Elections 2024: The Results and Implications for the Region and Beyond Description: SPEAKERS Pranish Desai is a senior data analyst at Good Governance Africa, a research and advocacy organization headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. His work at GGA focuses on the issues of subnational governance in Southern Africa, political accountability, coalition politics in South Africa and encouraging data-driven policymaking within the region. Pranish is an incoming doctoral student at MIT. Daniel de Kadt works as an assistant professor at the London School of Economics, where he is an affiliate of the Data Science Institute and a senior visiting fellow in government. Prior to this he worked at the University of California, Merced, after completing his PhD at MIT. He has written extensively on the electoral politics of South Africa.  Rorisang Lekalake is a senior analyst/methodologist for Afrobarometer, charged with contributing to the organization’s analytical outputs, strengthening existing methodologies, and contributing to building the capacity of network staff and partners in quantitative research methods and analysis. She is a 2023 PhD recipient from MIT. Lwanda Maqwelane, a PhD candidate at Rhodes University, is an early career research activist with a focus on policy development, just energy transitions and climate change education. She currently serves as a researcher at the Center for Researching Education and Labour at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. MODERATOR Evan Lieberman is the Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa and the director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He also directs the Global Diversity Lab (GDL) and MIT’s global experiential learning program, MISTI. His most recent book is Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid (Princeton University Press, 2022). </video> <video> Dying Abroad: The Political Afterlives of Migration in Europe Description: On any given day, the remains of countless deceased migrants are shipped around the world to be buried in ancestral soils. Others are laid to rest in countries of settlement, sometimes in cemeteries established for religious and ethnic minorities, where available. For immigrants and their descendants, perennial questions about the meaning of home and homeland take on a particular gravitas in death. When the boundaries of a nation and its members are contested, burial decisions are political acts. Building on multi-sited fieldwork in Berlin and Istanbul – where the author worked as an undertaker – Dying Abroad offers a moving and powerful account of migrants' end-of-life dilemmas, vividly illustrating how they are connected to ongoing political struggles over the stakes of citizenship, belonging, and collective identity in contemporary Europe. About the speaker: Dr. Osman Balkan is Associate Director and Program Director of Curriculum, Experiential Learning, and Innovation at the Huntsman Program in International Studies & Business. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and a Senior Fellow at the Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies. Balkan’s research and teaching focus on the politics of global migration, race and ethnicity, identity and inequality, political violence, and collective memory with a transregional concentration on Western Europe and the Middle East. He is the author of Dying Abroad: The Political Afterlives of Migration in Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2023), which was published as part of the LSE International Studies Series. Full bio: https://live-sas-www-polisci.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/people/osman-balkan Co-sponsors: MIT Center for International Studies, Inter-University Committee on International Migration The Inter-University Committee on International Migration Since its establishment in 1974, the Inter-University Committee on International Migration has been a focal point for migration and refugee studies at member institutions, which include Boston University, Brandeis University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Harvard University, MIT, Tufts University, and Wellesley College. The committee is chaired by MIT as a program of the Center for International Studies (CIS). Migration Seminar Series During each academic year, the Committee sponsors a seminar series on international migration, The Myron Weiner Seminar Series on International Migration, held at MIT's Center for International Studies. The seminars explore factors affecting international population movements and their impact upon sending and receiving countries and relations among them. Sign up for our email lists: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis #migration #europe </video> <video> South Africa Elections 2024: The Results and Implications for the Region and Beyond Description: </video> <video> Israeli, Palestinian, and American relations: Now and in the future (Session 2) Description: Words Matter: Understanding how Palestinians and Israelis Define, Use, and React to “Charged” Words from Terrorism to Settler, Intifada to Peace </video> <video> Roots of Resilience: Ukraine Exhibition Description: "Roots of Resilience: Reclaiming Ukrainian City and Identity" showcases the story of Sviatohirsk, a small city in the eastern part of Ukraine, that was heavily damaged and occupied by Russian forces from June to September 2022. Through the narrative of Varvara, a local volunteer, viewers will explore how resilience shapes urban life in frontline communities and how people can breathe life into the city, giving new meanings to the previous narratives. The exhibit incorporates the urban planning proposals of graduate and undergraduate students in the MIT course “Circular Recovery Strategies of Wartime Ukraine: History and Urban Planning for a Ukrainian City.” The students have been investigating life in the city through the lens of Varvara’s experiences. Curators: Kateryna Lopatiuk (Visiting Fellow, Global MIT At-Risk Fellows Program), Elizabeth Wood (Ford International Professor of History), and Halyna Padalko (PhD candidate in CS, National Aerospace University "KhAI") Cosponsors: MIT History, D’Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in Education, MIT-Ukraine Program, MIT Center for International Studies (CIS), School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P)  Video by In Short Media </video> <video> Starr Forum: The Israel-Gaza crisis and US policy Description: Starr Forum: The Israel-Gaza crisis and US policy: Tuesday, September 24th, 2024 Introduction: Evan Lieberman, Director, Center for International Studies and Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa Moderator: Philip Khoury, MIT Vice Provost and Ford International Professor of History Closing remarks: Karl Reid, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Institute Community & Equity Office Speakers: Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping US involvement in the Middle East peace process as the US point man on the peace process in both the George H W Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He also served as special assistant to President Obama and as National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, and as special advisor on Iran to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Melani Cammett is the Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs and director of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. She also holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Cammett's award-winning books include "Compassionate Communalism: Welfare and Sectarianism in Lebanon" and "A Political Economy of the Middle East." Her current research projects explore "toleration" and reconciliation after ethnoreligious violence, development and identity politics. She has published numerous articles in academic and policy journals, consults for development policy organizations, and serves as a commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Syria. Co-sponsored: Institute Community & Equity Office, Center for International Studies and MENA/MIT The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is a world premier, university-based research and education center. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/ Sign up for our email lists here: https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis The MIT Starr Forum is a flagship public event series hosted by CIS. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/about-starr-forum </video> <video> Starr Forum: China: The Rise and Fall of the EAST Description: Speaker: Yasheng Huang, Epoch Foundation Professor of Global Economics and Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, and faculty director of the MIT-China Program at the Center for International Studies. Full bio: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/yasheng-huang Discussant: Will Knight, senior writer, Wired magazine, covers artificial intelligence and other emerging technology. He was previously a senior editor at MIT Technology Review, where he wrote about fundamental advances in AI and China’s AI boom. Full bio: https://www.wired.com/author/will-knight/ Co-sponsors: MIT Center for International Studies, the MIT-China Program, and the MIT COOP. The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is a world premier, university-based research and education center. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/ Sign up for our email list here: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001NQVuNEfFczuMeoU0kOR4z9dJYPsesAZrIcewKSSBeC-f0CMBPfXfA72gSGca32rAWbM_qlCPjGbecyOy9gSfrtXSsOfSGd6DRQm55Ju2fvnK2dJqn3c_ZQbUnY7ipwDwNVhXYTjKi9euJTXvLrnfeT4MtTlSV6BrBYyKsS14hGREwv9B5vwoUm3N-9UiliDu The MIT Starr Forum is a flagship public event series hosted by CIS. Learn more at https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/about-starr-forum #MITStarrForum #China </video>

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More than seventy years ago, MIT established the Center for International Studies to conduct research to help the United States in its cold war struggle against the Soviet Union. Before long, however, the Center broadened its focus to include research and teaching in a wide range of international subjects, among them development studies, comparative politics, international relations, social movements, security studies, and international science and technology.

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