Headlines

Probing the behavior of an international “bully”

September 26, 2017 Leda Zimmerman MIT Political Science

Although she grew up in a family of Communist Party stalwarts, Ketian Vivian Zhang never felt entirely at home in China’s patriotic education system. “I learned that the world was less black and white than the Party made it out to be,” says Zhang, a doctoral student in political science. By the time she was in high school, she was actively seeking alternative perspectives on China and its role in the world.

Making sense of nuclear threats

September 11, 2017 Peter Dizikes MIT News

"I’ve been fortunate to have great graduate students from the day I got here, and I’m very proud of how they’ve done," Vipin Narang says.

Introducing the Political Methodology Lab (PML)

September 7, 2017 Teppei Yamamoto, Director, MIT Political Methodology Lab (PML) The Political Methodology Lab

PML's mission is to foster research and education in the area of quantitative political methodology through various channels. We are always looking for innovative ways to fulfill our goal in the midst of constantly advancing technology.

Political science debuts on MITeX

August 25, 2017 Leda Zimmerman MIT Political Science

New course takes a deep dive into African democracies. “The course is about Africa, where there are specific challenges to democratic government, but the questions and ideas that arise are relevant in any political context,” says Lieberman.

Fravel named Acting Director of CIS

May 22, 2017 Michelle Nhuch Center for International Studies

M. Taylor Fravel, associate professor of political science and member of the Security Studies Program at MIT, will become acting director of the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) on July 1, 2017.

Vipin Narang named to Open Minds 2017

May 5, 2017 Open

Vipin Narang is named to Open Minds 2017. On their 2017 list, Open explains "India, we are often told, is a country with a chequered past and an uncertain future. But as a nation, it has managed to flourish and triumph against daunting odds and terrifying prophecies, thanks to people such as these who play a pivotal role in championing truth and action. This list, therefore, is a celebration of our faith in hope and our ability to push boundaries, fight off challenges, overcome the odds, solve problems, invest in aspirations, and, above all, dream big."

Posen wins 2017 Frank E. Perkins Award

May 1, 2017 MIT Institute Awards

Barry Posen is the 2017 recipient of the Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. The Frank E. Perkins Award is presented to a faculty member who, as a graduate student advisor, demonstrates unbounded compassion and dedication towards students.

Nielsen, Stewart, & Acemoglu, awarded Carnegie fellowships

April 26, 2017 Peter Dizikes MIT News

MIT economist Daron Acemoglu and political scientists Richard Nielsen and Charles Stewart III have been named to the 2017 class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows, a prestigious honor supporting research in the social sciences and humanities. The MIT trio is among 35 scholars and intellectuals receiving the fellowships, which are awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Each fellow receives up to $200,000 to support a research sabbatical.

An ear for political language

April 18, 2017 Leda Zimmerman MIT Political Science

Doctoral student Tom O’Grady maps the rise of anti-welfare rhetoric in decades of parliamentary speeches

Grounded in Geology

April 6, 2017 Sarah C. Baldwin MIT Political Science

PhD student Renato Lima de Oliveira examines how a country's natural resources affect its politics and policies.

Bern Notice

April 3, 2017 Peter Dizikes MIT News

In MIT speech, Bernie Sanders contends future of U.S. politics “must be” progressive.

India May Be Rethinking Nuclear First Strikes

March 31, 2017 Max Fisher The New York Times

India may be reinterpreting its nuclear weapons doctrine, circumstantial evidence suggests, with potentially significant ramifications for the already tenuous nuclear balance in South Asia.