News & Stories

On a mission to uplift others and save the endangered Marma language

MIT graduate student Rani Ukhengching Marma is one of nearly 200,000 Marma people who speak the endangered Marma language. The Marma are one of the largest Indigenous groups in Bangladesh, where Bengali language and culture are dominant. For Ukheng, who is enrolled in the MIT Indigenous Languages Initiative (MITILI), preserving Marma is about more than the language […]

US and UAE governments highlight early warning system for climate resilience

The following is a joint announcement from MIT and Community Jameel. An international project to build community resilience to the effects of climate change, launched by Community Jameel and a research team at MIT, has been recognized as an innovation sprint at the 2023 summit of the United States’ and United Arab Emirates’ Agriculture Innovation […]

Springing people from the poverty trap

Chronic poverty in the developing world can seem like an insoluble problem. But a long-term study from Bangladesh co-authored by an MIT economist presents a very different picture: When rural poor people get a one-time capital boost, it helps them accumulate assets, find better occupations, and climb out of poverty. In particular, the study strongly […]

Exploring generations of influence between South Asia and MIT

When thinking about how to celebrate the approaching 60th anniversary of Sangam, the Association of Indian Students at MIT, Ranu Boppana ’87, president of the MIT South Asian Alumni Association (MITSAAA) began to reflect upon ways in which to explore the rich history of South Asians at MIT. “As president of MITSAAA, I met several […]

Digitizing supply chains to lift farmers out of poverty

Millions of cocoa farmers live in poverty across western Africa. Over the years, these farmers have been forced to contend with geopolitical instability, predatory loan practices, and a general lack of information that hampers their ability to maximize yields and sell crops at fair prices. Other problems, such as deforestation and child labor, also plague […]