News & Stories

MIT Global Languages celebrates students’ diversity

The MIT community is known for its multicultural fabric. But how often do students have a chance to reflect on what it means to be part of two or more different cultures? On Friday, March 11, over 60 MIT undergraduate students came together to celebrate their cultural and linguistic background during the “Heritage Meets Heritage” […]

Leveraging science and technology against the world’s top problems

Looking back on nearly a half-century at MIT, Richard K. Lester, associate provost and Japan Steel Industry Professor, sees a “somewhat eccentric professional trajectory.” But while his path has been irregular, there has been a clearly defined through line, Lester says: the emergence of new science and new technologies, the potential of these developments to shake […]

Advocating for vaccine equity

When Digbijay Mahat arrived at MIT in 2017 to begin his postdoctoral studies, he had one very clear goal: to become an expert in cancer research and diagnostics so he could improve health care in Nepal, where he was born. In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare additional discrepancies in resource equity around the […]

MIT community stands with Ukraine at candlelight rally

People from across MIT gathered outside the Student Center on March 3 for a candlelight rally to support MIT’s Ukrainian community and condemn attacks on Ukraine by Russian forces. “It was great to see so many people that I’ve never met before come together,” said Ukrainian third-year student Mariia Smyk. “It was such a powerful […]

Responding to the tragedy in Ukraine

The following letter was sent to the MIT community on Saturday by President L. Rafael Reif. To the members of the MIT community, Though 4,500 miles separate Kyiv and Cambridge, several factors make the shock of the Russian invasion and its terrible consequences feel very close to home. I write to let you know how […]

Designing the built environment through a service lens

Growing up in Rwanda, Carene Umubyeyi learned at a young age the importance of community, adaptability, and education. At the age of 8, she moved to Michigan for a few years while her parents earned their graduate degrees. During that time, she had to learn a new language and integrate into a new culture. As […]

Conversations at the front line of climate

The climate crisis is a novel and developing chapter in human and planetary history. As a species, humankind is still very much learning how to face this crisis, and the world’s frontline communities — those being most affected by climate change — are struggling to make their voices heard. How can communities imperiled by climate […]

First-ever Climate Grand Challenges recognizes 27 finalists

All-carbon buildings, climate-resilient crops, and new tools to improve the prediction of extreme weather events are just a few of the 27 bold, interdisciplinary research projects selected as finalists from a field of almost 100 proposals in the first MIT Climate Grand Challenges competition. Each of the finalist teams received $100,000 to develop a comprehensive […]

MIT in the media: 2021 in review

From Institute-wide efforts to address the climate crisis to responding to Covid-19, members of the MIT community made headlines this year for their innovative work in a variety of areas. Faculty, students, and staff were on the front lines of addressing many pressing issues this year, raising their voices and sharing their findings. Below are […]

Community policing in the Global South

Community policing is meant to combat citizen mistrust of the police force. The concept was developed in the mid-20th century to help officers become part of the communities they are responsible for. The hope was that such presence would create a partnership between citizens and the police force, leading to reduced crime and increased trust. […]