News & Stories

Innovating delivery of financial services for Asian banks

The MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node recently hosted its annual fintech entrepreneurship program, called MIT Entrepreneurship and Fintech Integrator (MEFTI). Designed for student innovators from MIT and Hong Kong, the program offers a real-world lens into Asia’s burgeoning financial services sector. Program partners this year included the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, DBS Bank, and WeBank, […]

Maria Zuber testifies before Congress on striking the right balance between research security and openness

The United States must perform a careful balancing act to secure federally funded research against improper interference from China and other foreign governments without shutting down valuable international scientific research collaborations, MIT Vice President for Research Maria T. Zuber said this week in testimony before Congress. Speaking at a virtual hearing held by two subcommittees […]

End-to-end supply chain transparency

For years, companies have managed their extended supply chains with intermittent audits and certifications while attempting to persuade their suppliers to adhere to certain standards and codes of conduct. But they’ve lacked the concrete data necessary to prove their supply chains were working as they should. They most likely had baseline data about their suppliers […]

Vapor-collection technology saves water while clearing the air

About two-fifths of all the water that gets withdrawn from lakes, rivers, and wells in the U.S. is used not for agriculture, drinking, or sanitation, but to cool the power plants that provide electricity from fossil fuels or nuclear power. Over 65 percent of these plants use evaporative cooling, leading to huge white plumes that […]

Governance innovation boot camp culminates in pitch night

As the culmination of a two-week workshop on governance innovation, Sierra Leonean civil servants presented project proposals to audience members and a panel of judges at a June 18 pitch night at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Designed by the MIT Governance Lab (MIT GOV/LAB) and Sierra Leone’s Directorate of Science, Technology […]

Developing drones to address pandemic-related challenges in Scandinavia

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic spurred an immediate need to develop new, innovative systems in supply chains and infrastructure. And for three Norwegian graduate students enrolled in the MIT Professional Education Advanced Study Program (ASP), spring 2020 was the moment when technology, innovation, and preparation met opportunity. Lars Erik Matsson Fagernæs, Bernhard Paus Græsdal, […]

From gas to solar, bringing meaningful change to Nigeria’s energy systems

Growing up, Awele Uwagwu’s view of energy was deeply influenced by the oil and gas industry. He was born and raised in Port Harcourt, a city on the southern coast of Nigeria, and his hometown shaped his initial interest in understanding the role of energy in our lives. “I basically grew up in a city […]

Mastering online learning to level up

A number of pervasive myths surround online learning: that it’s isolating, that the quality of instruction is innately lower than in an in-person classroom, or that it’s only for those who can’t succeed in traditional educational settings. Abigael Bamgboye, an accomplished and highly self-motivated university graduate who just completed the MITx MicroMasters Data and Economic […]

MIT students and alumni “hack” Hong Kong Kowloon East

The year 2020 was undoubtedly a challenge for everyone. The pandemic generated vast negative impacts on the world on a physical, psychological, and emotional level: mobility was restricted; socialization was limited; economic and industrial progress were put on hold. Many industries and small independent business have suffered, and academia and research have also experienced many […]

Cooling homes without warming the planet

As incomes in developing countries continue to rise, demand for air conditioners is expected to triple by 2050. The surge will multiply what is already a major source of greenhouse gas emissions: Air conditioning is currently responsible for almost 20 percent of electricity use in buildings around the world. Now the startup Transaera is working […]