News & Stories

Industry, labor, and education leaders discuss the work of the future

“From the research of the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future, so far, one thing is absolutely clear: Technological change is transforming our work, our lives, and our society — and fortunately, the harsh societal consequences that concern us all are not inevitable,” said MIT President L. Rafael Reif at the start […]

MIT Solve announces 2021 global challenges

On March 1, MIT Solve launched its 2021 Global Challenges, with over $1.5 million in prize funding available to innovators worldwide. Solve seeks tech-based solutions from social entrepreneurs around the world that address five challenges. Anyone, anywhere can apply to address the challenges by the June 16 deadline. Solve also announced Eric s. Yuan, founder and […]

MIT and Danish university students unite to envision a more sustainable future

Climate action is among the top priorities for the Institute and one that demands global solutions. With Denmark’s reputation as a leader in sustainable thinking, finding a way to bring the two together presented a natural synergy for the MIT-Denmark program. Part of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), MIT-Denmark connects students and faculty […]

Foreign policy advice: Don’t look back

President Joe Biden’s administration represents a fresh start for the U.S. in foreign affairs. But as experts observed at an online MIT panel on Wednesday, the U.S. cannot just reset foreign policy to the last time Biden worked in the White House, as vice-president in the Obama administration. Too many things have changed, too dramatically, […]

2020 MIT Water Summit brings international audiences together to discuss resilience

Earlier this semester, the MIT student group The Water Club gathered to discuss topics for their eighth annual MIT Water Summit. Given the dramatic challenges of 2020, the group knew this year’s decision was particularly weighty. Commenting on the process, Laura Chen, a junior in chemical engineering and director of the 2020 Water Summit, recalled, […]

Case studies show climate variation linked to rise and fall of medieval nomadic empires

Tree growth rings and ice cores illuminate the climatic conditions of times gone by. When combined with historical records and documents, climate data can also shed light on important events in human history — including the activities of nomadic groups such as the ancient Türks and Mongols. “Climate data actually can tell us quite a […]

Massive, swift federal investment needed to address climate change, panelists say

To stave off the worst immediate outcomes of climate change, the U.S. needs to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to a report released this June by the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. In the final event in MIT’s Climate Action Symposia series, held Nov. 16, a panel of policymakers […]

Event: Hack for Inclusion

February 19-21, 2021 – MIT Sloan is hosting “Hack for Inclusion” an event that brings together some of the brightest minds — both technical and non-technical — to build solutions that address today’s biggest problems related to bias, diversity, and inclusion. Over the course of the weekend, participants collaborate with a diverse group of individuals […]

MIT celebrates Women’s Entrepreneurship Month

The women’s entrepreneurial experience at MIT started in 1870, when Ellen Henrietta Swallow first set foot on campus as an “experimental student.” Some 30 years later, she became the second president of the MIT Women’s Association, organized with her help “to promote greater fellowship among Institute women.” In the years since, the immeasurable contribution of […]

Democracy in distress?

When the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, it seemed democracy had triumphed among political systems. But more recently, many democracies have run into a common set of troubles, with authoritarian leaders grasping enough power to create illiberal regimes. Understanding how this happens was the focus of MIT’s Oct. 23 Starr Forum, an online […]