Evan Lieberman, Director of CIS

MIT’s Center for International Studies (CIS) was born in the context of the Cold War, at a time when President Truman called for a “great campaign of truth,” in response to concerns about Soviet influence and the proliferation of misinformation. Campus leaders recognized the value of problem-driven social science to help address the social, political and economic quagmires of the day, and urgently created our CIS. Before long, the Center broadened its focus to a wide range of international subjects, including development studies, comparative politics, international relations, security studies, and international science and technology.

More than seven decades later, this past continues to echo loudly as we confront a new, arguably much more complex set of realities. We face the existential threat of climate change, the ravages of which have become all too-clear with each passing year. We have good reason to be anxious about the many ways in which artificial intelligence is changing our lives in very short order. The COVID pandemic still reverberates and other global pandemics are surely on the horizon. The Middle East crisis, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Horn of Africa, and tensions with China remain sources of critical concern. Moreover, various threats to democracy proliferate at home and around the world.

And yet, not all the news or global trends should leave us demoralized. Advances in biotechnology, computing, green energy, as well as the embrace of ideas about human rights have each played a role in improving the lives of so many all over the world, and we cannot take those for granted.

Our community is creatively addressing a range of domestic and foreign actors and institutions that shape policy and practice around the globe. We promote research, host engagements, advise members of the senior MIT administration and policy makers around the world, teach students in and outside classrooms, engage in leadership education, and more. We are dedicated to making this world a better place and invite you to join us.

Evan S Lieberman, Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa