In the News | 2020

	In the News December 20, 2020 A new approach to studying religion and politics Peter DizikesMIT News Associate professor Richard Nielsen is an MIT political scientist with an innovative research program: He studies clerics in the Islamic world, combining textual analysis, ethnographic insights, on-the-ground research in the Middle East, and a big-data approach to charting online tracts.
	In the News December 20, 2020 Taiwan's planned submarine fleet could forestall a potential Chinese invasion for decades CNN Owen Cote quoted: Owen Cote, associate director of the Security Studies Program at MIT and an expert on submarine warfare, stated that “Chinese ASW capabilities are weak and the acoustic conditions in these very shallow, noisy waters are very difficult even for advanced ASW capabilities like those deployed by Japan and the US.”
	In the News December 16, 2020 US sanctions Turkey over Russian air defense system, raising questions and concerns Abhijnan RejThe Diplomat Vipin Narang quoted: “The CAATSA sanctions on Turkey put the United States in the awkward position of having to sanction government entities in a nation that hosts American theater nuclear weapons. It may not be unprecedented — the US has embargoed Turkey before — but it is rare and disconcerting.”
	In the News December 14, 2020 Q&A: Holly Jackson on building a cosmic family tree Jane HalpernMIT News As a MISTI intern, Jackson traveled to Santiago in 2019, well before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down in-person international exchanges worldwide. Since then, she has been working remotely from her Cambridge, Massachusetts, apartment with the Chilean astronomy team and biologists in the United Kingdom to build “family trees” of stars in the Milky Way. Here, Jackson discusses her recent work.
	In the News December 14, 2020 For cultural and political conflicts, a humanizing imperative Although the violence of the Second Intifada was a world away from Nasir Almasri’s suburban community and American childhood, the shock waves of that prolonged event helped shape him.
	In the News December 8, 2020 MISTI pilots conversations in energy Christine Davies, MISTIMIT News While fall typically sees MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) programs gearing up to facilitate international summer internship and research experiences for MIT students, this year’s changing global circumstances presented challenges to making in-country internships happen—but they also offered new opportunities for students to engage with organizations and leaders overseas.
	In the News December 4, 2020 Twenty years of cultivating tech entrepreneurs Leda ZimmermanMIT News Administered by MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), Global Startup Labs empowers young technology entrepreneurs in developing regions of the world to realize their business goals, leveraging MIT-designed curricula and the enthusiasm and expertise of MIT student instructors.
	In the News December 2, 2020 Biden cabinet picks signal a big shift from the Trump era Fox News Radio Jim Walsh discusses who could have taken part in the assassination and what impact this will have on the region and on the Biden administration.
	In the News December 2, 2020 Taiwan is building eight new submarines—they alone could destroy a Chinese invasion fleet David AxeForbes Owen Cote quoted: “Outside of the US and the UK, submarines are not considered primary ASW platforms, and outside of NATO and Japan most navies are pretty bad at surface- and air-based ASW, so in the rest of the world it doesn’t make sense to compare numbers of submarines on each side the way you would, for example, numbers of air-to-air fighters,” Cote explained.
	In the News December 1, 2020 4 looming foreign policy crises that could derail Biden’s agenda early on Alex WardVox Vipin Narang quoted: “North Korea is one of those challenges that no one really wants to deal with right now, since there are no easy solutions or pathways to slowing down the growth of the program. But Kim has a way of putting himself back on the high-priority list,” said Vipin Narang, an expert on North Korea’s nuclear program at MIT.
	In the News November 27, 2020 Who is Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian nuclear scientist killed in attack outside Tehran? Adam TaylorThe Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: “Plenty of people in the program can design a warhead now if needed,” said Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “So Iran may now have more motivation to weaponize, without attenuating its ability to do so.”
	In the News November 27, 2020 Beijing takes its South China Sea strategy to the Himalayas Steven Lee MyersThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “In the end, it reflects the consolidation of China’s control over the area it claims,” said M Taylor Fravel. “Previous compromise ideas from the 1990s may no longer be on the table,” he said, “as China may be unwilling or unlikely to withdraw from territory where it has erected such infrastructure.”
	In the News November 26, 2020 Biden says US is back at the head of the table WBUR Here & Now The Trump administration has been about "America first" and downplaying alliances with organizations such as the World Health Organization. Jim Walsh assesses the impact that has had and the challenges the president-elect will face.
	In the News November 24, 2020 Six MIT faculty elected 2020 AAAS Fellows MIT News Nazli Choucri was among the six faculty members elected as fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Choucri is a professor of political science, a senior faculty member at the Center of International Studies (CIS), and a faculty affiliate at the Institute for Data, Science, and Society (IDSS).
	In the News November 23, 2020 Faculty seed projects grow into pandemic research opportunities MIT News Global partnerships are a fundamental component of research at MIT — even during this time of suspended travel. MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) supports those connections via MISTI Global Seed Funds (GSF).
	In the News November 19, 2020 Ending the forever wars, by any means necessary Jacob SilvermanThe New Republic Barry Posen quoted: “The president expressed his desire to end these wars when he came into office four years ago,” said Barry Posen. “Where was he in the last four years?” “There’s no real hope that there’s a happy ending that’s possible here,” Posen said. “In my view, there was no hope three or four years ago.”
	In the News November 9, 2020 Aspiring physician explores the many levels of human health Alison Gold, School of ScienceMIT News During her time at MIT, senior Ayesha Ng’s interests have expanded from cellular biology to the social systems that shape public health. To pursue her interest in brain research and the societal impact of brain injuries, Ng traveled to the University of Hong Kong the summer after her first year as an MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) China Fung Scholar.
	In the News November 8, 2020 India looks to continuity in ties under Biden, experts expect rebalancing in some areas Rezaul H LaskarHindustan Times Vipin Narang quoted: The India-US relationship stands to benefit as it is one that Washington won’t have to repair post-Trump, said Vipin Narang. “In general, it will likely be more of the same, since the relationship continued its steady progress despite Trump disrupting relations with other partners such as Germany and South Korea,” Narang said.
	In the News November 3, 2020 Transatlantic research and study partnership continues amid the pandemic MISTIMIT News This year, the fund is calling on researchers at each institution to submit proposals that address climate solutions and zero pollution. “The fund’s new focus on climate change is fundamentally important,” agrees Phil Budden, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and co-director of the MIT-UK program at MISTI. “Not least as the UK will host the UN's 26th ‘Conference of the Parties’ (COP26) in Glasgow, in November next year.
	In the News November 2, 2020 Power, the party, and the president: Xi's revolutionary past China and the World To discuss how Xi’s revolutionary past is shaping China’s future, we’re joined by the Chinawatchers' Chinawatchers, Frederick Teiwes from the University of Sydney and Joseph Torigian from American University in Washington DC.
	In the News October 30, 2020 Democracy in distress? Peter DizikesMIT News Experts analyze a global trend: democratic governments that collapse from within while maintaining a veneer of legitimacy.
	In the News October 26, 2020 China spread virus, India gave fitting reply — Aaj Tak, News18 looks for Chinese army in Noida Bismee Taskin and Taran DeolThe Print Vipin Narang quoted: “Foundational agreements between India and the US have been a long time coming. They are essentially agreements that set up parameters for cooperation, they don’t specify the modalities or details of the cooperation,” said Vipin Narang, MIT Associate Professor, on whether an India-US alliance is in the making. “For about two decades since 2000, India and the United States have slowly started moving closer together and cooperating,” Narang added, cautioning that hyping up the relationship can become harmful.
	In the News October 23, 2020 3 questions with Fotini Christia, the new chair of the Social & Engineering Systems PhD program MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society Fotini Christia is a professor of political science and faculty member of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. Her research interests deal with the political economy of conflict and development in the Muslim world and she has done extensive experimental, survey, and big data research on Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, and Yemen. In addition to chairing the Social & Engineering Systems PhD program, she directs the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) within IDSS.
	In the News October 23, 2020 Universities should lead the way on climate action, MIT panelists say Becky HamMIT News Climate solutions must include more than just advanced science and technology capabilities, said Melissa Nobles, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and professor of political science. At MIT, she notes, classes on the ethics of climate change, the J-PAL King Climate Action Initiative, and Charlotte Brathwaite’s “Bee Boy” theater project are some examples of how the social sciences and arts can be brought to bear on climate issues.
	In the News October 20, 2020 Satellite images indicate Russia is preparing to resume testing its nuclear-powered cruise missile Zachary CohenCNN Vipin Narang quoted: “A nuclear powered cruise missile gives a low-flying, radar-evading, nuclear-capable missile intergalactic range that can pose a challenge to national missile defenses,” he told CNN, adding that indications Russia may be preparing another test show “how much our missile defenses drive their developments and how scared they are of them, not today, but tomorrow.” They are also highly controversial “because it's crazy to put an unshielded nuclear reactor on a missile to power it,” Narang added, noting that the consequences of testing this type of weapon can be catastrophic if something goes wrong.
	In the News October 14, 2020 Fotini Christia named director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center Terri Park, Schwarzman College of ComputingMIT News Fotini Christia has been named the director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) at MIT. The interdisciplinary center, part of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society in the MIT Stephen A Schwarzman College of Computing, focuses on the study of high-impact, complex societal challenges that shape our world.
	In the News October 14, 2020 A new world of warcraft Leda ZimmermanPolitical Science Political scientist Erik Lin-Greenberg explores how a burgeoning high-tech arsenal is shaping military conflict
	In the News October 13, 2020 Anat Biletzki on the Human Rights and Technology Fellowship Program MIT News Anat Biletzki is a founding co-director of the Center's Human Rights and Technology Fellowship Program. The program offers research fellowships to MIT students and invites proposals for its 2020-21 cohort of fellows through October 26. She speaks here on the fellowship program.
	In the News October 13, 2020 North Korea has unveiled new weapons, showing Trump failed to tame its nuclear program Alex WardVox Vipin Narang quoted: “The temperature is down because Trump is happy to live in denial,” MIT nuclear strategy expert Vipin Narang told me. “The problem with that is when the temperature inevitably turns back up.”
	In the News October 12, 2020 Threat from nuclear weapons and missiles has grown since Trump entered office Paul SonneThe Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: Trends were already moving in a worrisome direction before Trump took office, and any administration would struggle to strike substantive new arms control deals in the current environment, said Vipin Narang. But Trump has exacerbated the challenges, he argued. “It’s not just we are building and modernizing our nuclear weapons program; we are doing it at a time when states are seeking riskier behavior with each other also.”
	In the News October 11, 2020 North Korea unveils ‘very destabilizing’ ICBM Patrick TuckerDefense One Vipin Narang quoted: MIT associate professor Vipin Narang echoed Lewis’ analysis that the ICBM was no surprise, and that it was likely intended to deliver multiple defense-thwarting warheads. “Be thankful we didn’t see a solid fuel ICBM!” tweeted Narang, a member of MIT’s Security Studies Program.
	In the News October 11, 2020 Trump’s virus treatment revives questions about unchecked nuclear authority David E Sanger and William J BroadThe New York Times Vipin Narang quoted: “The history of obfuscating the medical condition of presidents is as old as the Republic,” said Vipin Narang. “The issue here is that the dex” — shorthand for dexamethasone — “can make you paranoid and delusional.” “We don’t know how much he was given,” Mr. Narang said. “And if he gives an order in the middle of the night, and no one is there to stop him, we are dependent on his military aide not to transmit the order or the duty officer at the national military command center to stop it.”
	In the News October 10, 2020 Trump says the US nuclear arsenal is now 'tippy top' thanks to him, but nuke experts say he's out of touch with reality Ryan PickrellBusiness Insider India Vipin Narang quoted: Vipin Narang, a security studies expert at MIT told Insider that the Trump's approach to nuclear policy and arms control has put US security in jeopardy. “The administration added the W76-2, but took away the [Iran nuclear deal], [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty], and is now threatening to rip up New START so, on balance, has probably made us less safe in the nuclear domain,” Narang said.
	In the News October 6, 2020 3 Questions: Chappell Lawson on US security policy Peter DizikesMIT News The year 2020 has featured an array of safety and security concerns for ordinary Americans, including disease and natural disasters. How can the US government best protect its citizens? That is the focus of a new scholarly book with practical aims, “Beyond 9/11: Homeland Security for the Twenty-First Century,” published by the MIT Press.
	In the News October 6, 2020 China, India, and sovereignty in the Himalayas Power Problems Podcast, Cato Institute Emma Ashford, a host of Cato Institute's Power Problems podcast, talks with Taylor Fravel about ongoing China-India tensions and what China wants from the world.
	In the News October 6, 2020 MIT deepens connections to the Middle East MISTI launches new seed fund in Jordan as part of MIT-Arab World program. The new fund aims to support joint early-stage collaborations between researchers and their students in Jordan and their counterparts at MIT, and will enable the MIT-Arab World program to move forward on its key objectives.
	In the News October 5, 2020 Why soldiers fight Leda ZimmermanPolitical Science Matthew Cancian concluded his service in the Marine Corps in 2013, but in some ways he never left his Afghanistan battlefield experience behind. A rising fifth-year doctoral candidate in political science, Cancian researches what motivates people to enlist and to engage in combat.
	In the News October 2, 2020 'The war isn’t coming today' Leah FeigerVice Vipin Narang quoted: “It is routine for E6-Bs to be seen in the air,” Vipin Narang, a professor of political science at MIT, told VICE News...“There's a problem when you look on any particular day you might see something. But if you don't look at the history, you know, you wouldn't know that it's actually pretty routine,” he added.
	In the News September 21, 2020 Tibet’s shadow looms over Himalayan stand-off Amy Kazmin and Christian Shepherd The Financial Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “The trick will be to achieve a disengagement that both sides can portray as a victory,” said M Taylor Fravel, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program. “It’s hard for China to appear to be backing down. It makes a risky situation even riskier.”
	In the News September 16, 2020 Secret Tibetan military force raises stakes in India-China clash Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Archana ChaudharyThe Japan Times Vipin Narang quoted: While neither country has an incentive to go to war, the increasing intensity and persistence of friction may cause them to stumble into one, according to Vipin Narang. “An advertent or inadvertent incident at a local flashpoint could now really fuel a broader conflict that neither government wants,” said Narang.
	In the News September 11, 2020 China and India agree to ‘disengage troops’ in Himalayas Amy KazminThe Financial Times Vipin Narang quoted: “The bottom line is we have to see what happens on the ground,” said Vipin Narang. “Until there is physical disengagement on the ground, you could still get an accident that forces one or both sides into a conflict that they don’t want.”
	In the News September 11, 2020 The 9/11 Commission Report, the pandemic and the future of Homeland Security Carrie CorderoLawfare Chappell Lawson and Alan Bersin write in a new volume they have edited along with Juliette Kayyem, that the new report will likely “bring significant disruption and confusion with little expectation of operational improvement.”
	In the News September 10, 2020 India and China meet to defuse Himalayan border tensions Amy KazminThe Financial Times Vipin Narang heavily quoted: “I don’t think that either side really wants to risk a war over these positions along the line of actual control but we now have a lot of friction points,” he said. “The problem isn’t that one side starts a war intentionally. The risk is that they stumble into war.” But he added that expectations for the talks were muted. “I don’t think anybody expects there to be a massive breakthrough,” he said. “The best-case scenario is that both sides walk away with a detailed framework of how to disengage.”
	In the News September 9, 2020 Fresh Pangong lake face-off complicates Jaishankar-Wang’s face-to-face meet Rezaul H LaskarHindustan Times Vipin Narang quoted: “I don’t think either India or China have an incentive to go to war over the border dispute, but the increasing intensity and persistence of friction, along with air activity and the presence of loaded firearms may cause them to ‘stumble’ into war,” he said. “An advertent or inadvertent incident at a local flashpoint could now really fuel a broader conflict that neither government wants, as the forces continue to come into contact with each other,” Narang added.
	In the News September 7, 2020 Pictures and videos show California burning as more wildfires break out across state Aristos Georgiou Newsweek Vipin Narang quoted: “This is not a nuclear blast. It is California on fire,” MIT professor Vipin Narang wrote in a post showing the image on Twitter.
	In the News September 6, 2020 Russia 'thinks they can get away with' poisoning Navalny Fox News Jim Walsh discusses the suspected poisoning of Russian activist Alexei Navalny and Trump's response to the allegation.
	In the News September 4, 2020 Images suggest North Korea may be preparing launch of submarine missile—think tank David BrunnstromReuters Vipin Narang quoted: “North Korea already tested a PKS-3 SLBM last October. And it didn’t cross Trump’s redline then, and is unlikely to this time. Trump won’t care,” Vipin Narang, a non-proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote on Twitter.
	In the News September 3, 2020 America’s problem is much bigger than TikTok David WertimePOLITICO China Watcher M Taylor Fravel quoted: This year’s annual Pentagon report on the People’s Liberation Army dropped this week and it’s “the most comprehensive and detailed one ever published.”
	In the News September 2, 2020 China may double its nuclear arsenal in just 10 years. Don’t panic. Alex WardVox Vipin Narang quoted: “A doubling is not as scary as it sounds,” said Vipin Narang, a nuclear expert at MIT. “China doubling over the next couple decades is kind of ‘it’s about time,’” said MIT’s Narang. “China is late to the game.”
	In the News September 1, 2020 Donald Blackmer, professor emeritus of political science and longtime leader at MIT, dies at 91 MIT News An esteemed scholar and extraordinary steward of institutions and people, he was known to light up the academic landscape.
	In the News August 27, 2020 China fires missiles into South China Sea as US sanctions Beijing Jesse JohnsonThe Japan Times Vipin Narang quoted: “That they have been working on ASBMs and testing them isn’t a surprise,” said Vipin Narang, a professor of international relations at MIT. “But everything is now framed as a provocation.”
	In the News August 27, 2020 China fires missiles into South China Sea, sending US a message Steven Lee Myers and Keith BradsherThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “The growing frequency of exercises and the new types of capabilities displayed demonstrate the progress China has achieved in its military modernization drive over the past two decades,” said M Taylor Fravel. He said that it was not clear if the missiles were fired at fixed or moving targets, adding that the latter would be “a better test of the overall system, to include identifying, tracking, and destroying a moving ship at sea.”
	In the News August 26, 2020 America’s invasion of Iraq fuelled militant Islam Morgan DuchesneyThe Star John Tirman quoted: As John Tirman of MIT says, “Expediency (has) usually trumped principle in US foreign policy … The result has predictably, been a growing antipathy for America and its hypocrisies … The avatar of that antipathy has been militant Islam. We remain deaf to this lesson, at our peril.”
	In the News August 18, 2020 Fostering friendships and films from across the globe MISTIMIT News What do you do when a pandemic shuts down international travel, and you can't do your internship in Japan? For MISTI students this summer, the answer was the Virtual Language Conversation Exchange with Tokyo Tech.
	In the News August 11, 2020 The Galwan Valley clash and China’s approach to sovereignty disputes ChinaPower Podcast Taylor Fravel compares the recent clash to past incidents along the Sino-Indian border and discusses whether confidence building measures have the potential to prevent further China-India territorial conflict.
	In the News August 7, 2020 Why the Beirut blast created a mushroom cloud Erik OlsenPopular Science Vipin Narang quoted: “We did not see anything remotely like that in Beirut,” says Vipin Narang. The Beirut fireball’s vivid red color sets it apart from the aftereffects of an atom bomb, too. “It’s characteristic of NO compounds,” Narang says, which are by-products of ammonium nitrate explosions.
	In the News August 6, 2020 Hiroshima's legacy 75 years later WBUR WBUR's Here and New host Robin Young speaks with JIm Walsh about the first use of an atomic weapon and the state of nuclear weapons today.
	In the News August 4, 2020 New North Korea ICBM report suggests Pyongyang can hit US with nukes David BrennanNewsweek Vipin Narang heavily quoted: Narang said the UN report should be read as "further evidence that North Korea is consolidating its nuclear weapons force, improving and augmenting it to improve survivability, retaliatory power, and penetration. In other words, North Korea is making the technological improvements we would expect any other nuclear weapons power to make," he explained. "And that's precisely what they want us to acknowledge."
	In the News August 2, 2020 Putin's virus disinformation campaign against Americans Fox News Jim Walsh joins Arthel Neville on 'America's News HQ' to discuss the implications of Putin's virus disinformation campaign aimed at Americans.
	In the News July 27, 2020 Shining a light on the quantum world Fernanda FerreiraMIT News With funding from MISTI, physicists at MIT and in Israel collaborate to improve understanding and use of quantum light.
	In the News July 23, 2020 Xi’s obsession to look strong amid domestic discontent likely reasons for China’s rogue behaviour, say experts PTI / The Hindu Vipin Narang quoted: "It could be anything from opportunism to concerns about India completing the infrastructure projects such as the DS-DBO (Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie) road to concerns about international or domestic legitimacy, where Xi Jinping believes he cannot afford to look weak," he told PTI.
	In the News July 23, 2020 Fellowship is at the heart of emergency response in Nigeria MISTIMIT News When Amir Bature came to MIT from Bayero University Kano (BUK) in Nigeria as part of the Empowering the Teachers (ETT) program, he was amazed at his shift in perspective during his time on campus. “The first time we arrived at MIT, there were a lot of things where we said ‘no, this is impossible.’ But before we left, it was all possible!” He had no idea that he would soon be applying this mindset to a public health crisis in his home country of Nigeria.
	In the News July 18, 2020 China now trying to put ‘genie back in bottle’ Amit Shah's Aksai Chin Phuket News China's foreign policy is at an inflection point even as India needs to come up with a new consensus on the border issue with Beijing, says China expert Taylor Fravel.
	In the News July 15, 2020 Asia greets US shift on South China Sea with hope and doubt Ken Moriyasu and Tomoya OnishiNikkei Asian Review M Taylor Fravel quoted: Given a choice, "Southeast Asian states do not want to choose between the US and China. But they also want to be able to assert their maritime claims and jurisdiction. The statement may create an expectation among other claimants that the United States may take actions to defend their claims, but the statement itself creates no such obligation, only an expectation," he said.
	In the News July 15, 2020 France creates first university intelligence chair and masters course on the dark arts of espionage Henry SamuelThe Telegraph Joel Brenner quoted: Speaking to the Telegraph, Joel Brenner said: "I'm pleased to see that Sciences Po-Aix recognizes that intelligence and the place of intelligence agencies in society are worthy of academic study. This is a welcome development and will make it easier to nourish links between French universities and their counterparts in the US and UK."
	In the News July 13, 2020 Trump administration’s move on visas is ‘dream-crashing’ for Indian students and families Joanna Slater and Niha MasihThe Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: The announcement makes international students a pawn in the administration’s push to get universities to fully reopen in the fall, said Vipin Narang. The level of anxiety it has induced is “incalculable,” he said. “It really does enrage me.” Several major US universities, including MIT, have sued the Trump administration in an attempt to reverse the move.
	In the News July 13, 2020 US says most of China’s claims in South China Sea are illegal Edward Wong and Michael CrowleyThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “The statement is a full-throated endorsement of the tribunal’s ruling,” said M Taylor Fravel, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies China’s territorial disputes and its military.
	In the News July 13, 2020 At home and abroad with MISTI 2020 MISTIMIT News “Covid-19 has demonstrated that international collaboration is essential to tackling challenges that span countries and cultures. Our aim in the coming year is to continue to equip students with the skills and awareness they will need to confront such challenges in the future.”
	In the News July 10, 2020 US tells foreign students with online classes to go, universities look at options Karishma Mehrotra Indian Express Vipin Narang quoted: “There’s always been this concern about these online-only, for-profit, F1 scam businesses. But this directive seems a little more carefully crafted to target institutions like MIT. If all they want is some in-person component for online classes, I’ll be happy to do that. If this targets legitimate students in legitimate institutions, then any loophole that would allow faculty and institutions to make a class ‘hybrid’ would be exploited.”
	In the News July 8, 2020 History contradicts new Chinese claims over Bhutan's territory India Today BureauIndia Today M Taylor Fravel heavily quoted: Past Chinese maps, put out by prominent China expert and Director of the MIT Security Studies Program M Taylor Fravel, suggest that China has acknowledged the area as Bhutanese territory in the past. According to Fravel, the old Chinese maps “do not show Sakteng or nearby areas in Bhutan as Chinese territory”.
	In the News July 6, 2020 India-China agree to disengage at Galwan Valley; experts discuss the road ahead Parikshit LuthraCNBC-TV18 After a 60 day long confrontation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China have agreed to disengage and deescalate tensions at the LAC. Vipin Narang is among the experts who discuss the road ahead.
	In the News July 3, 2020 Trump slams China’s pattern of aggression Yashwant RajHindustan Times Vipin Narang heavily quoted: Narang said that one of the Trump administration’s foreign policy “bright spots” have been its relationship with India, and his personal bonhomie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “That does not mean that the relationship is all roses, but there is a lot of sympathy and friendship toward India, across both parties and especially the Trump administration which has remained silent on domestic issues that some members of the Democratic Party have expressed concern about...”
	In the News July 3, 2020 First China, now Pakistan: How India's battling on two fronts Sudhi Ranjan SenBloomberg \| Quint Vipin Narang heavily quoted: “But my general sense is that Pakistan may feel like it needs to show resolve at home and to India in Jammu & Kashmir” after India changed the province's consitutional status in August last year, Narang said. Islamabad may “also be opportunistically taking advantage of India's distraction and focus on the LAC.”
	In the News June 28, 2020 Report: Boston minority communities hit hardest by evictions Michael CaseyAP News Justin Steil quoted: “The results are very troubling,” said Justin Steil, an associate professor of law and urban planning at MIT who authored the report with MIT researcher David Robinson. “It suggest that above and beyond income, housing cost measures that race continues to play a significant role in evictions,” he said. “We see white supremacy and anti-blackness functioning in the housing markets as well as other areas of social life.”
	In the News June 26, 2020 China’s military provokes its neighbors, but the message is for the United States Steven Lee MyersThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “When China views it is being challenged in these other sovereignty disputes in this era, it will respond with a very tough line. China never had the ability to assert itself in the maritime domain until really in the last 10 or 15 years,” Mr Fravel said, noting the steady buildup of China’s naval and air forces. He added, “That has enabled China to press its claims in the East and South China Sea more than before.”
	In the News June 25, 2020 When culture clashes with Covid-19 MIT News Office To what extent are different responses attributable to the “culture” of each country? And how much have widespread social norms affected the responses of different countries during the Covid-19 pandemic?
	In the News June 24, 2020 India reinforces contested region as China holds ground, sources say French Press Agency (AFP) Vipin Narang quoted: “There may be some short-term public backlash against China in India, but publicly, Pakistan swamps China as a perceived threat,” said Vipin Narang, a security specialist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The effects of this crisis, even if it slow burns, may be short-lived amongst India's public. And cheap TVs are still cheap TVs.”
	In the News June 23, 2020 India-China standoff: Prof M Taylor Fravel speaks on the false claim of Galwan by China Rahul KanwalIndia Today In this special broadcast of Newstrack, Rahul Kanwal exposes the cartographic aggression of China and speaks with Taylor Fravel on the matter.
	In the News June 22, 2020 India has closed military gap with China along border Pramit Pal ChaudhuriHindustan Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “China has just over 10 percent of its ground forces [in its western theatre], a very large part of the country, and not even all these troops are focused on India.” But because China does not want to deploy a large fraction of its forces in Tibet or Xinjiang, he added, “I think this disparity in the local balance makes China especially sensitive to changes that improves India’s position.”
	In the News June 21, 2020 Xi plays tough, but can China afford to make an enemy of India? Emma Graham-HarrisonThe Guardian M Taylor Fravel quoted: “I feel it’s generally a response to the pressure Xi feels he is under,” said Fravel. “Because of Covid and the criticism China faced internationally, the economic crisis at home, and the concomitant deterioration of China-US relations, [Beijing] has taken a tough stance on a number of sovereignty issues as a way of signalling that China will not be cowed.”
	In the News June 20, 2020 Modi says China isn’t occupying Indian territory after clash Archana ChaudharyBloomberg Vipin Narang quoted: “The biggest implication is that wherever the Chinese have in fact changed the ground status quo—whether in Galwan Valley or Pangong Tso or elsewhere—is tacitly being accepted by the government as de facto Chinese claims,” said Vipin Narang. “One can litigate whether this is in fact ‘Indian territory,’ but it is tacitly accepting whatever faits accomplis China has undertaken.”
	In the News June 19, 2020 China lays claim to entire Galwan Valley Ananth KrishnanThe Hindu M Taylor Fravel quoted: "Chinese maps that I have seen show almost all of the Galwan River as lying within the territory China claims in the area,” M Taylor Fravel, an expert on the Chinese military at MIT, told The Hindu earlier. "The one discrepancy would be the western tip of the Galwan River as it meets the Shyok River. Here, the last few kilometres of the Galwan River are often depicted as lying beyond China’s border. How one defines the parameters of the valley itself might be different than the river, however.”
	In the News June 19, 2020 'PLA was acting with higher approval' Pottayil RajendranRediff M Taylor Fravel interviewed on the China-India border dispute. "I don't think China is looking for a wider conflict with India on the China-India border," Dr Fravel tells Senior Rediff.com Contributor Pottayil Rajendran. Read the interview
	In the News June 19, 2020 China Flexes Territorial Muscle – Recent India border clash signals risk Beijing will take in approach to disputes, experts say Chun Han WongThe Wall Street Journal M Taylor Fravel quoted: The use of such forceful tactics "reflects a continuity in China's approach under Xi," said M Taylor Fravel, a professor and director of the MIT Security Studies Program at MIT. "Whether it marks an inflection point in China's foreign policy and a willingness to use force in territorial disputes depends on what happens in the next few days and weeks."
	In the News June 18, 2020 Modi denies any Indian territory was lost in China clash The Associated PressThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: From a strategic perspective, Fravel said, China should want to drive a wedge between India and the United States to prevent any kind of counter-balance coalition. "The deaths and the clash on Monday night will probably very quickly and much more rapidly push India closer to the United States, which I think is probably not what China wants,” he said.
	In the News June 18, 2020 Modi finds neighbors silent as India-China tensions simmer Archana Chaudhary and Bibhudatta PradhanBloomberg Vipin Narang quoted: “The optimistic view is that the tragic loss of life will incentivize both governments to energize their efforts to resolve the border dispute,” said Vipin Narang, associate professor of political science at MIT and author of ‘Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict.’ “The pessimistic view is that China has no intention of relieving the pressure that it is putting across the entire Line of Actual Control and that this is a long way from being over.”
	In the News June 17, 2020 Ladakh face-off \| China’s Foreign Minister blames India ‘for deliberately provoking’ border clash Ananth KrishnanThe Hindu Taylor Fravel quoted: China was unlikely to confirm the number, said M Taylor Fravel, an expert on the Chinese military at MIT. “I can think of no armed conflict involving China where it has released casualty figures publicly at the time of the conflict,” he said. “Usually, they are published years or decades later,” he noted on Twitter, pointing out that casualties from the 1962 were only revealed for the first time in an internal history published in 1994.
	In the News June 17, 2020 A watershed moment in India-China relations, says MIT's Vipin Narang Kaushik VaidyaBloomberg \| Quint Vipin Narang was interviewed and heavily quoted in this article about the "violent face-off" in the Galwan Valley on Monday night in which 20 Indian armymen were killed in action. The political mood over the next several days in both countries will be critical he says.
	In the News June 17, 2020 India and China trade barbs after ‘gang war’ high in the Himalayas Joanna Slater and Gerry ShihThe Washington Post M Taylor Fravel quoted: China probably has “little interest in further escalation,” said M Taylor Fravel, an expert on the People’s Liberation Army who heads the Security Studies Program at MIT. “China’s main competitor in East Asia and beyond is the United States, not India.”
	In the News June 17, 2020 Himalayan flashpoint could spiral out of control as India and China face off Julian BorgerThe Guardian Vipin Narang quoted: “Now domestic politics and public opinion, especially nationalist pressure to avenge their deaths and escalate, becomes a dangerous force,” Vipin Narang, a security studies professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said. “It will be hard for India at least, with a relatively open media, to de-escalate as easily now.”
	In the News June 16, 2020 India-China clash: An extraordinary escalation 'with rocks and clubs' Soutik BiswasBBC News Vipin Narang quoted: "It is looking bad, very bad," says security analyst Vipin Narang, of the deadly clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh on Monday night. The most serious face-off on the world's longest unsettled land border in nearly half a century left 20 Indian soldiers dead. India says both sides suffered casualties. "Once fatalities are sustained, keeping everything quiet becomes hard on both sides. Now public pressure becomes a variable," Dr Narang, a security studies professor at MIT, told me. "The scale, scope and swathe of the pressure across the border is seemingly unprecedented."
	In the News June 16, 2020 North Korea blows up joint liaison office with South Robin YoungWBUR Here & Now North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office building just north of the heavily armed border with South Korea on Tuesday. The dramatic display of anger sharply raises tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and puts pressure on Washington and Seoul amid deadlocked nuclear diplomacy. Host Robin Young speaks with security analyst Jim Walsh about the implications.
	In the News June 12, 2020 Russia, China and the US: Who has the best Middle East policy? Dale SprusanskyWashington Report on Middle East Affairs, June/July 2020, pp 58-59 The Middle East Institute held an online discussion with two renowned scholars of international affairs on April 16 to assess the role of the US, China and Russia in the Middle East, which included SSP's Barry Posen. Here is a recap with some highlights and quotes from the event.
	In the News June 12, 2020 Two years after Trump-Kim meeting, little to show for personal diplomacy David E Sanger and Choe Sang-HunThe New York Times Vipin Narang quoted: “Trump has told himself this was a win, and so has Kim,” said Vipin Narang. “Trump keeps repeating, ‘There wasn’t a war.’” “For Kim Jong-un it was also a win because he is able to take the air out of the maximum pressure campaign” to crush the country economically, he said, “while he is still expanding his missile and nuclear force.”
	In the News June 5, 2020 Fingers, boots, and lines: Understanding the 2020 India-China border tensions Ankit PandaThe Diplomat The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast host Ankit Panda speaks to M Taylor Fravel, the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about the ongoing India-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control.
	In the News June 5, 2020 Pan-India News 18 poll on India-China standoff: Here’s what it means according to experts Parikshit LuthraCNBC-TV18 CNBC-TV18’s Parikshit Luthra is joined by M Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kanwal Sibal, former secretary, and Jayant Dasgupta, former Indian ambassador to WTO, to discuss about India-China relations and border skirmishes.
	In the News June 4, 2020 Mattis calls out clearing protesters outside White House 'abuse of executive authority' Jeremy HobsonWBUR Here & Now Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis has called the decision to clear peaceful protesters from outside the White House this week an "abuse of executive authority." Host Jeremy Hobson speaks with security analyst Jim Walsh about the incident.
	In the News June 2, 2020 Philippines backs off threat to terminate military pact with US Jason GutierrezThe New York Times M Taylor Fravel quoted: “In light of China’s continued assertion of its historic rights in Vietnamese and Malaysian waters over the last year, Manila may have concluded that its previous rapprochement with Beijing would not protect Philippine interests,” said M Taylor Fravel, a political-science professor who is director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
	In the News May 29, 2020 Experts explain: What triggered China’s recent LAC moves? Sushant SinghThe Indian Express M Taylor Fravel quoted: “China’s actions are hard to decipher, especially in the absence of any authoritative statements from Beijing. The simplest explanation perhaps is that China is responding to India’s efforts to bolster border-area infrastructure in Ladakh after the completion of the DSDBO road. After India’s move into Doklam in 2017, China is perhaps especially sensitive to Indian activity along the disputed border. Around Galwan, in particular, China may be seeking to pre-empt an Indian effort to improve its links to the LAC”, he added.
	In the News May 28, 2020 What do the IG firings say about American democracy? WBUR On Point The president has fired at least five inspectors general. It may be his right, but what does it say about political accountability and American democracy? Joel Brenner weighs in.
	In the News May 28, 2020 Chinese aggression in Ladakh also a message for domestic and external audience: Experts Snehesh Alex PhilipThe Print M Taylor Fravel quoted: “While I don’t think this alone would lead China to create an incident with India, I do think it helps to explain the scope, scale, and posture of China’s response,” he said. “In many issues this spring, China has sought to signal its resolve, especially when sovereignty is involved — Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.”
	In the News May 28, 2020 Robert Art retires as director of the Seminar XXI Program Michelle EnglishMIT News Robert Art is stepping down as director of the Seminar XXI Program, a post-graduate education program in the national security arena that has inspired graduates to apply the compelling insights of social science to the most pressing challenges of our times.
	In the News May 28, 2020 Amid a pandemic, China picks a border fight with India Sadanand DhumeWall Street Journal M Taylor Fravel quoted: M Taylor Fravel, a political scientist and China expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says "putting the border dispute in a box" has been "the great success of the India-China relationship." No soldier has died on the boundary since 1975.
	In the News May 27, 2020 Far from being weakened by coronavirus, China pursues sovereignty claims on all fronts Anna Fifield and Joanna Slater The Washington Post M Taylor Fravel quoted: The recent flare-up along the “line of actual control,” which has marked the unofficial border between China and India since they fought a war in 1962, prompted a response from President Trump. “We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute,” he tweeted Wednesday.
	In the News May 27, 2020 Changing balance across LAC trigger for stand-off, says China expert Taylor Fravel Ananth KrishnanThe Hindu The spark for the current stand-off with China, with the ongoing face-off situations in the Galwan River valley, Pangong Lake and other areas, is the increasing infrastructure competition along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), says M Taylor Fravel.
	In the News May 24, 2020 Two years after Trump summit, Kim vows to boost North Korea’s nuclear deterrent Simon DenyerThe Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: MIT professor Vipin Narang called the statement “alarming.” “I have no idea what this means but I am sure we won’t like it,” he tweeted.
	In the News May 22, 2020 US pulls out of open skies treaty Jeremy HobsonWBUR Here & Now The United States is pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty, the third major security accord the Trump Administration has scuttled. Host Jeremy Hobson speaks with security analyst Jim Walsh to explain the situation and talk about the potential consequences.
	In the News May 21, 2020 The ‘us and them’ pandemic shows America is still impervious to black pain Michele L Norris The Washington Post Evan Lieberman quoted: “It is not difficult to imagine that if covid-19 comes to be understood as a ‘Black’ epidemic,” he wrote, “this will create false impressions for many white Americans — in the United States’ racially polarized and effectively segregated society — that the virus is ‘not our problem,’ leading to decreased demand for and compliance with public health directives.”
	In the News May 21, 2020 Sara Plana receives inaugural Jeanne Guillemin Prize Michelle EnglishMIT News The prize, which provides financial support to women working toward a PhD in international affairs, will be applied toward her research into proxy warfare.
	In the News May 19, 2020 Intervention or restraint: Ruger and Posen debate Kristol and Flournoy Jacob HeilbrunnThe National Interest On the American Public Television program “The Whole Truth,” hosted by historian and author David Eisenhower, a panel of leading foreign policy figures, including William Ruger, Michele Flournoy, William Kristol and Barry Posen, recently debated America’s purpose.
	In the News May 18, 2020 Former inspector general: Trump is attacking the ‘institution’ of oversight Lawrence O'DonnellMSNBC Joel Brenner, who served as Inspector General of the National Security Agency under President Bush, tells Lawrence O’Donnell the firing of several inspectors general shows President Trump believes all government officials owe him “personal loyalty.”
	In the News May 18, 2020 Trump’s ‘highly unusual’ politicization of government watchdogs Yamiche AlcindorPBS News Hour President Trump has fired three inspectors general recently, including State Department watchdog Steve Linick on Friday. Yamiche Alcindor talks to Joel Brenner, a former national security inspector general and director of national intelligence, about how politicizing the IG role is “all wrong.”
	In the News May 15, 2020 Inspectors general: oversight, authority, and removal with Joel Brenner National Security Law Today Joel Brenner discusses the Inspectors General role during the Covid-19 crisis and Trump's removal on National Security Law Today.
	In the News May 11, 2020 National security is in the eye of the beholder Brad GlossermanJapan Times Richard Samuels quoted: MIT Professor Richard Samuels describes this as the belief that societies must “organize to defend the wealth of individuals they comprise” — their skills, productive relationships, firms and R&D centers that create their wealth — and argues that this logic has long prevailed in Japan.
	In the News May 8, 2020 Trump wages a war on watchdogs as coronavirus elevates their importance Liz GoodwinThe Boston Globe Joel Brenner quoted: “It absolutely sends a chill through the whole community,” said Joel Brenner, former inspector general of the National Security Agency. “It’s a very clear message. The president doesn’t want any inspector general issuing any report critical of the administration and any inspector general who does it has to understand that he or she is likely to be out of a job.”
	In the News May 4, 2020 MIT Africa's Ari Jacobovits helps produce Covid-19 hackathon Ari Jacobovits, managing director of the MIT Africa program, helped organize a hackathon on Covid-19 with collectives from around the world—drawing from universities, industry, government, and NGOs, among others. CIS research affiliate Claude Grunitsky covered the story in his publication True Africa.
	In the News May 1, 2020 China's modern military strategy in historical perspective NCUSCR Podcast In an interview with NCUSCR President Steve Orlins, Taylor Fravel discusses his motivations for and key discoveries from writing, "Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949."
	In the News April 30, 2020 Outsiders consider possibility of chaos in North Korea Foster KlugAP News Vipin Narang quoted: “The million-dollar question is: When do you invoke the OPLAN and what indicators do you rely on to do so? Because one country’s ‘securing the country’ operation can look to the other nation like an ‘invasion plan.’ And then all hell can break loose,” said Vipin Narang, a North Korea nuclear specialist at MIT.
	In the News April 29, 2020 Where is Kim Jong Un? WBUR Here and Now North Korea hasn't reported a single case of Covid-19 and the pandemic coincides with the absence of the country's leader, Kim Jon Un. Jim Walsh offers insight into the situation.
	In the News April 28, 2020 'War and disease travel together': Why the pandemic push for a global cease-fire is gaining ground Deirdre ShesgreenUSA Today Barry Posen quoted: "The disease caused by the coronavirus is weakening all of the great and middle powers more or less equally," he said. He said with no country likely to gain a meaningful military advantage from the pandemic, "the odds of a war between major powers will go down, not up."
	In the News April 28, 2020 Will the Covid-19 pandemic change national security? Peter DizikesMIT News As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to inflict huge damage around the world, international affairs experts are increasingly wondering: Will the virus make countries reconsider their national security strategies?
	In the News April 28, 2020 Low-yield warhead eliminates need for nuclear buildup, state says Dan LeoneDefense Daily Vipin Narang quoted: “What can the low yield [submarine launched ballistic missile] do that our current low yield nuclear systems cannot?” Vipin Narang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mused on Twitter. “Range and penetrate into downtown Moscow. Which doesn’t seem all that restrained.”
	In the News April 23, 2020 The rumors of Kim Jong Un’s “grave” illness, explained Alex WardVox Vipin Narang quoted: “What if he is technically ‘alive’ or there is litigation amongst potential successors as for whether he is alive or dead? Who can legally issue orders? What if there are contravening orders?” said Vipin Narang, an expert on North Korea’s nuclear program.
	In the News April 21, 2020 Why the confusion about Kim Jong Un's health actually makes sense Joshua BerlingerCNN Vipin Narang quoted: "States want the public and others to know just enough. They want to be transparent about the capability, but kind of opaque about the procedures and the actual line of deployment to enhance deterrence," he said.
	In the News April 6, 2020 A forum for female voices in international security Leda ZimmermanDepartment of Political Science The Future Strategy Forum emerged from the efforts of Sara Plana and Rachel Tecott as co-chairs of a Boston-based organization of graduate students, Women in International Politics and Security. This group was funded by the MIT Center for International Studies and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
	In the News April 2, 2020 3 Questions: Fotini Christia on new deal-making in Afghanistan Michelle EnglishMIT News It is unclear what a negotiated settlement could look like between the Afghan government and the Taliban given the latter’s clear desire to head the state. Whether the Taliban can commit to power sharing is a highly doubtful proposition as many expect it to get militarily emboldened as soon as the US withdraws and to become the de facto ruling power.
	In the News March 27, 2020 North Korea seen expanding rocket launch facility it once promised to dismantle Geoff BrumfielNPR Vipin Narang quoted: "It's hard to know what it is, but they're clearly reactivating it and preparing for personnel to be there, which suggests that they may want to start using it again," Narang says. "Maybe they want to test a satellite launch vehicle; maybe they want to test an ICBM; maybe they want to test an engine."
	In the News March 25, 2020 America’s allies are becoming a nuclear-proliferation threat Pete McKenzieDefense One Vipin Narang quoted: “The concern is that it’s not a genuine negotiating position, that it’s demanded as an excuse to eventually pull out of South Korea,” Narang said. “There’s a deep enough thread in Trump’s thinking and rhetoric to suggest that he genuinely believes that American [nuclear] assurance and conventional deployments to these allies are a waste of money.”
	In the News March 15, 2020 The Japanese intelligence community & espionage Tony VegaJapan Station: A Podcast by Japankyo.com On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Richard Samuels digs into the world of Japanese spycraft and the history of Japan's intelligence community.
	In the News March 13, 2020 MIT’s response to Covid-19 MIT MIT is tracking the Covid-19 (coronavirus) situation daily, offering ongoing updates and guidance. This website offers the latest updates and information on what the Institute is doing.
	In the News March 10, 2020 Why do banking crises occur? Peter DizikesMIT News In a new book, political scientist David Singer finds two key factors connected to financial-sector collapses around the globe.
	In the News March 8, 2020 N Korea fires projectiles, after 'momentous' retaliation threat AFP Vipin Narang quoted: Vipin Narang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology added: "Kim continues to test, improve and operationalise his force."
	In the News February 26, 2020 It all adds up: MIT-Africa Laura Carter, School of ScienceMIT News Hazel Sive, faculty director for MISTI-Africa and director of the MIT-Africa Initiative, visited the Uganda program. “This is a fantastic contribution by the MIT Mathematics Department. Our students ran an outstanding program for the best high school math talent in Uganda. The Ugandan students were exceptional, and we hope some will be attracted to apply to MIT. ”
	In the News February 24, 2020 What Trump's visit means for India? India Today Vipin Narang and other local experts were interviewed and commented on President's Trump trip to India and what it means for India and for Modi.
	In the News February 24, 2020 Beyond the spectacle: What global think tanks think about NaMoste Trump Rahul KanwalIndia Today Vipin Narang quoted: Trump's India visit appeals to his "vanity", says Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the MIT. "I think at a higher level for President Trump, this is a vanity exercise. I think he loves the idea of being adulated in the crowds," Narang said.
	In the News February 24, 2020 Dreaming big in a small country MIT News The MISTI Global Startup Labs (GSL) program, now in its 20th year, has expanded its partnerships to include Uruguayan institutions to promote entrepreneurship and data science across Latin America.
	In the News February 22, 2020 Huge rally will highlight Trump’s visit to India Eli Stokols, Shashank BengaliLos Angeles Times Vipin Narang quoted: “For Trump to get up and go all the way to India … it’s a pretty big deal and a validation for Modi in the face of this withering international criticism,” said Vipin Narang, an associate political science professor at MIT. “There’s a lot of focus on the lack of deliverables, but for Modi, the trip itself is the deliverable.”
	In the News February 20, 2020 A road map for artificial intelligence policy Peter DizikesMIT News In a Starr Forum talk, Luis Videgaray, director of MIT’s AI Policy for the World Project, outlines key facets of regulating new technologies.
	In the News February 18, 2020 Fact-checking Tom Cotton's claims about the coronavirus Tara SubramaniamCNN Vipin Narang quoted: "the thing that weighs against the claim is that it's a terrible bioweapon. If you were engineering a bioweapon this would have the absolute opposite of the characteristics you would want." Cotton's other hypotheses were more plausible, Narang said. "If the claim is that there were bats at the facility that may have had the novel coronavirus and there was a lapse in security and protocol, it's possible but it doesn't sound like there was anything intentional," Narang said. "Unless there's strong evidence to the contrary that should be the operating assumption."
	In the News February 17, 2020 Tom Cotton keeps repeating a coronavirus conspiracy theory that was already debunked Paulina Firozi The Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: After Cotton’s Sunday remarks, Narang said, “These kinds of conspiracy theories are unhelpful. I don’t think it’s particularly helpful, and it’s borderline irresponsible to — and it’s without evidence, so at this point it’s a conspiracy theory — peddle it,” he said. “Cotton should spend more time funding the agencies in the United States that can help contain and combat the virus rather than trying to assign blame.”
	In the News February 10, 2020 Might technology tip the scales? Leda ZimmermanDepartment of Political Science Benjamin Chang, a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science, is using his understanding of computer science to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence on military power, with a focus on US and China.
	In the News February 10, 2020 The 2 most controversial national security items in Trump’s new budget Alex WardVox Vipin Narang quoted: Experts are split on whether a nuclear modernization program, which gained steam in the Obama years, is a good idea. “If you’re going to have the force, make sure it’s safe, secure, and reliable,” says Vipin Narang, a nuclear expert at MIT. “Some, not all, of the force and the delivery platforms are decades old.” He added that “it just can’t sit and rot.”
	In the News February 6, 2020 China's 'grand gestures,' propaganda aim to calm fears about coronavirus Elizabeth ShimUnited Press International (UPI) Grad student Kacie Miura quoted: In building the new hospitals, the Chinese government could have had other objectives aside from treating sick patients. Authorities allow the construction to be viewed live online, creating a spectacle and an image of a government "in control of the situation and capable of accomplishing monumental tasks," Miura said.
	In the News February 4, 2020 US military deploys new type of nuclear weapon seen as key to countering Russia Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr and Zachary CohenCNN Vipin Narang quoted: The real difference is the ability to threaten "and penetrate targets deep in adversary territory that current aircraft deliverable low yield nuclear weapons cannot reach," according to Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at MIT.
	In the News February 3, 2020 Beyond Harvard prof's arrest, increased scrutiny over research conflicts sparks 'a whole lot of anxiety' Carrie JungWBUR Joel Brenner quoted: "The FBI and other counterintelligence officials have been warning of these problems for at least 20 years now," he said. "The academic community has been very skeptical."
	In the News January 29, 2020 Experts debunk fringe theory linking China’s coronavirus to weapons research Adam Taylor The Washington Post Vipin Narang quoted: Vipin Narang, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a message on Twitter that a good bioweapon “in theory has high lethality but low, not [high], communicability” and that spreading such ideas would be “incredibly irresponsible.”
	In the News January 24, 2020 Saudi Arabia 'planned to spy on Khashoggi's fiancee in UK' Stephanie Kirchgaessner The Guardian Hala Aldosari quoted: “Saudi Arabia is trying to put a lid on the whole [Khashoggi] thing, so it is understandable that they would try to make sure that Hatice’s voice and advocacy is limited,” said Hala Aldosari, a Saudi activist and fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “All sorts of unlawful behaviour continues, nothing has changed.”
	In the News January 22, 2020 Who is Mohammad bin Salman? NowThis Hala Aldosari is featured on the first international podcast of Who Is. This epidsode explores the 34-year-old trillionaire in charge of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, and the story of a monarchy that is using its wealth to secure its global legitimacy and expand its influence.
	In the News January 22, 2020 Study: State-level adoption of renewable energy standards saves money and lives Nancy W Stauffer MIT News MIT researchers review renewable energy and carbon pricing policies as states consider repealing or relaxing renewable portfolio standards. Emil Dimanchev SM ’18, a senior research associate at the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, had his outreach relating to the Ohio testimony supported by the Policy Lab at the MIT Center for International Studies.
	In the News January 21, 2020 Saudi Arabia runs squalid, abusive jails for women disowned by their male guardians — a forgotten chapter in its rush to champion women’s rights Bill BostockBusiness Insider Hala Aldosari quoted: “How women are treated is very much determined by the staff,” she said. “It’s worse when they bring low-skilled people in to work with women left with no supervision. Because of the gender division and lack of transparency they abuse power, and there’s no way for the women to address the issues.”
	In the News January 19, 2020 Spies being left exposed in the digital age Ben MacintyreThe Times Joel Brenner quoted: Everyone leaves digital footprints, whether intentionally or otherwise. Joel Brenner, a former top counterintelligence official, told Yahoo: “It’s extremely difficult now to run cover operations when so much is known and can be known about almost everybody.”
	In the News January 14, 2020 Iran nuclear deal continues to unravel Tonya MosleyWBUR Here and Now Iran suspended all limits on its production of enriched uranium required by the deal after the American drone strike that killed Iran's top military commander this month. Jim Walsh discusses the implications.
	In the News January 13, 2020 How exiled Saudi Arabian activists are quietly building a resistance movement Ty JoplinAl Bawaba Al Bawaba spoke with Hala Aldosari, a Saudi human rights activist who stands on the vanguard of digitally organizing a resistance movement to the Saudi regime while in exile.
	In the News January 8, 2020 What's the path forward on Iran? Tiziana Dearing, Jamie BolognaWBUR Radio Boston Now a senior research fellow at CIS, Joel Brenner—former inspector general of the National Security Agency and head of US counterintelligence in the Obama administration—joins us to make sense of where we are with Iran and what happens next.
	In the News January 8, 2020 Trump’s inaccurate statements about the conflict with Iran Linda QiuThe New York Times Jim Walsh quoted: Mr Trump’s claim blaming the nuclear accord for Iranian aggression rather than his withdrawal from it is “almost an inverted reality,” said Jim Walsh, a research associate at MIT’s Security Studies Program and an expert on nuclear issues and the Middle East.
	In the News January 8, 2020 After Iran strikes back, President Trump indicates a de-escalation Jim BraudeWGBH Greater Boston Jim Walsh, a senior research associate at MIT’s Security Studies Program, joined Jim Braude to discuss the events of the last week and what else may be on the horizon in US-Iran relations.
	In the News January 8, 2020 How an Iranian cyberattack might start Marketplace David Edelman quoted: Iran has promised retaliation following the US killing of its top commander, and one form that could take is cyberattacks. Iran is not considered the most sophisticated cyber actor, but David Edelman said it has attacked and been the target of attacks, so it has an unusual amount of experience with hacking.
	In the News January 7, 2020 Jeanne Guillemin, biological warfare expert and senior advisor at MIT, dies at 76 Michelle EnglishMIT News Jeanne Guillemin was described by The New York Times as a “scientific sleuth” and the Washington Post as a “pioneering researcher” in obituaries that lauded her groundbreaking work in biological warfare — a field where men had long outnumbered their female colleagues.
	In the News January 6, 2020 Iran drives another stake into the heart of the nuclear deal Tim ListerCNN Vipin Narang quoted: Vipin Narang, Associate Professor of Political Science at MIT, points out that despite Iran's announcement that it won't abide by enrichment levels and quantities set by the JCPOA, "it is still quite far from having enough enriched uranium for a bomb, let alone a functional arsenal because...of the JCPOA."
	In the News January 5, 2020 Iraqi parliament votes to expel US troops from country Fox News Senior Research Associate at MIT’s Security Studies Program Dr Jim Walsh on the US airstrike that killed top Iranian general Soleimani.
	In the News January 4, 2020 Did the killing of Qassim Suleimani deter Iranian attacks, or encourage them? Amanda TaubThe New York Times Vipin Narang quoted: “He was a monster, no question,” said Vipin Narang, an MIT political scientist who has studied efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear program. “But there’s a consequentialist argument as well.” Dr Narang said the deterrence argument “assumes a unitary, rational actor.” While he said that could apply to Iran, which may want to avoid war, it may not apply, say, to Hezbollah, which Iran backs in Lebanon.
	In the News January 3, 2020 Oil prices surge after US attack kills senior Iran military chief Al Jazeera John Tirman quoted: "Certainly Iran is going to retaliate in some way - retaliations will come, as they have in the past, in what we call an asymmetrical way. They're not going to confront the US directly but they will perhaps attack Saudi tankers again, maybe Saudi oil refineries again," John Tirman told Al Jazeera. "The fact is that Iran will come back and hit US assets or the assets of US allies in the region, and they will do so repeatedly over a period of time," Tirman said.
	In the News January 3, 2020 Qassem Soleimani long targeted the United States Sean Philip CotterBoston Herald Jim Walsh quoted: “Soleimani was a central figure in Iran — he was Iran’s military representative to the Middle East,” Jim Walsh, an expert on terrorism and the Middle East at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the Herald. “There was sort of a cult of personality about him, and people thought of him as being talented.”
	In the News January 3, 2020 Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian general, killed in US airstrike in Baghdad Peter O'Dowd WBUR Here & Now Peter O'Dowd speaks with security analyst Jim Walsh about the US killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, which is expected to have larger repercussions.
	In the News January 1, 2020 A look at the national security challenges facing the US in 2020 Robin YoungWBUR Here & Now Robin Young speaks with security analyst Jim Walsh about the stalled nuclear talks with North Korea and the US embassy protests in Baghdad.
	In the News January 1, 2020 North Korea signals end of nuclear-test suspension, promises 'new' weapon Alexander SmithNBC News Vipin Narang, a politics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who focuses on nuclear weapons, tweeted the potential to negotiate on this issue is "the door we should urgently push on."
	In the News January 1, 2020 George W Bush slips in and out of town as Poodle naps Nick WelshSanta Barbara Independent John Tirman interview and research heavily referenced in piece about mortality rates and cost of war.

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