News + Media

	In the News June 6, 2016 Mass atrocity Monday, 6/6/2016: Tiananmen Square Kate Cronin-FurmanJustice in Conflict Saturday was the anniversary of the suppression by the Chinese military of mass protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Twenty-seven years later, the death toll is still unknown. Beijing’s official estimate puts the figure at 241, but credible reports suggest that over 1,000 people may have been killed.
	News@E40 June 6, 2016 Posen receives lifetime achievement award Each year the International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association (ISA) recognizes a distinguished scholar in International Security Studies with an award for lifetime achievement in International Security Studies. Prior recipients of the award have included Thomas Schelling, Kenneth Waltz, Samuel Huntington, Robert Jervis, and John Mearsheimer. The 2017 Distinguished Scholar Award recipient—our own Barry Posen—will be honored at a special panel at the ISA conference in Baltimore in February 2017. The Center congratulates him on being recognized by the profession for his many contributions to scholarship and teaching.
	News@E40 June 3, 2016 Gomez, Saraf receive Infinite Mile awards The Center is pleased to announce that Griselda Gomez and Joli Divon Saraf each received a SHASS Infinite Mile Award. Gomez, the managing director of the MIT-Mexico Program at MISTI, received the award in the category "Great Ideas." Gomez spearheaded the initiative to include a health and safety information session for MISTI students going to Latin America. The model was so well received and helpful that it was replicated for all MISTI country programs and is now a core requirement for all MISTI students. Saraf, the assistant director of the Security Studies Program, received the award in the category "Inclusion." Saraf has implemented a number of events that promote workplace community. These events range from informal, impromptu happy hours to the signature formal dinners and award ceremonies that the program runs annually. "Joli understands that a truly collegiate and inclusive workplace is built on a bit of fun, comfort, friendship and encouragement, which she works tirelessly to provide,” said one of the nominators.
	News@E40 May 31, 2016 CIS awards 23 summer study grants The Center is pleased to announce the recipients of its summer study grants. The grants have been awarded to twenty-three doctoral students in international affairs at MIT. Each will receive up to $3,000 for summer studies.
	In the News May 13, 2016 Obama's visit To Hiroshima is 'about memory, more than it's about apology' Meghna ChakrabartiHere & Now Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti talks to Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and founding director of the MIT Japan Program, about the significance of Obama's visit, and Japan's evolving attitudes toward militarization.
	Analysis + Opinion May 8, 2016 Putin's pullout: a failing public relations campaign Carol R. SaivetzLawfare Russia won in Syria—or so Putin would like us to believe. The Russian intervention seemed to tip the balance of forces in Assad's favor, and Russia announced a pullout with its mission accomplished. Carol Saivetz of MIT, a regular Lawfare contributor, makes the case for skepticism.
	Analysis + Opinion May 3, 2016 Poor substitute By Eric Heginbotham and Richard J. Samuels Foreign Affairs The announcement last week that Australia will replace its aging submarine fleet with Shortfin Barracuda submarines from France is an enormous missed opportunity, not only for Australia, but also for its most important allies, Japan and the United States.
	précis May 1, 2016 End Notes End Notes features the professional achievements of our scholars, students, and staff. This includes recent awards, speaking engagements, and publications.
	précis May 1, 2016 Briefings MIT political scientist Taylor Fravel has been named to the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program for the 2016-17 academic year; the Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT is celebrating its 30th anniversary this academic year; this January the Global Seed Funds Program (GSF) awarded $2,006,906 to MIT faculty to cover international travel, meeting, and workshop costs.
	précis May 1, 2016 Roots of Russia's war in Ukraine By Elizabeth A. Wood, William E. Pomeranz, E. Wayne Merry, Maxim Trudolyubov The authors in this volume take different perspectives on the crisis in Crimea and Ukraine, addressing both international causes and conditions and domestic factors. Combining expertise in diplomacy, law, history, and journalism, as well as both American and Russian viewpoints, they address a number of core questions. The featured excerpt is written by Elizabeth Wood.