News + Media

	Analysis + Opinion November 17, 2015 In Syria, politics can be more effective than military action Roger Petersen New York Times Playing politics entails costs, but bombing only promises stalemate and 'boots on the ground' involves untenable risks.
	Analysis + Opinion November 15, 2015 Why Paris? John TirmanWBUR: CognoscentiThe attacks in Paris on Friday can be grasped in a number of ways none of them fully satisfying while they usher in another round of recrimination.
	News@E40 November 4, 2015 Useful Guide to Using Japanese Government Archives Mayumi Fukushima, a PhD student in the MIT Department of Political Science's Security Studies Program, has published a very useful guide to using Japanese government archives on the widely used H-Diplo. "As a former Japanese Foreign Service officer, I did not imagine how hard it would be for outside researchers to identify and find archival documents relevant to their research questions. It was not until I searched the Japanese diplomatic archives myself as an academic that I learned the challenges foreign researchers faced in accessing governmental documents," says Fukushima. Full Publication
	précis November 1, 2015 The pioneering role of CIS in American war gaming By Reid Pauly Where did this methodology of modern war games originate? In large part at MIT, where a host of legendary faculty affiliated with the Center for International Studies were crucial early adopters and innovators of the games. Beginning in the late 1950s, Lincoln "Linc" Bloomfield and others transformed rudimentary war game exercises into immersive experiences for policymakers.
	précis November 1, 2015 Briefings The Center announces that Meera Srinivasan, formerly a senior assistant editor with The Hindu, has been selected as the 2015/16 IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow; CIS is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric Heginbotham, one of this country's foremost political-military analysts of East Asia, to the post of principal research scientist; Paul Heer, a recent National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, has been named a Robert E. Wilhelm fellow; facing the global refugee crisis
	précis November 1, 2015 Activities MIT announced the first call for proposals from the International Policy Lab (IPL); Mayumi Fukushima has published a very useful guide to using Japanese government archives on the widely used H-Diplo; The Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded SSP a 36 month, $1 million, grant to support its research on the global "Diffusion of Power"; CIS has nurtured an innovative outreach program open to MIT undergraduate and graduate students called Generation Global; The Center hosted multiple Starr Forums this fall.
	précis November 1, 2015 End Notes End Notes features the professional achievements of our scholars, students, and staff. This includes recent awards, speaking engagements, and publications.
	précis November 1, 2015 précis Interview: Chappell Lawson on IPL Earlier this year, CIS established the MIT International Policy Lab, whose mission is "to enhance the impact of MIT research on public policy." Professor Chappell Lawson, who serves as the faculty lead, sat down with précis to discuss the program.
	précis November 1, 2015 The dictator's army: battlefield effectiveness in authoritarian regimes By Caitlin Talmadge Why do some states successfully convert their national assets into operational- and tactical- level fighting power in war, whereas others fail even when they have the economic, demographic, and technological endowments needed to succeed?
	News Release October 27, 2015 Prominent East Asia Expert Joins CIS The Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric Heginbotham, one of this country's foremost political-military analysts of East Asia, to the post of principal research scientist. Heginbotham comes to MIT from the RAND Corporation, where he was a senior political scientist for 10 years. He earned his PhD at MIT in 2002, winning the Lucian Pye Award for the best doctoral dissertation in the Department of Political Science that year.