News + Media

	In the News June 10, 2021 Kim Jong Un’s apparent weight loss sparks speculation over health New York Post Quoted: “If he lost the weight intentionally for health reasons, that "likely improves his position at home," said Vipin Narang … “If [the sudden weight loss] is due to a health condition though, the jockeying for his succession may already be happening behind the scenes, and that volatility could be trouble for the outside world" if he were to die suddenly, Narang said.
	News@E40 June 3, 2021 Congratulations 2021 Political Science graduates! The Center would like to extend congratulations to the 2021 Department of Political Science graduates. Among the students who graduated were five PhD students in the Security Studies Program. We celebrate your perseverance and courage and look forward to staying in touch.
	Analysis + Opinion June 2, 2021 Morocco ‘weaponized’ migration to punish Spain. That’s more common than you think. Strategically engineered migration is far more common than most people realize. At any given time, somewhere in the world, leaders inside or outside governments are likely manipulating migrants and/or refugees to pursue political, military or economic objectives. Here’s what we know.
	In the News May 27, 2021 Kim Jong Un tries to fortify power In North Korea NPR North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed an “uncompromising struggle” against anti-socialist elements at home, according to state media reports. It’s seen as a move to fortify his power amid pandemic-related difficulties and US-led economic sanctions.Host Tonya Mosley talks with Here & Now’s security analyst Jim Walsh.
	In the News May 24, 2021 As Israel’s dependence on US shrinks, so does US leverage Vipin Narang quoted: “We’re seeing much more Israeli independence,” said Vipin Narang, who has studied Israeli strategy. “If you had told me five years ago that the Israelis would have a layered missile defense system against short-range rockets and short-range ballistic missiles, and it was going to be 90 percent effective, I would have said, ‘I would love what you’re smoking.’”
	Analysis + Opinion May 23, 2021 How Japan is falling short Samuel LeiterNational Interest For its own sake, Japan must end its time on the American cheap-ride and invest politically and financially in its own defense, writes Samuel Leiter. Leiter is a PhD candidate at MIT. This essay took first prize in the 2021 John Quincy Adams Society/The National Interest Student Foreign Policy Essay Contest.
	In the News May 22, 2021 The Heat: US-ROK relations and global health summit CGTN President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea met with US President Joe Biden on Friday, May 21. The two leaders discussed a wide array of issues, including vaccine cooperation, climate change and security of the Korean Peninsula. Jim Walsh provides commentary.
	News@E40 May 20, 2021 Undergraduate student receives Carnegie's James C Gaither Junior Fellowship Natalie Montoya studies nuclear science and engineering with a concentration in security and policy at MIT. The fellowship was of interest to her because of its focus on nuclear policy. "I plan to eventually go to grad school, so I reached out to alumni, current graduate students, and advisors, and the universal piece of advice I received was to go out and get work experience before entering into a graduate program in a policy field."
	In the News May 17, 2021 Ice melts on US-Sudan relations, providing new opportunities MIT News An MIT-led workshop connecting young leaders in the US and Sudan received hundreds of applications from high school and college students eager to take part. Members of the ZAHARA for Education group selected their first cohort of 50 students.
	In the News May 17, 2021 Global Languages announces new HASS concentration in Korean MIT News Students at MIT will now be able to take their Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences concentration in Korean. The new concentration extends the options for Asian languages at MIT, which also include Japanese and Mandarin.