Below is a list of our active Working Groups. We invite applications for Working Group grants designed to support interdisciplinary collaboration in international studies. For general information on requirements and the application process for Working Group grants, please visit here.
China Group on Climate Change and Sustainability
This group aims to build a community of Chinese climate scholars and provide a platform for enhanced communication and collaboration on climate change research. Founded by postdoctoral and graduate researchers from EAPS, CEE, and IDSS, it connects scholars across MIT who are seeking to advance international collaboration and develop careers in the field of climate change. The group offers a welcoming space and peer academic network for new Chinese climate researchers at MIT, organizes workshops to improve communication strategies for making climate science more accessible and impactful, and hosts roundtable discussions that offer practical career advice.
Chinese Politics Research Workshop
The Chinese Politics Research Workshop was established by graduate students from MIT, Harvard, and Boston University in 2010. The workshop aims to serve as a forum for: (1) sharing and receiving feedback on China-related research at all stages of development; (2) discussing practical and methodological issues and challenges associated with conducting research in and on China; (3) building a stronger academic community among graduate students, research fellows, and faculty members in Cambridge who study Chinese politics; and (4) most importantly, stimulating additional activities among participants of the workshop.
International Relations and Security Studies
This group provides graduate students and visitors with a forum for presenting their research on international relations (IR) and security studies (SS) and receiving feedback. Presenters discuss their dissertation proposals and chapters, articles, or grant proposals. The IR subgroup covers topics such as the causes of international conflict and cooperation, the role of institutions in international politics, and international economic relations. The SS subgroup includes topics related to coercion and violent political conflict, including actors’ strategies to use force and the variety of conditions that influence strategic effectiveness, including civil-military relations, alliances, and regime type.
Latin America
The goal of this working group is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for faculty and students from across the Institute and beyond, focused on issues related to Latin America. Our meetings cover a wide range of topics, including discussions on current events, presentations by leading scholars and graduate students, lectures by external speakers, and book talks on key regional issues. Participants come from various disciplines, including political science, business, and public policy, representing both academic and policy-oriented perspectives. Established in 2013, the group has maintained regular meetings and continues to operate in a hybrid format.
Political Science Graduate Student Work-in-Progress Group
This group provides a forum for graduate students in the Department of Political Science and related departments to present their work in a structured and collaborative setting, connect with peers, and receive critiques from diverse perspectives. It aims to help students practice formal presentations, respond to questions from a knowledgeable audience, and build confidence for participation in scholarly events. The group also promotes the exchange of research ideas across subfields. Presenters are expected to share a paper or an abstract in advance. Both dissertation-stage students and graduate students working on major projects are welcome to present.
Religious Nationalisms and Disputed Sites in South Asia
Disputed religious sites are significant flashpoints in South Asia. This group examines how religious nationalists advance legal and discursive claims to places of minority worship. Key questions include: What counts as knowledge and evidence in archeological reasoning that links disputed sites with particular religions? How do sites become disputed? How are historical time and space constructed to justify claims in the name of history? The group connects historians, political scientists, anthropologists, legal scholars, and others through monthly hybrid meetings at MIT, engaging scholars based in South Asia virtually. It aims to produce a research proposal for a public history project.
Science and Technology Studies and the African Diaspora
We aim to explore the possibilities and tensions that emerge when Afro-Diasporic perspectives meet science and technology studies. Our sessions will develop works in progress (including academic articles, creative writing, music, and designs) and also create a space to engage with a co-created reading list across several themes. We will engage with the work of thinkers from the diaspora and continent of Africa, with a focus on writings by those of marginalized genders. Additionally, we plan to host a series of presentations, screenings, and a small exhibition highlighting the work of the African diaspora at MIT and beyond.
Wargaming
The group is MIT’s primary forum for advancing the use of wargaming as a method of social inquiry, including research on emerging technologies, great power competition, crisis dynamics, and attribution. In our meetings, we play, test, and discuss wargames and wargaming methodologies, learn about military capabilities and operational dynamics, evaluate games as a method to address political science and international relations research questions, design and implement wargaming and simulation exercises in our own research, and connect with external practitioners and academics who employ wargaming or simulation methodologies.
Women in International Politics and Security
The Women in International Politics and Security Working Group seeks to foster a multi-generational, local community committed to advancing women in the field of international politics and security. It combines substantive programming with broader discussions about challenges women face at various stages of their careers. Our roundtables and events facilitate the creation of mentoring relationships, and we seek to gather best practices to improve mentoring and enhance career development in this field.
