précis
Director's Message
America has changed dramatically since this time last year. Nonetheless, CIS will continue to focus on the extraordinary developments on the global stage and bring keen insights to the world's most pressing issues.
September 2025
Dear friends and colleagues:
I am pleased to share with you this issue of précis, which details many of the outstanding research, activities, and people of MIT’s Center for International Studies (CIS) over the past year.
In our work at CIS, we confront extraordinary global developments, from great-power competition and regional security crises, to the accelerating climate emergency, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the erosion of democratic norms. These global challenges unfold at a time when the United States itself faces democratic backsliding, as longstanding institutions and norms are under serious strain. In a CIS Starr Forum held in April, leading analysts from across the political spectrum shared a sobering view of how U.S. politics are affecting the international order.
With the new academic year commencing, we also look ahead. As always, we will continue to carry out research and to train undergraduate and graduate students, both in the classroom and with experiential learning; we will host fellows and visitors from the United States and from overseas, and will send our own staff, students, and faculty to collaborate with colleagues around the world.
This year, we welcome Dafna Rand, our Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. We will also host Starr Forums on the future of globalization and AI governance, and embark on the first full year of our Global Research and Policy seminar series on alternating Mondays. And we will continue to offer a range of other events and research activities.
I look forward to a year of engagement on the world’s most pressing challenges. I hope you will enjoy this issue of précis and join us in conversation.
