MIT Focus on Eurasia: Putin’s War Against the West: A Conversation with the Former US Ambassador to the Russian Federation

A conversation with John J. Sullivan,&nbsp;former US deputy secretary of state and former US ambassador to the Russian Federation.&nbsp; &nbsp; Speaker:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/people/s/john-sullivan?tab=overview">Ambassador John J. Sullivan</a>&nbsp;is the former US deputy secretary of state and former US ambassador to the Russian Federation. His career spans four decades in public service in prominent diplomatic and legal positions under five US presidents. He is a non-resident distinguished senior fellow with the National Security Law Program as well as a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC and New York offices. He co-leads the firm’s National Security practice. &nbsp; Co-chairs: <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/our-people/carol-saivetz">Carol Saivetz</a>&nbsp;is a senior fellow in the MIT Security Studies Program at the Center for International Studies (CIS). She is the author and contributing co-editor of books and articles on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues. &nbsp; <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/our-people/elizabeth-wood">Elizabeth Wood</a>&nbsp;is Ford International Professor of History at MIT. She is the author most recently of&nbsp;Roots of Russia’s War in Ukraine&nbsp;as well as articles on Vladimir Putin, the political cult of WWII, right-wing populism in Russia and Turkey, and U.S.-Russian Partnerships in Science. She is director of the MIT-Ukraine Program at CIS. &nbsp; This event is co-sponsored by the&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/">Center for International Studies</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/regions/europe/mit-eurasia">MIT-Eurasia</a>&nbsp;program,&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://ssp.mit.edu/">MIT&nbsp;Security Studies Program (SSP).&nbsp;</a> &nbsp; This event is part of our&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/focus-eurasia">Focus on Eurasia speaker series</a>. Each semester, the series brings together the MIT community and the general public&nbsp;to investigate ongoing issues in Eurasian domestic and foreign policy.&nbsp;Join our mailing&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/connect-us">list</a>&nbsp;here&nbsp;to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.&nbsp;

MIT Building E25-111

MIT Starr Forum: The Future of US-China Relations with Former Ambassador Nicholas Burns

Join us for a conversation with Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to China from 2021-2025. &nbsp; Speaker:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/nicholas-burns">Nicholas Burns</a>&nbsp;is the Goodman Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is the founder and faculty chair of the Future of Diplomacy Project and a faculty affiliate at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Burns worked in the United States government for over three decades, serving six presidents and nine secretaries of state.&nbsp;Most recently, he served as the US ambassador to&nbsp;the People's Republic of China from 2021-2025, leading public servants from forty-eight US government agencies at the US mission to China in overseeing one of America's most important bilateral relationships.&nbsp; &nbsp; Moderator:&nbsp;<a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/yasheng-huang">Yasheng Huang</a>&nbsp;is the Epoch Foundation Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also serves as the faculty director of the MIT-China Program at the Center for International Studies.&nbsp;From 2013 to 2017, he served as an associate dean of MIT Sloan’s GlobalPartnership programs and its Action Learning initiatives. His previous appointments include faculty positions at the University of Michigan and at Harvard Business School. Huang is the author of 11 books in both English and Chinese and of many academic papers. His most recent book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-EAST-Autocracy-Technology/dp/0300266367/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KL50B0BKSOLP&amp;keywords=Yasheng+Huang&amp;qid=1679697040&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=yasheng+huang%2Cstripbooks%2C69&amp;sr=1-1">The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to its Decline</a>”, was a 2023 Best Book of the Year by&nbsp;Foreign Affairs&nbsp;magazine.&nbsp; &nbsp; This event is co-sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/regions/asia-pacific/mit-china">MIT-China Program</a>. &nbsp; Free &amp; open to the public. A recording will be posted on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3E2h2KZsZD3S8ThEn%5FUxA">YouTube</a>&nbsp;following the event. &nbsp; <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/starr-forum">Starr Forums</a>, our flagship public event series, brings to campus leading academics, policymakers, and journalists to discuss pressing issues in the world of international relations.&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. &nbsp; A full listing of Starr Forums is available&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/events-seminars/starr-forum">here.</a>

E51-115, Wong Auditorium

MIT Starr Forum: Rethinking Globalization: America First, The World Last?

The Trump administration has reversed decades of U.S. support for globalization by pulling out of multilateral trade deals, imposing tariffs, restricting immigration, and sidelining global institutions. Join us for a conversation with MIT experts on the impact and potential outcomes of such policies for our nation and the world. Speakers: <a href="https://polisci.mit.edu/people/suzanne-berger">Suzanne Berger</a>&nbsp;is an Institute Professor&nbsp;at MIT.&nbsp;She serves on faculty at the Department of Political Science and is affiliated with the Center for International Studies. Her research focus is on politics and globalization. Additionally, she co-directs the newly launched Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) which brings engineers, social scientists, and economists together to work on how to transform manufacturing.&nbsp; She also led the MIT Production in the Innovation Economy project (Making in America: From Innovation to Market, 2013). She founded the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative (MISTI) program, which sends hundreds of MIT students abroad each year for internships in labs and companies.&nbsp; <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/simon-johnson">Simon Johnson</a>&nbsp;is the Ronald A. Kurtz (1954) Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is head of the Global Economics and Management group. At MIT, he is also co-director of the Stone Center Initiative and a research affiliate at Blueprint Labs. In 2024, he received the Sveriges Rsbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, joint with Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.” Moderator: <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/richard-m-locke">Richard Locke</a>&nbsp;is the John C Head III Dean at the MIT Sloan School of Management. A scholar of international labor standards and comparative political economy, Locke began his appointment as dean in July 2025. Prior to this, Locke served as the dean of Apple University, which focuses on internal leadership and management education for Apple, Inc. and was Brown University’s provost, a position he held for nearly eight years.&nbsp; Earlier at MIT, he served as&nbsp;the Class of 1922 Professor of Political Science and Management&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Alvin J. Siteman Professor of Entrepreneurship, as well as the head of the political science department and MIT Sloan’s deputy dean. This event is sponsored by the&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies</a>.

MIT Building E15, Room 070 (Bartos Theater)

MIT Starr Forum | The Rise and Fall of the EAST

How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to its Decline In-person event only | Books signed and sold at the event | Registration is not required Speaker:&nbsp;<a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/yasheng-huang" target="_blank">Yasheng Huang,</a>&nbsp;Epoch Foundation Professor of Global Economics and Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, and faculty director of the MIT-China Program at the Center for International Studies. Discussant:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/author/will-knight/" target="_blank">Will Knight</a>, senior writer, Wired magazine, covers artificial intelligence and other emerging technology. He was previously a senior editor at MIT Technology Review, where he wrote about fundamental advances in AI and China’s AI boom.&nbsp; Co-sponsors:&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Center for International Studies</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://misti.mit.edu/mit-china" target="_blank">MIT-China Program</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecoop.com/shop-mit" target="_blank">MIT COOP</a>.

MIT Building 66, Room 66-110

MIT Starr Forum | The war in Ukraine: Insights at year three

Zoom webinar | Registration Required:&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/UkraineWarYear3" target="_blank">bit.ly/UkraineWarYear3</a> Join us for a discussion with experts on the war in Ukraine. SPEAKERS: <a href="https://www.runi.ac.il/en/faculty/dadamsky/" target="_blank">Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky</a>&nbsp;is a professor at the School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Reichman University, Israel. His most recent book, published in fall of 2023, is “<a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=34977&amp;local_ref=new" target="_blank">The Russian Way of Deterrence: Strategic Culture, Coercion, and War</a>." <a href="https://www.cna.org/our-experts/kofman-michael" target="_blank">Michael Kofman</a>&nbsp;is the director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) and an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He specializes in the Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities and strategy. CO-CHAIRS:&nbsp; <a href="https://ssp.mit.edu/people/carol-r-saivetz" target="_blank">Carol Saivetz</a>&nbsp;is a senior advisor in the MIT Security Studies Program. She is the author and contributing co-editor of books and articles on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues. <a href="https://history.mit.edu/people/elizabeth-wood/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Wood</a>&nbsp;is the Ford International Professor of History at MIT. She is the author most recently of "Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine," as well as articles on Vladimir Putin, right-wing populism in Russia and Turkey, and more. Co-sponsors:&nbsp;<a href="http://cis.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssp.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Security Studies Program (SSP)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://misti.mit.edu/mit-eurasia" target="_blank">MISTI&nbsp;MIT-Eurasia Program</a> <img src="https://cis.mit.edu/sites/default/files/images/Starr%20Forum_War%20in%20Ukraine%20Year%203%20%281%29.png"> Free &amp; open to the public. Also watch it on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3E2h2KZsZD3S8ThEn_UxA" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu" target="_blank">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail" target="_blank">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full listing of Starr Forums is available&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF" target="_blank">here.</a>

Online

Mapping exile: Bridging knowledge and advocating for scholars at risk

This is an in-person event with a virtual option. To join the Zoom webinar, please&nbsp;<a href="https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/1317085253286/WN_kcaa_TROR22j5A-v4Aniwg" target="_blank">register here</a>. About the speaker:&nbsp;<a href="https://isp.cnrs.fr/project/laborier-pascale/" target="_blank">Pascale Laborier</a>&nbsp;is a professor of political science at Paris Nanterre whose research over the past decade has focused on the history of scholars in exile. Some of her recent scholarship has focused on refugee scholars from Uruguay and Chile during the dictatorships. She is one of the founders of PAUSE, a French organization with private and government funding that helps refugee scholars in France find university jobs and funds them for their first year of teaching. Together with an artist-photographer she has created an exposition on these themes that will be shown at MIT starting Feb. 29, 2024. The exposition has been shown in Germany, France, and Belgium and currently in Uruguay and Chile. Sponsored by the Inter-University Committee on International Migration For more information or accessibility accommodations please contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:svanmell@mit.edu" target="_blank">svanmell@mit.edu</a>. The Inter-University Committee on International Migration Since its establishment in 1974, the Inter-University Committee on International Migration has been a focal point for migration and refugee studies at member institutions, which include&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bu.edu/" target="_blank">Boston University</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brandeis.edu/" target="_blank">Brandeis University</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://fletcher.tufts.edu/" target="_blank">The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard University</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tufts.edu/" target="_blank">Tufts University</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wellesley.edu/" target="_blank">Wellesley College</a>. The committee is chaired by MIT as a program of the&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Center for International Studies</a>&nbsp;(CIS). Migration Seminar Series During each academic year, the Committee sponsors a seminar series on international migration,&nbsp;<a href="https://cis.mit.edu/programs/international-migration/myron-weiner-seminar-series-international-migration" target="_blank">The Myron Weiner Seminar Series on International Migration</a>, held at MIT's Center for International Studies. The seminars explore factors affecting international population movements and their impact upon sending and receiving countries and relations among them. <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/connect-cis" target="_blank">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for Migration emails to get notified about upcoming events.

MIT Building E40-496, Pye Conference Room

MIT Starr Forum: Haiti: Linguistic barriers, exploitation and resistance

Are linguistic barriers in Haitian education a tool of elite and international control? Speaker: Dominique Dupuy, Ambassador of Haiti to UNESCO. Moderator: <a href="https://linguistics.mit.edu/user/degraff/">Michel Degraff</a>, MIT professor of linguistics, director of MIT-Haiti Initiative, founding member of Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen. This Starr Forum will be at the conclusion of a day-long conference on linguistic barriers, exploitation and resistance in Haiti. For more information on the conference, please visit <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/linguistic-barriers-exploitation-and-resistance-in-haiti-tickets-715595694987">this link</a>. SPONSORS: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)</a>, <a href="https://policylab.mit.edu/">MIT Policy Lab</a>, <a href="https://iceo.mit.edu/">MIT Institute Community &amp; Equity Office</a>, <a href="https://haiti.mit.edu/">MIT-Haiti Initiative</a>

MIT Building 2-190

CANCELED: MIT Starr Forum | Does democracy imply majority rule? Insights from the US and around the world 

This event has been canceled. Speakers: <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/levitsky/home" target="_blank">Steven Levitsky</a> is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and professor of government at Harvard University. He is also director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is co-author (with Daniel Ziblatts) most recently of “Tyranny of the Minority," and will discuss highlights from the book. <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/dziblatt/home" target="_blank">Daniel Ziblatts</a> is the Eaton Professor of Government at Harvard University and&nbsp;director of the Transformations of Democracy group at&nbsp;Berlin's Social Science Center (WZB Berlin Social Science Center).&nbsp;He is co-author most recently of “Tyranny of the Minority,"&nbsp;and will discuss highlights from the book. <a href="https://nettabarakcorren.org/" target="_blank">Netta Barak-Cohen</a> is a professor of law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a member of the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality. Currently, she is a Law, Ethics, and Public Policy Fellow at Princeton’s University Center for Human Values, affiliated with the Law Group at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). <a href="https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/melissa-schwartzberg.html" target="_blank">Melissa Schwartzberg</a> is a professor of politics at New York University. Her research focuses on democratic theory and constitutionalism, history of political thought. Moderator: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/people/evan-lieberman" target="_blank">Evan Lieberman</a> is the Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa at MIT and the director of the Center for International Studies (CIS). Books will be signed and sold at the event. Co-Sponsored by the <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Center for International Studies</a>. Free &amp; open to the public. Also watch it on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3E2h2KZsZD3S8ThEn_UxA" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu" target="_blank">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail" target="_blank">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full listing of Starr Forums is available&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF" target="_blank">here.</a>

Bartos Theater, E15-070

MIT Starr Forum: The Israel-Hamas conflict: Expert perspectives on the ongoing crisis

Zoom webinar | Registration Required: <a href="https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/7816980794636/WN_NKsbElh3Tq6VB-XTVPrNUQ">bit.ly/IsraelHamasExperts</a> Join us for a discussion with experts on the Israel-Hamas conflict. SPEAKERS: <a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/political-science/people/faculty-directory/alshamary--marsin.html">Marsin Alshamary</a> on the regional impact. Alshamary, MIT PhD '20, is an assistant professor at Boston College, and an expert on religion, civil society and social movements in the Shi’a Middle East. <a href="http://https//www.newyorker.com/contributors/david-kirkpatrick">David Kirkpatrick</a> on Hamas’s strategy. Kirkpatrick is a staff writer for The New Yorker and has worked for more than two decades as a reporter for the New York Times. <a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/political-science/people/faculty-directory/peter-krause.html">Peter Krause</a> on the historical context and Israeli strategy. Krause, MIT PhD '11, is an associate professor of political science at Boston College, and an expert on international security, Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, nationalism, and rebels and revolution. <a href="https://quincyinst.org/author/ssimon/">Steven Simon</a> on US policy. Simon, a former Robert E Wilhelm Fellow at CIS, served as the National Security Council (NSC) senior director for the Middle East and North Africa during the Obama Administration and as the NSC senior director for counterterrorism in the Clinton White House. MODERATOR:  <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/people/evan-lieberman">Evan Lieberman</a> is the Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa at MIT and the director of the Center for International Studies (CIS). SPONSOR: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)</a> Free &amp; open to the public. Also watch it on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3E2h2KZsZD3S8ThEn_UxA">YouTube</a>. MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at <a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail">Sign up</a> for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full listing of Starr Forums is available <a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF">here.</a>

Cuban Privilege: The Making of Immigrant Inequality in America

This is an in-person event with a virtual option. Register for the Zoom webinar here: <a href="https://bit.ly/ImmigrantInequality">bit.ly/ImmigrantInequality</a> For over half a century the US granted Cubans, one of the largest immigrant groups in the country, unique entitlements. While other unauthorized immigrants faced detention, deportation, and no legal rights, Cuban immigrants were able to enter the country without authorization, and have access to welfare benefits and citizenship status. This book is the first to reveal the full range of entitlements granted to Cubans. Initially privileged to undermine the Castro-led revolution in the throes of the Cold War, one US President after another extended new entitlements, even in the post-Cold War era. Drawing on unseen archives, interviews, and survey data, Cuban Privilege highlights how Washington, in the process of privileging Cubans, transformed them from agents of US Cold War foreign policy into a politically powerful force influencing national policy. Comparing the exclusionary treatment of neighboring Haitians, the book discloses the racial and political biases embedded within US immigration policy. About the speaker: <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sociology/profile/susan-eckstein/">Susan Eckstein</a> is a Professor in the Pardee School of Global Studies and in the Sociology Department at Boston University. She has written numerous books and articles on Mexican urban poor, political-economic developments in Cuba, Cuban immigrants, immigration policy, impacts of Latin American revolutions, and edited books on Latin American social movements and social rights, and on immigrant impacts in their homelands.

MIT Starr Forum | Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

This will be an in-person event on MIT campus. Registration is not required. A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing clear: progress depends on the choices we make about technology. New ways of organizing production and communication can either serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity. Today, digital technologies and artificial intelligence threaten jobs and democracy through excessive automation, massive data collection, and intrusive surveillance. Will the next decades bring shared prosperity or a further move in the direction of two-tiered societies? Join us for this important discussion with Daron Acemoglu, the co-author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/daron-acemoglu/power-and-progress/9781541702530/?lens=publicaffairs">Power and Progress</a>. SPEAKER: <a href="https://economics.mit.edu/people/faculty/daron-acemoglu">Daron Acemoglu</a> is an Institute Professor at MIT and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, American Philosophical Society, the British Academy of Sciences, the Turkish Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Econometric Society, the European Economic Association, and the Society of Labor Economists. He is also a member of the Group of Thirty. He is the author of six books, including New York Times bestseller "Why Nations Fail: Power, Prosperity, and Poverty" (joint with James A. Robinson), "Introduction to Modern Economic Growth," "The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty" (with James A. Robinson), and "Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity" (with Simon Johnson). His academic work covers a wide range of areas, including political economy, economic development, economic growth, technological change, inequality, labor economics and economics of networks.  DISCUSSANT: <a href="https://polisci.mit.edu/people/fotini-christia">Fotini Christia</a> is the MIT Ford International Professor of the Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science and a faculty affiliate of the Center for International Studies. She is director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC), associate director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), and chair of the doctoral program in Social and Engineering Systems (SES) at MIT's Schwarzman College of Computing. She is the author of “Alliance Formation in Civil War” (Cambridge University Press, 2012), which was awarded the Luebbert Award for Best Book in Comparative Politics, the Lepgold Prize for Best Book in International Relations, and a Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association.  Books will be signed and sold at the event. Co-Sponsored by the <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies</a>. Free &amp; open to the public. MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at <a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail">Sign up</a> for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full listing of Starr Forums is available <a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF">here.</a>

Wong Auditorium, E51-115

MIT Starr Forum: Rebuilding Ukraine While Under Fire

Zoom webinar | Registration Required: <a href="https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/9416933289262/WN_AKykEdM6QweASJVFgOKZJg">bit.ly/MITRebuildUkraine</a> Join us for a discussion with experts--including Oleg Ustenko, the economic advisor to President Zelensky--on rebuilding Ukraine in the midst of the ongoing war. Joining Ustenko is Simon Johnson, professor at MIT Sloan and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.  SPEAKERS: <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/simon-johnson">Simon Johnson</a> is the Ronald A Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management where he is head of the Global Economics and Management group. In 2007-08 he was chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, and he currently co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council. In February 2021, Johnson joined the board of directors of Fannie Mae. Johnson’s most recent book, with Daron Acemoglu, Power and Progress: Our 1000-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, explores the history and economics of major technological transformations up to and including the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence. Oleg Ustenko is an advisor to the President of Ukraine on economic issues. His economic and financial research is focused on emerging market economies. Mr Ustenko constantly advocates for improving investment climate in Ukraine as a major mean for boosting economic growth in the country. Prior to his appointment as advisor to President in May 2019, Mr. Ustenko was actively involved in all major projects, including assessments in macroeconomics, investment and business climate in the region of analysis. He has experience in both private and public sector including World Bank, OECD, governments of CIS countries and leading international universities and think-tanks. He has a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and a PhD from Kiev State Economics University. CO-CHAIRS:  <a href="https://ssp.mit.edu/people/carol-r-saivetz">Carol Saivetz</a> is a Senior Advisor in the MIT Security Studies Program. She is the author and contributing co-editor of books and articles on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues. <a href="https://history.mit.edu/people/elizabeth-wood/">Elizabeth Wood </a>is a Professor of History at MIT. She is the author most recently of Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine as well as articles on Vladimir Putin, the political cult of WWII, right-wing populism in Russia and Turkey, and US-Russian Partnerships in Science. She is Co-Director of the MISTI MIT-Eurasia Program. Co-sponsors: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)</a>, <a href="https://ssp.mit.edu/">MIT Security Studies Program (SSP)</a>, <a href="https://misti.mit.edu/mit-eurasia">MISTI MIT-Eurasia Program</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail">Sign up</a> for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events.

 MIT Starr Forum: Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East

This is an in-person event. For those unable to join us at the event, please register to watch via webcast <a href="https://web.mit.edu/webcast/cis/s23/1/">here</a>. Speaker:  <a href="https://cis.mit.edu/news-media/news-releases/diplomat-and-policymaker-steven-simon-joins-cis-its-2021-robert-e-wilhelm">Steve Simon</a> is the Robert E Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS). He is a non-resident senior research analyst with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft—a think tank based in Washington, DC. He served as the National Security Council (NSC) senior director for the Middle East and North Africa during the Obama Administration and as the NSC senior director for counterterrorism in the Clinton White House. These assignments followed a fifteen-year career at the US Department of State and academic teaching posts. His newly published book is “Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East” (Penguin Random House, April 2023). The book will be available for purchase at the event. Discussant: <a href="https://www.bu.edu/history/profile/andrew-j-bacevich/">Andrew Bacevich</a> is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University. He co-founded the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in 2019 and is the Chairman of the institution’s board of directors. A graduate of West Point and Princeton, he served in the army before becoming an academic. Bacevich is the author, co-author, or editor of more than a dozen books. His most recent books are "Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out against America’s Forever Wars" (2022), and "On Shedding an Obsolete Past: Bidding Farewell to the American Century" (2022).  Steve Simon's new book will be signed and sold at a 20% discount at the event. A credit card transaction will be required to purchase a book at the event. To order the book in advance, email the MIT Press Bookstore <a href="mailto:%20books@mit.edu">here</a>.   Co-sponsors: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/">MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)</a>, the <a href="https://quincyinst.org/">Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft</a>, and the <a href="http://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/">MIT Press Bookstore</a>. Free &amp; open to the public | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MITCIS/streams">Watch Live on YouTube</a> MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at <a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail">Sign up</a> for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full listing of Starr Forums is available <a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF">here.</a>

MIT Starr Forum: "Reinventing Japan...Again?"

Panelists will explore the changes underway in Japan across three domains: business, national security, social relations, and—undergirding each, in public opinion. Moderator: <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/people/richard-samuels" target="_blank">Richard Samuels</a>&nbsp;is the Ford International Professor of Political Science and&nbsp;Director of the MIT Center for International Studies. He is an expert on Japanese politics and national security. His books have won numerous awards from, among other organizations, the American Political Science Association, the Association for Asian Studies and the&nbsp;Society for Italian Historical Studies.&nbsp;His most recent books are&nbsp;Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community&nbsp;(2019) and&nbsp;3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan&nbsp;(2013). Panelists: <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/brinton/home" target="_blank">Mary Brinton</a>&nbsp;is the Reischauer Institute Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University. Brinton’s research and teaching focus on gender inequality, labor markets and employment, social demography, and contemporary Japanese society. She is author of multiple books, including&nbsp;Lost in Transition: Youth, Education, and Work in Postindustrial Japan. <a href="http://cis.mit.edu/people/eric-heginbotham" target="_blank">Eric Heginbotham</a>&nbsp;is a Principal Research Scientist at MIT’s Center for International Studies and a specialist in Asian security issues. Before joining MIT, he was a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, where he led research projects on China, Japan, and regional security issues and briefed senior military, intelligence, and political leaders. He is author and co-editor of multiple publications and books on Asian security. <a href="https://gps.ucsd.edu/faculty-directory/ulrike-schaede.html" target="_blank">Ulrike Schaede</a>&nbsp;is Professor of Japanese business at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS). She is the Founding Director of the Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology (JFIT), and the Faculty Coordinator of the International Management track at GPS. Schaede’s research focuses on Japanese business organization, strategy and management.&nbsp;Her book,&nbsp;The Business Reinvention of Japan: How to Make Sense of the New Japan and Why It Matters&nbsp;won the 2021 Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize from Japan, as well as the 2021 US Axiom Business Book Award (silver medal, “Economics”). <a href="https://sociology.stanford.edu/people/kiyoteru-tsutsui" target="_blank">Kiyoteru Tsutsui</a>&nbsp;is the Henri H and Tomoye Takahashi Professor and Senior Fellow in Japanese Studies at Shorenstein APARC, the Director of the Japan Program at APARC, a senior fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Professor of Sociology, all at Stanford University. Tsutsui’s research interests lie in political/comparative sociology, social movements, globalization, human rights, and Japanese society.&nbsp;His mulitple publications include his book,&nbsp;Rights Make Might: Global Human Rights and Minority Social Movements in Japan.&nbsp; This event is co-sponsored by the&nbsp;<a href="http://cis.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Center for International Studies</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://misti.mit.edu/mit-japan" target="_blank">MIT-Japan</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://us-jf.org/" target="_blank">US-Japan Foundation</a>. Free &amp; open to the public. MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:starrforum@mit.edu" target="_blank">starrforum@mit.edu</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/StarrForumEmail" target="_blank">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for Starr Forum emails to get notified about upcoming events. A full list of upcoming Starr Forums is available&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/UpcomingSF" target="_blank">here.</a>

Samberg Conference Center, 6th Floor, Dining Rooms 3&4

Crossing the Divide: Rural to Urban Migration in Developing Countries

This is an in-person event with a virtual option. To join the Zoom webinar, registration is required: <a href="https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/4016778557994/WN_oq4qRkvwTZ2gyJTf-BvVgQ">Register here</a> About the speaker: Robert E.B. Lucas is Professor of Economics at Boston University. His research has focused largely, though not exclusively, on developing countries. Most of the contributions are empirical with a few theory papers, encompassing international and internal migration, employment and human resources, income distribution and inter-generational inequality, international trade and industry, sharecropping, and the environment. His publications include seven books, the most recent of which are Migration and Development: The Role for Development Aid (2019) and Crossing the Divide: Rural to Urban Migration in Developing Countries (2021). Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Inter-University Committee on International Migration. For more information or accessibility accommodations please contact <a href="mailto:svanmell@mit.edu">svanmell@mit.edu</a>.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

mitcis

Experiences