Policy

A wind turbine on the coast of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio

Shift to renewable electricity a win-win at statewide level

MIT research finds health savings from cleaner air exceed policy costs.

August 14, 2019

“At a time when human rights are under siege from authoritarian rulers around the world, pulling back and constraining the definition and applicability of human rights is especially vexing,” says John Tirman, executive director and principal research scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies.

3Q: John Tirman on a new US human rights commission

CIS executive director argues a recent commission launched by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is an attempt to redirect the human rights movement.

July 22, 2019

Luis Videgaray PhD ’98, former foreign minister and finance minister of Mexico, is coming to MIT to spearhead an effort that aims to help shape global AI policies, focusing on how such rising technologies will affect people living in all corners of the world.

Visiting lecturer to spearhead project exploring the geopolitics of artificial intelligence

At MIT, Luis Videgaray, alumnus and former foreign minister of Mexico, will launch project to help shape international AI policies.

July 12, 2019

Coal-fired electric plant, Henan Province, China

Pathways to a low-carbon China

Study projects a key role for carbon capture and storage.

July 8, 2019

Commuters wait for a Red Line subway train, part of Boston’s public transit system. A new study by MIT researchers shows that low-income people use mass transit significantly more often when they have access to fare reductions.

3 Questions: An experiment illuminates the value of public transportation

Urban studies research from MIT sheds light on the ways low-income riders use mass transit.

June 19, 2019

“I try to understand how policy makers and negotiators think, explore current nuclear challenges, and then try to evolve technical frameworks to meet the world as it is,” says Mareena Robinson Snowden PhD '17.

Plotting new paths to a nuclear “yes”

Nuclear science and engineering alumna Mareena Robinson Snowden PhD '17 devises new solutions for problems of arms control and proliferation.

May 28, 2019

The MIT Policy Hackathon winning team Dream ER at work on their proposal

MIT Policy Hackathon connects data-driven problem solvers

Interdisciplinary teams propose creative policy solutions addressing societal challenges at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society student-organized event.

May 21, 2019

A new study on European public opinion, co-authored by an MIT political scientist, aggregates public opinion polls from 27 countries over a span of 36 years, creating new insight into broad trends and changes in European politics and society.

Public opinion study in Europe shows drop in anti-immigration sentiment, among other changes

Surveys spanning recent decades also reveal geographic differences and gender gap in economic views.

May 16, 2019

“Academic training rarely covers the importance of engaging with policymakers or provides the tools necessary to do so effectively,” says Dan Pomeroy (left), PL@CIS managing director and senior policy adviser. Chappel Lawson is on the right.

MIT Policy Lab launches MITx course on policy outreach

The new online course aims to help researchers engage with public policymakers.

May 16, 2019

In orbit around Earth today there are over 20,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters. Of these, only about 2000 are operational satellites. The remainder are space debris that create a hazard for the useful satellites that provide our global weather, navigation, and communication services.

A sustainability rating for space debris

Teams from the MIT Media Lab, European Space Agency, and World Economic Forum will create a rating system and global standards for space waste mitigation.

May 6, 2019