International

In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Prof. Mai Hassan and her colleague Suliman Baldo highlight the impact of international communities in developing a “road map for peace in Sudan.” They write: “With further discussions expected to take place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week, who gets a seat at that negotiating table could either pave the way for democratic rule or solidify the grip of the very military leaders who derailed Sudan’s democratic transition.”

Prof. David Autor speaks with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria about how China moving into sectors like robotics, AI, quantum computing, fusion power, telecommunications, aviation and more could significantly impact the U.S. economy. Autor notes that by focusing on the last trade war with China, “the U.S. is distracting itself from the really formidable challenge we find ourselves facing now from China’s incredible innovative capacity and very, very intensive investment.” 

Vox’s Rachel DuRose highlights the work of Noam Angrist BS ’13 and his co-founder Moitshepi Matsheng, who were included in the outlet’s 2023 Future Perfect 50 list for their nonprofit Youth Impact, which aims to reduce HIV transmission in Botswana. “The nonprofit is based out of Botswana’s capital of Gaborone and aims to bridge the gap between research and action, taking data-backed health and education solutions and scaling them,” writes DuRose.

Professor Carlo Ratti and his colleagues developed the Urban Vision and Urban Program for Manifesta 14, a nomadic European biennale in Kosovo, which “proposes a new methodology for reclaiming public space in the city,” writes Maria-Cristina Florian for ArchDaily. “Cities around the world are currently going through an extraordinary time marked by crises but also potential for a renaissance,” said Ratti.

Sasha Horokh and Vlada Petrusenko, undergraduate students from Ukraine, shared their fears with Jim Braude on Greater Boston, and asked Americans for support. “They’re staying in Ukraine, trying to stay calm and just do what they can to protect Ukraine,” Horokh said of their family and friends. “They definitely are scared for their futures, for their loved ones’ futures, for the future of their country and their home. However, being scared isn’t going to help much.”

Undergraduate Vlada Petrusenko speaks with Peter Eliopoulos of WCVB-TV about her worries for her parents and friends during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "It’s not just war of Russia against Ukraine, it’s war of Russia against the whole other world," said Petrusenko.

MIT students from Ukraine spoke with Drew Karedes of Boston 25 about their reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I would hope for other countries to get involved,” said second year student Vlada Petrusenko. “This is actually terrifying to see how things are moving forward.”

Undergraduate Artem Laptiev joined Morning Edition to discuss the Russian invasion of his home country of Ukraine and his fears over the fate of his country. Ukraine is a “beautiful place of culture, of such rich culture and such a strong technological power,” said Laptiev. “All of my best experiences of my life were connected to Ukraine. It’s really hard to convey this with words.”

In conversation with WBUR’s Jason Beaubien, alumnus David Moinina Sengeh SM ’12, PhD ’16, discusses his dual roles as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Education and Chief Innovation Officer, and his vision for the future of the country. "In a world where there's cryptocurrency and quantum computing we can't be thinking classically anymore,” says Sengeh. “We have to think quantum. We have to think outside the box."

Chloe Smith, a student at Elliot Hudson College in Leeds, speaks with the BBC about being accepted to MIT. "I think through hard work and basically having a plan and thinking no matter what people say even though it seems like shooting for the stars, if you are willing to look for the opportunities you can follow them and achieve amazing things,” says Smith.

Writing for the New York Times, Prof. Yasheng Huang argues that Chinese policies favoring the state sector over the private sector have played a bigger role in the country’s economic slowdown than the current trade war. “That the Chinese economy is slowing down isn’t necessarily a bad thing, at least not in itself,” says Huang. “But a slowdown is a problem if it’s the result of poor policy.”