Educating global leaders and generating research and insights for a safer, more prosperous world

Featured News

Analysis & Commentary

Dr. Rand and Ambassador Shringla to join MIT as distinguished fellows at the Center for International Studies

March 13, 2025

News

Houck and Ansari, PhD students, further their dissertation research abroad

March 04, 2025

News

“Urban Futures of the Amazon” debates urbanization issues in the biome and the region

February 27, 2025

Explore our activities by region

We invite faculty, researchers, and students from MIT and beyond to learn more about CIS’s impact and work — from research funding to student internships — happening in regions and nations worldwide.

See all regions

Events

All upcoming events

Apr 9

Global Space Infrastructure and U.S. Grand Strategy

Global Climate Adaptation: Overcoming Political and Policy Challenges

8:30am - 5:00pm

Location

Building 45 (MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing)

Apr 16

Divisions at Home, Divisions Abroad? How Domestic Political Conditions Shape Foreign Perceptions of U.S. Nuclear Credibility

Starr Forum: The US and the World Under Trump: The First 100 Days

5:30pm - 7:00pm

Location

Building 45 (MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing)

Opportunities

See all opportunities

Working Groups

CIS provides working group grants for advancing interdisciplinary collaborations in the field of international studies. These small grants are provided as "seed" funds for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows seeking to address scholarly problems.

Learn how to apply

Global Seed Funds

The MIT Global Seed Funds grant program provides opportunities for MIT faculty to collaborate with pioneering researchers from around the world.

Browse seed funds

Our community

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Faculty and Researchers

Richard Samuels

Faculty Director, MIT-Japan Program

Former Director, Center for International Studies

Ford International Professor of Political Science

Faculty and Researchers

Bishwapriya Sanyal

Director, Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS)/ Humphrey Fellows Program

Ford International Professor of Urban Development and Planning

Fellows

Samuel Okeolu Omogoye

Empowering the Teachers Fellow

Fellows

Polina Beliakova

Russian Foreign & National Security Policy Fellow

Paul (1969) and Melonie Brophy Fellow

Fellows

Pranay Vaddi

CNSP Senior Nuclear Fellow

Research Fellow

Staff

Yoav Danenberg

Managing Director, Empowering the Teachers

Student Spotlights

CIS makes it possible for MIT students to experience the world while advancing knowledge, tackling tough challenges, and preparing for lives of impact, service, and leadership in an interconnected global society.

Vin's story

Computer Science and Engineering '27

Vin's internship at Startgate, a startup incubator in Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco, focused on enhancing internal operations and promoting data-driven decision-making.

Fiona's story

Chemical Engineering '27

Chemical engineering major Fiona Shangguan interned at a startup doing quality control for disinfectant products made of recycled food waste while also finding the perfect ratio to create a bag out of banana peels and less plastic.

Donny's story

Mathematics '25

Donny Stralkus '25 collaborated with a professor on deep learning research at UTEC in Lima, Peru.

Nickie's story

Mechanical Engineering '24

Nickie Mpofu '24 interned with Semiconductor Technologies Limited (STL), a Kenyan startup focused on semiconductor manufacturing in the summer of 2024.

Ava's internship turned full time job

Mechanical Engineering '22

Ava ended up extending her internship into Spring 2023, and has in July 2023, accepted a chance to stay on at Novo Nordisk as a full-time engineer.

Student opportunities

Educating global leaders and generating research and insights for a safer, more prosperous world

Featured News

Competing visions of international order

MIT Maritime Consortium sets sail

From show trials to war: A brief history of Ukrainian scientists in portraits

Entrepreneurship and innovation strategy books from MIT

Strategic empathy & the roots of the Ukraine War

US policy on BRICS: A temporary fix or a strategic reset?

A collaboration across continents to solve a plastics problem

Dr. Rand and Ambassador Shringla to join MIT as distinguished fellows at the Center for International Studies

Houck and Ansari, PhD students, further their dissertation research abroad

“Urban Futures of the Amazon” debates urbanization issues in the biome and the region

Events

Global Space Infrastructure and U.S. Grand Strategy

Global Climate Adaptation: Overcoming Political and Policy Challenges

Divisions at Home, Divisions Abroad? How Domestic Political Conditions Shape Foreign Perceptions of U.S. Nuclear Credibility

Starr Forum: The US and the World Under Trump: The First 100 Days

Opportunities

Our community

Richard Samuels

Bishwapriya Sanyal

Samuel Okeolu Omogoye

Polina Beliakova

Pranay Vaddi

Yoav Danenberg

Student Spotlights

Vin's story

Fiona's story

Donny's story

Nickie's story

Ava's internship turned full time job