MIT International Review

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Welcome to the MIT International Review

The MIT International Review is MIT’s first interdisciplinary journal of international affairs. MITIR aspires to support solution-oriented discourse on challenges facing our global community.

The editorial review board will update this space frequently with new content and features, so we encourage you to visit often. Prospective authors should consider MITIR’s approach and review MITIR’s submissions guidelines.



Taking MITIR to the next level

Two years ago we envisioned a journal that would mobilize the world’s best ideas in the debate on global challenges and their solutions. Since then we have received tremendous support for this cause, validating our belief that we can make headway in addressing those challenges by providing a platform for fresh and thoughtful problem-solving efforts.

With this vote of confidence, we are excited to take MITIR to the next level. To that end, we are:

Introducing a monthly publication cycle: Submission deadline for May issue is April 20.
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Focusing on pressing challenges: Send us an essay, analysis, policy proposal, case study, photo journal...
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Recruiting exceptional talent: We seek four university students or graduates to join our team. Application deadline is April 20.
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August 2009 Online Exclusive

Iran's George Washington: Remembering and Preserving the Legacy of 1953

By Sam Sasan Shoamanesh

Seldom seen primary evidence, archived photos and historical correspondence, shed light on what 1953 has meant to the Iranian people.

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July 2009 Online Exclusive

Iran in Turmoil: Understanding Political Divisions & Advocating Human Rights

By Sam Sasan Shoamanesh

The international community should project its unified support for human rights in Iran.

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May 2009 Online Exclusive

How and Why to Promote US-Iran Rapprochement

By Sam Sasan Shoamanesh

The Obama administration should exercise practical diplomacy in securing Iranian cooperation in the Middle East.

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February 2009 Online Exclusives

Finding Osama bin Laden: An Application of Biogeographic Theories and Satellite Imagery

By Thomas W. Gillespie et al.

Biographic theories can be put to use to find al-Qaeda's founder.

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A Response to Professors Gillespie and Agnew on "Finding Osama bin Laden" by Murtaza Haider

Butter, Guns and Ice-Cream: Policy Implications of Economic Theories of Conflict

By Raul Caruso

Economic investment in the "uncontested sector" can reduce the propensity for civil war and increase a nation's welfare.

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Violent Conflict in Town and Country

Photos by Nicholai Lidow, Text by Topher L. McDougal

As the number of violent conflicts increases worldwide, people adapt to a status quo of crisis.

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2008 Online Exclusives

Using Satellite Imagery to Evaluate the Surge

By John A. Agnew

This article draws on a paper that has received tremendous media coverage, “Baghdad Nights: Evaluating the US Military ‘Surge’ Using Nighttime Light Signatures.”  It is exemplary of the interdisciplinary research that we find so exciting.  The author, John A. Agnew, reports on how he and colleagues used geographic data and remotely-sensed imagery to evaluate the effectiveness of the American-led surge into Baghdad that began in January 2007.  Their conclusions are as innovative as they are provocative.

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Spring 2008 Issue

Devising a Normative Regulatory Framework for the Hawala System
By Benedetta Berti

Grounded in core Islamic values and compliant with Islamic law, the hawala system provides a structure for remittance transfer across the worldwide Muslim community.

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Needle-Free Injectors as a Sustainable Alternative to Syringes

By Melis N. Anahtar

Responsible for almost 1.3 million deaths worldwide per year, unclean medical syringes have confounded global efforts to fight infectious diseases.

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Harnessing India's Human Capital through Educational Opportunities

By Ayan Sarkar, Nitin Rao, and Priya Naik

India's growth depends on its ability to revamp its poor education sector, which suffers from problems of outreach and quality.

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The South Asian Free Trade Agreement: Evolution and Challenges

By Dilip K. Das

After the Second World War, significant protectionist sentiment compelled the economies of South Asia to pursue import-substituting industrialization (ISI).

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Insecure and Secure Cities: Towards a Reclassification of World Cities in a Global Era

By Diane E. Davis

Contrary to previous city typologies, which were understood in terms of national economic prosperity and degrees of industrialization, a crucial distinguishing feature of globalizing cities is the degree to which large informal sectors flourish and accelerate public insecurity.

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