Letter from MIT President Susan Hockfield
June 2006
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology pursues research and education at the frontiers of knowledge. At the same time, we have a longstanding commitment to national service. Ensuring that advances in scholarship inform public life and public policy is an important part of our mission.
Seminar XXI is one of the Institute’s most distinctive and successful public policy programs. Its unique approach brings the best social science analysis to bear on America’s national security issues and enhances critical thinking about politics, economics, and foreign policy. Over the last 20 years, the Seminar has taught more than 1,200 high-ranking military officers and civilian executives working in the national security field.
At Seminar XXI sessions, outstanding social scientists from MIT and other leading institutions around the world have presented their perspectives to generations of future national leaders. Bringing the insights of the best current research to policymakers, the Seminar makes a signal contribution to the public interest.
I would like to thank and congratulate Seminar XXI on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary. MIT is proud to have sponsored this pioneering program since its inception, and we look forward to its continued success.
Susan Hockfield
President of MIT
