MIT School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

On Monday, March 16, we hosted Focus on Eurasia: Putin's War Against the West with John J Sullivan, former US ambassador to the Russian Federation. @MIT_SSP's Carol Saivetz and @HistoryMit's Elizabeth Wood (@ElizWoodMIT) co-chaired the discussion. Watch the talk here: youtube.com/watch?v=bzHBTw… @MIT_SHASS

The MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC) is advancing a new model for research and education at MIT—one that places human understanding at the center of discovery and innovation and gathers scholars from the humanities, arts, social sciences, and STEM.

“It is hard to imagine effective or safe mine clearance operations while the larger war is going on,” says MIT professor of political science Caitlin Talmadge (@ProfTalmadge) in @FT. “This is not a mission you want to be doing in the middle of a shooting war.”

“Is this technology going to automate your kind of supporting tasks, allow you to work more efficiently on things that you’re really good at?” @MITEcon professor @davidautor asks about AI during an @MIT_CSAIL Alliances podcast. mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-… @MITSloan

This week, learn about a @JPAL project investigating how to scale AI-enabled poverty-fighting tools, read about the new play based on @junotdiaz's @PulitzerPrizes-winning book, and more. mailchi.mp/mit/shass-week… @MITPSTS @MITEcon @ArtsatMIT

As the first student supported by the John Piscitello Music Technology Fund, Claire Southard ’25 is blending neuroscience, computer science, and music to explore how imagined songs could move directly from brainwaves to sound. betterworld.mit.edu/spectrum/issue…

How must feminist theory respond to intensifying global attacks on gender and sexual freedom? 🧵 On Wed, March 18, our Feminisms Unbound series continues with "Transfeminisms"—a dialogue at the forefront of contemporary thought. tinyurl.com/transfeminisms

This evening at MIT, a panel of leading policymakers and practitioners discussed the current school quality measurement policy landscape, how political realities shape school quality measurement, and how stakeholders can enact lasting positive change.

Thank you to the attendees and speakers who joined the 2026 School Quality Measures Conference, a two-day event that convened education leaders and researchers to explore evidence on school quality measurement. We hope this week’s conversations carry into the future.

How do social protection programs fight poverty and protect people from shocks? How can governments and nonprofits design effective social protection programs in low- and middle-income countries? The Handbook of Social Protection, published by MIT Press and edited by J-PAL affiliates @rema_nadeem and @Ben_Olken, tackles this question. From cash transfers to health insurance, the handbook examines real-world programs and the evidence behind them. Check out the open access handbook: bit.ly/4uuTiVi

🚨 We’re hiring an AI Policy Lead to help shape J-PAL’s growing work on AI for social good. Based in Cambridge, MA, this hybrid position will work at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, rigorous research, and real-world policymaking. You’ll help evaluate and scale promising AI tools, build partnerships with governments and tech companies, and ensure AI adoption is grounded in credible evidence. Applications are rolling. Learn more and apply (and please share): bit.ly/4rM1Ogw

New Acemoglu et al. paper: AI may boost short-term decision quality but can erode the learning incentives that sustain collective knowledge in society, creating a risk of long-run knowledge decline or collapse.

“There’s so much to be said for a country where you and I are possible, and the things we do are possible,” @LITatMIT professor @SirJoshBennett says. His new book, "We (The People of the United States)," is an epic poem. news.mit.edu/2026/we-people…

"An Iranian campaign against tanker traffic in the Gulf would confront the United States with difficult choices and could foment further escalation," @MITPoliSci prof @ProfTalmadge says in @ForeignAffairs. foreignaffairs.com/iran/hormuz-mi…

MIT students! Demonstrate your favorite professor, lecturer, or teaching assistant's impact when you nominate them for the James A. (’48) and Ruth Levitan Award for Excellence in Teaching! Submit your nominations before the 4/21 deadline. bit.ly/4btLxpt

If you're an MIT student looking to travel in support of an individual or collective humanitarian project this summer, you should apply for a Kelly-Douglas Travel Fellowship! Be sure to submit your application before the 4/13 deadline. Apply today! bit.ly/3Yo3aAI

A paper co-authored by @MITEcon's Amy Finkelstein says communities that were more exposed to competition from Mexican imports saw a significant shortening of their life spans after NAFTA went into effect in 1994. nytimes.com/2026/03/13/us/… @nytimes

“This war isn’t only about what happens in the current cycle,” @MITPoliSci professor and @MIT_SSP affiliate @ProfTalmadge says. “It is about re-establishing Iranian deterrence for the next war.” nytimes.com/2026/03/12/us/… @nytimes

Joanne Lin, Fulbright Fellow at @MIT_CIS, discusses Asia’s stance in the shifting global balance of power created by the United States’ global retreat, examining how major and middle powers may choose to hedge, align, or lead in global affairs. Watch her insights here: channelnewsasia.com/watch/insight-… @MIT_SHASS

Kate Tuttle, writing for @BostonGlobe, reviews @LITatMIT professor @SirJoshBennett's “We (The People of the United States).” Illustration by David Wilson. bostonglobe.com/2026/03/12/art…