News & Stories

Pandemic mood: Much worse than a bad Monday

The Covid-19 pandemic has been depressing, demoralizing, and stressful for people around the world. But is there any way to measure exactly how bad it has made everyone feel? A new study led by MIT researchers attempts just that, through a massive examination of hundreds of millions social media posts in about 100 countries. The […]

MIT Center for Real Estate launches the Asia Real Estate Initiative

To appreciate the explosive urbanization taking place in Asia, consider this analogy: Every 40 days, a city the equivalent size of Boston is built in Asia. Of the $24.7 trillion real estate investment opportunities predicted by 2030 in emerging cities, $17.8 trillion (72 percent) will be in Asia. While this growth is exciting to the […]

From modeling quantum devices to political systems

When most students are 17, they’re preparing college applications and planning for prom. When Sihao Huang was 17, he was meeting with officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration. For two years before arriving at MIT, Huang started and ran a company, designing small, customizable satellite modules. Huang, now a […]

A nudge to resume economic activity

In these pandemic-affected times, concern about Covid-19 can make it hard to know when to take part in “normal,” prepandemic activities. That may be especially true this winter, with the Omicron virus variant spreading and its severity still being studied. But even at times during the pandemic when cases have been falling, there is often […]

Q&A: David Autor on the long afterlife of the “China shock”

In 2001, the U.S. normalized long-term trade relations with China, and China joined the World Trade Organization — moves many expected to help both economies. Instead, over the next several years, inexpensive imports from China significantly undercut U.S. manufacturing, especially in industries such as textiles and furniture-making. By 2011, this “China shock” from trade was […]

Six MIT students named 2023 Schwarzman Scholars

Five MIT seniors — Sihao Huang, William Kuhl, Giramnah Peña-Alcántara, Sreya Vangara, and Kelly Wu — and graduate student Tingyu Li have been awarded 2022-23 Schwarzman Scholarships. They will head to Tsinghua University in Beijing next August to pursue a one-year master’s degree in global affairs. The students will also receive leadership training, career development, […]

Innovating delivery of financial services for Asian banks

The MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node recently hosted its annual fintech entrepreneurship program, called MIT Entrepreneurship and Fintech Integrator (MEFTI). Designed for student innovators from MIT and Hong Kong, the program offers a real-world lens into Asia’s burgeoning financial services sector. Program partners this year included the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, DBS Bank, and WeBank, […]

Improving management everywhere

In the Indian state of Karnataka, many smallholder farmers have traditionally sold their products to intermediaries — wholesale traders who turn around and resell the goods for a quick profit. Much of the dealing between farmers and those traders has occurred locally, and farmers do not typically know what should be a “fair” price for […]

Punishment for the people

By some lights, it seems curious how authoritarian leaders can sustain their public support while limiting liberties for citizens. Yes, it can be hard to overthrow an entrenched leader; that does not mean people have to like their ruling autocrats. And yet, many do. After all, authoritarian China consistently polls better on measures of trust […]

Maria Zuber testifies before Congress on striking the right balance between research security and openness

The United States must perform a careful balancing act to secure federally funded research against improper interference from China and other foreign governments without shutting down valuable international scientific research collaborations, MIT Vice President for Research Maria T. Zuber said this week in testimony before Congress. Speaking at a virtual hearing held by two subcommittees […]