The Security Studies Program based @MIT_CIS. Research, education and analysis of national and international security issues. RTs and follows ≠ endorsement.
Iran's semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reports that Iran is stopping talks with the U.S. to protest the continued bombardment of Lebanon. SSP Senior Research Associate Jim Walsh speaks with @WBUR@hereandnow on the latest turn of events.
@DrJimWalshMIT
Jim Walsh, a research associate with @MIT_SSP, speaks with @NPR's @hereandnow regarding the cessation of Iranian/Israeli peace talks due to Israel’s continued push into Lebanon. https://t.co/MCedoYmGIo @MIT_CIS@MITPoliSci
Congratulations to SSP’s PhD graduates! We are honored to celebrate the hard-earned achievements of doctors Nicholas Blanchette, Wenyan Deng, Suzanne Freeman, Eleanor Freund, Eyal Hanfling, Wright Smith, Raymond Wang, and Diana Zhu. We look forward to your ongoing contributions to security studies and political science!
And congratulations to Raymond Wang for receiving the Lucien Pye Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis!
@eyalhanfling@soraywang@DTingxuan@WrightLSmith@SuzBFreeman
A group of bipartisan experts, including faculty member Vipin Narang, offer basic guideposts for the Pentagon to take into account as it proceeds with its close hold mini review of U.S. nuclear strategy in a new article in Real Clear Defense.
@NarangVipin@RCDefense
In a new paper, Stanton Nuclear Fellow Beenish Pervaiz examines the May 2025 crisis between India and Pakistan “to provide a comparative analysis of why and how variations in crisis narratives matter for what could come next.”
Read more via @StimsonCenter’s @SAVoices 👇🏽
@bpervaiz
Excited to share my analysis for @SAVoices on how crisis narratives have evolved 1 year after the 2025 India-Pak crisis. I compare nat’l accounts on both sides, key areas of divergence & overlap, & what these competing versions may mean for what comes next https://t.co/hgTzibZgUA
@MIT_CIS recently held its final lunch of the semester to celebrate the work and expertise of this year’s fellows, including the fellows at SSP and the Center for Nuclear Security Policy.
Thank you, fellows! We’re excited to see your continued contributions to security studies!
We recently bid farewell to our 2025–2026 fellows at our final CIS lunch of the semester.
Each year, our fellows bring invaluable perspectives and expertise to CIS through their research and engagement with our community.
We are grateful for all they have contributed to CIS and look forward to seeing where their work takes them next.
@MIT_SSP
On April 15, SSP had the honor of presenting former Commander, US Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service General Timothy D. Haugh with the General James Doolittle Award. In a discussion with SSP Director M. Taylor Fravel, General Haugh spoke about a range of issues related to intelligence, cyber, emerging technologies, and national security.
Named after General James Doolittle, the Doolittle Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of US air power.
SSP Senior Fellow Charles Glaser speaks to Amherst College Professor Eleonora Mattiacci about his latest book “Retrench, Defend, Compete: Securing America’s Future Against a Rising China”.
🔖Bookmark now, 🎧listen later via @NewBooksNetwork:
https://t.co/wu1W8Zr4NB
@ProfEMattiacci
In a new paper, Mariana Budjeryn examines the global nuclear order after the Cold War, specifically asking why “did only Russia emerge as the only possessor of Soviet nuclear weapons in the post-Soviet space?”
Read the full article via @jststs.
@mbudjeryn
SSP Director M. Taylor Fravel speaks with @NPR's Emily Feng about China’s expanding nuclear program and the escalating security dilemma. “What [China] worried about was that the U.S. was developing what's known as conventional long-range strike weapons that could be used to attack China's nuclear forces,” Fravel says.
🎧Listen now:
https://t.co/MoPafwuDUH
@fravel
On Hegseth’s ongoing, high-profile military shakeup, SSP’s Barry Posen asks, “Is he purging not just perfectly competent people, but highly competent people, the people you would want in your foxhole?”
Read more via @Salon 👇🏽
.@MITPoliSci professor and former @MIT_SSP director Barry Posen spoke with @Salon about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s tenure. “Hegseth appears to have a preference for people who look like him,” Posen says. https://t.co/VVTCP3Ya9Y
⏰Reminder: @mbudjeryn, Center for Nuclear Security Policy Senior Researcher, joins a panel of experts to explore Chernobyl’s enduring legacy. Hosted by @CarnegieEndow.
In person and online: https://t.co/9eNHYdGuWk
🗓️May 7, 2026
🕘9:00-10:15am ET
📍1779 Mass Ave, Washington DC
Thank you, Heidi Urben, for your important discussion on assessing internal accountability in the US military during this week’s Wednesday Seminar.
With that, it’s a wrap on Wednesday Seminars for the semester! Wednesday Seminars will return in the fall.
Mariana Budjeryn, Center for Nuclear Security Policy Senior Researcher, joins a panel of experts to explore Chernobyl’s enduring legacy. Hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Register now for this in-person and online discussion.
🗓️May 7, 2026
🕘9:00-10:15am ET
📍1779 Mass Ave, Washington DC
@mbudjeryn@CarnegieEndow
Join us tomorrow for the final Wednesday Seminar of the semester, in which Heidi Urben will discuss internal accountability in the US military.
🗓️4/29 at noon ET
📍MIT community can join in person at E40-496
📡Bookmark the livestream*
https://t.co/36AJvWNPHD
*this livestream will not be recorded
Congratulations to the Security Studies Program PhD students Kathryn Dura, Christine Liu, and Tyler Sagerstrom on receiving the Center for International Studies PhD Student Research Grants!
Learn more about their grants and research topics👇🏽
Congratulations to this year’s recipients of our PhD Student Research Grants.
The CIS PhD Student Research Grants provide funding for research projects to PhD candidates whose work focuses on international studies. Awarded annually, the Center is pleased to support the work of an outstanding cohort from across the Institute.
Learn more about the recipients and their projects here: https://t.co/kPvyUwdCBd
@MIT_SHASS@MITdusp@MITPSTS@MIT_SSP