|
|
Welcome to M3, the newsletter for globally connected faculty and researchers at MIT.
You are receiving this email because you have research interests in the Middle East and North Africa or have been a friend of MISTI or the Center for International Studies.
Please share this newsletter with others in the MIT community who might be interested in joining. They can sign up for the newsletter here. Thank you for being a part of our community!
| |
|
Making biometric citizens: Technology and power from the height of the British empire to the digital age
Monday, November 18
3:00 PM EST
E40–496
Register here
Michelle Spektor is a historian of technology and a postdoctoral scholar in the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing at MIT. Her research examines the role of biometrics in the global consolidation of state power, citizenship, and national belonging, from the height of the British empire to the digital age. Her current book project traces the transnational history of biometric systems in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Palestine since the early 20th century. Previously, she was a lecturer in the Science, Technology, and Society Program at Tufts University. She has a PhD in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society from MIT.
Sponsored by MENA/MIT
| |
|
|
Speaker: Professor Krause, MIT PhD ’11, is an associate professor of political science at Boston College and a research affiliate of the Security Studies Program at MIT’s Center for International Studies. He is an expert on Middle East politics.
*While registering, you must use your mit.edu or alum.mit.edu email address. If you need help accessing your account, please contact help@alumni.mit.edu.
| |
MIT Global Seed Funds in MENA | |
|
13
Seed Fund grants were awarded in the Middle East during the 2023–24 cycle
| |
|
Highlight of recent grantee
Engineering the plant-microbiome interactions for drought resistance in the Middle East
Christopher Voigt, Daniel IC Wang Professor, Biological Engineering
Ali El-Keblawi, University of Sharjah, UAE.
Yael Bar Lavan and Rivka Ofir, Arava Research and Development Center, Israel
This novel collaboration aims to bring expertise from research groups at MIT and the Middle East on synthetic biology, material science, ecology, plant biology and microbiology.
In August 2024, MIT professor Christopher Voigt, PhD student Phillip Clauer, and postdocs Bradley Frank and Alice Boo along with collaborators from Israel and the UAE, initiated a project focused on sustainable desert agriculture through plant and microbe biotechnology. The team visited key institutions in the UAE, including the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (KCGEB), and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). The project aims to develop innovative seed coatings embedded with beneficial microbes to enhance plant tolerance in arid environments. The collaborators are now working towards formalizing partnerships to advance research in microbial and plant engineering for crop resilience, with the goal of improving agricultural productivity in desert regions.
| |
|
|
MISTI Arab World
This past summer, twenty-three MIT students embarked on an incredible summer journey, interning in Jordan, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They worked with companies, startups and NGOs in renewable energy and sustainability, humanitarian aid, real estate and more. Hear about one of our student’s experiences in the UAE here and a review of this past year here.
| |
|
|
In January, we will be sending 40 students to teach STEM and entrepreneurship in Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Abu Dhabi with another 12 interning in the MITdesignx Accelerator in Dubai. Clip of the 2024 accelerator here.
As we look to the future, our primary focus is building partnerships and raising funds to continue providing valuable opportunities for our students. If you are interested in hosting MIT students for summer internships in Jordan, Morocco or the UAE please fill out this form.
| |
|
MISTI Israel
This past year, the program has focused energy on supporting students on campus; remote opportunities; offering program alumni the opportunity to participate in MENA/MIT programming (see below); and engaging with students for when travel will be possible. In this spirit, MISTI Israel has launched a new student grant program. MIT students and postdocs are eligible to apply for grants for up to $15K to develop Israel-anchored programming that will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of and connection to the country anchored in science, technology, and entrepreneurship and promote traditional MISTI opportunities for professional experiences in Israel (once travel restrictions are lifted).
| |
|
MISTI MEET: Empowering Israelis and Palestinians
The mission of Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET) is to educate and empower tomorrow’s most promising Palestinian and Israeli leaders to help create positive social and political impact in the Middle East.
| |
|
|
In the midst of the war, this summer another 300 Israelis and Palestinians learned and worked with one another in Jerusalem: learning and developing social impact ventures. While MIT student instructors were not able to travel to the region, we launched a new program: MEET Constellation. This past May, as part of the pilot program, we hosted at MIT for two weeks nine MEET alumni and five MISTI alumni of programs in the Middle East. Participants worked on impact-driven projects, learned about the multiple narratives of the conflict and presented their projects to the MIT community.
This coming year, the expanded Constellation pilot program will comprise two cohorts: one based in Jerusalem and one at MIT. Programming will mainly run asynchronously, however, the two cohorts will explore similar themes, engage with parallel content, and have the opportunity for both Zoom and in-person collaboration at MIT and in the region. By creating the Constellation program, the Institute will train and empower young Israelis and Palestinians and a core group of MIT students who understand the complexities and nuances of the current situation in the region. The cohort will gain the leadership skills needed to promote constructive dialogue and shared understanding while working on projects that will make an impact in the region and on the MIT campus.
| |
|
Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar
The making of the modern Muslim state: Islam and governance in the Middle East and North Africa
Speaker: Malika Zeghal is this Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor in Contemporary Islamic Thought and Life in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the Committee on the Study of Religion, Harvard University.
| |
| | | |
