SHASS 75th Anniversary Symposium
Daron Acemoglu on the crisis of liberal democracy
The real question behind the trolley problem
World-class
research
Without human understanding, there is no understanding. We are home to scholars and artists doing transformative work in fields vital to addressing the world’s most important challenges. Our faculty develop the values, vision, and ethical compass of tomorrow’s leaders.
AI is transforming society in profound ways. We’re at the forefront of exploring the economic, political, and ethical implications of this technology.
Helping K-12 schools navigate the complex world of AI
MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab, led by Associate Professor Justin Reich, is working to help K-12 educators, students, policymakers, and others by listening to and sharing their stories. “We’re trying to advocate for an ethos of humility as we examine AI in schools,” he says.
Bridging philosophy and AI to explore computing ethics
In a new MIT course co-taught by EECS and philosophy professors, 6.C40/24.C40 (Ethics of Computing), students tackle moral dilemmas of the digital age.
Our faculty are among the world’s leading experts in their fields. Here you’ll find a selection of recent publications from SHASS scholars.
Uptake of COVID‐19 Vaccines and Intention to Vaccinate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Cross‐Sectional Survey
New research co-authored by political scientist and MIT GOV/LAB director Lily Tsai and Research Director Nuole Chen assessed uptake of COVID‐19 vaccines and intention to vaccinate and associated factors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How architecture influences political activity
New research from MIT political scientist Noah Nathan describes the impact of semi-communal “compound houses” In Ghana, which can affect how much people vote and participate in political activity. “The overarching pattern we find is that if you compare people who live in compound houses to residents of other housing types, like single-family homes or self-contained apartments, there is a pretty big difference in political actions,” Nathan says.
MIT graduates share how their SHASS education prepared them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
Guadalupe Hayes-Mota ’08, MBA ’16, SM ’16
MBA ’16
SM Engineering Systems ’16
SB Literature ’08 (Course 21L)
SB Chemistry ’08 (Course 5)
“Science taught me how bodies work; literature taught me how people think, suffer, hope, and make meaning.”
Cara Lai ’16
Mechanical Engineering (Course 2A)
Literature (Course 21L)
“MIT has always had a tradition of interdisciplinary learning and I felt that the questions we tackled in the Literature Section helped me think about the real-world applications of my engineering and product design courses.”
Broadening student minds
If you want to make the world a better place, you need to understand how it works. SHASS plays an essential role at MIT, ensuring our students have a deep understanding of the human implications of the world’s biggest challenges.
Latest news from SHASS
Our work has broad impact at MIT and across the globe. Read the latest about new ideas coming out of SHASS.
Measure by measure, studying society accurately
Naoki Egami has become a standout in political methodology, helping refine tools that give scholars durable results.
Stories from the steel mills: A model for sharing workers’ histories
MIT anthropologist Chris Walley developed a project for people in Southeast Chicago to tell their histories — an approach any community can adopt.
Translating economic growth into better lives
Graduate student Lyonel Tanganco investigates how to improve public policy interventions and address challenges in nutrition, climate, and development.
In the media
The wages of American workers are under pressure. AI’s potential role is drawing more attention
Can an AI chatbot replace human connection?
Brics on the rise
Trump is sabotaging the midterms. The Supreme Court must stop him.
SHASS videos
Weaving economic narratives: A cross-disciplinary collaboration inspired by jamdani
