Susan Hockfield

President Emerita, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Susan Hockfield was the sixteenth president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), serving from December 2004 to July 2012. She has had a career that has spanned advanced scientific research and the presidency of one of the leading institutions of science and engineering in the world. Prior to serving at MIT, Dr. Hockfield was first the dean of Yale University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, with oversight of more than seventy graduate programs; she then served as provost, Yale’s chief academic and administrative officer. Currently, she holds a faculty appointment as professor of neuroscience at MIT. Other board memberships include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Partners HealthCare, Fidelity Non-Profit Management Foundation, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She recently served as a U.S. science envoy to Turkey with the U.S. Department of State.

China

China’s Massive Belt and Road Initiative
China’s colossal infrastructure investments may usher in a new era of trade and growth for economies in Asia and beyond. But skeptics worry that China is laying a debt trap for borrowing governments.

Backgrounder by James McBride, Noah Berman and Andrew Chatzky February 2, 2023

United States

What Happens When the U.S. Hits Its Debt Ceiling?
As the U.S. government grapples with another deadline to increase its debt limit, economists warn that a possible default could have disastrous economic consequences. 

Backgrounder by Noah Berman January 20, 2023 Renewing America

Afghanistan

The Taliban in Afghanistan
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, twenty years after their ouster by U.S. troops. Under their harsh rule, they have cracked down on women’s rights and neglected basic services.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland January 19, 2023

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Health

How New Tobacco Control Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on U.S. Cancer
This interactive examines how nationwide bans on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, as proposed by the Biden administration on April 28, 2022, could help shrink the racial gap on U.S. lung cancer death rates.

Interactive by Olivia Angelino, Thomas J. Bollyky, Elle Ruggiero and Isabella Turilli February 1, 2023 Global Health Program

Japan

Japan Rearmed, With Sheila Smith

Podcast
Sheila Smith, the John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the reasoning behind Japan’s new defense strategy and the Japanese government’s decision to double defense spending.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Sheila A. Smith January 31, 2023 The President’s Inbox

United States

The Violent Far-Right Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Military
In addition to minority communities and those on the political left, far-right and white supremacist extremism threatens violence against institutions conservatives cherish as well, such as the U.S. military.

Blog Post by Jacob Ware January 31, 2023 Renewing America