MIT Provost Cynthia Barnhart has announced that Vice Provost for the Arts Philip S. Khoury will step down from the position on Aug. 31. Khoury, the Ford International Professor of History, served in the role for 19 years. After a sabbatical, he will rejoin the faculty in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS). 'Since arriving at MIT in 1981, Philip has championed what he calls the Institute's 'artistic ecosystem,' which sits at the intersection of technology, science, the humanities, and the arts. Thanks to Philip's vision, this ecosystem is now a foundational element of MIT's educational and research missions and a critical component of how we advance knowledge, understanding, and discovery in service to the world,' says Barnhart. Khoury was appointed associate provost in 2006 by then-MIT president Susan Hockfield, with a double portfolio enhancing the Institute's nonacademic arts programs and beginning a review of MIT's international activities. Those programs include the List Visual Arts Center, the MIT Museum, the Center for Art, Science and Technology (CAST), and the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT). After five years, the latter half of this portfolio evolved into the Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities....

I am a lifelong martial artist who grew up training in both taekwondo and karate. During a pivotal point in graduate school, I realized that the study of martial arts helped me better understand political philosophy ' and that revelation inspired this course. Southern California contains a unique hub of martial artists, many of whom studied with Bruce Lee. When I was working on my doctorate at The Claremont Colleges, I discovered an exceptional school just down the street from campus and began to study Filipino martial arts, Lee's Jeet Kune Do, and Rickson Gracie Jiu Jitsu. My teacher, Guro Jason Cruz, refined the method of training the body with the training of the mind in a way that is still unmatched. At the time, I was studying political philosophy and education in ancient Greece, including the significance of the 'palaestra' and the 'gymnasia,' which were sites for boxing, wrestling and the pankration ' a practice akin to mixed martial arts today ' but also intellectual cultivation....

Artist and designer Es Devlin is the recipient of the 2025 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT. The $100,000 prize, to be awarded at a gala in her honor, also includes an artist residency at MIT in spring 2025, during which Es Devlin will present her work in a lecture open to the public on May 1, 2025. Devlin's work explores biodiversity, linguistic diversity, and collective AI-generated poetry, all areas that also are being explored within the MIT community. She is known for public art and installations at major museums such as the Tate Modern, kinetic stage designs for the Metropolitan Opera, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics, as well as monumental stage sculptures for large-scale stadium concerts. 'I am always most energized by works I have not yet made, so I am immensely grateful to have this trust and investment in ideas I've yet to conceive,' says Devlin. 'I'm honored to receive an award that has been granted to so many of my heroes, and look forward to collaborating closely with the brilliant minds at MIT.'...

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of global leaders concluded last month in Davos, Switzerland. The timely transition from this global dialogue into Black History Month celebrations each year offers a chance to explore how the significant impact of Black individuals and communities can further empower African and Afro diaspora peoples on global discourse concerning the key issues of our time. Effective advocacy and diplomacy are key to leveling the playing field in global cooperation. Through sharing cultural heritage, such as arts, literature and events, nations can foster mutual understanding and strengthen diplomatic ties that could be further leveraged for national interest. Cultural leaders and global artists also have a crucial role to play through arts and culture. They can provide visions of the world that can cut through the limitations of short-term or linear thinking and help towards solving collective global issues. The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, for example, has contributed to South Korea's soft power and increased its global influence via K-pop music, K-drama and other cultural exports that have captivated global audiences, leading to improved international cooperation. The widespread appeal of K-pop has led to cultural exchanges, joint ventures and collaborations between South Korea and other countries....