Explorations in Cyber International Relations (ECIR)

Explorations in Cyber International Relations (ECIR), established in 2009, is an interdisciplinary research project between MIT and Harvard University that seeks to explore various facets of cyber international relations. The ECIR research program develops an approach to international relations – with theory, data, and methods -- responsive to the cyber realities of the 21st century. Its vision is to understand the mutual and reciprocal interconnections of the cyber and the international relations domains, and create a body of knowledge that is theory-driven, empirically sound, and technically anchored such that it:

(*) Clarifies threats and opportunities in cyberspace for national security, welfare, and influence;
(*) Provides analytical tools for understanding and managing transformation and change; and
(*) Attracts and educates a new generation of researchers, scholars, and analysts.

A related objective is to provide the U.S. government with useful tools and insights into the emergent complexity of the new realities. These realities are increasingly shaped by the interdependence between the familiar world and the “virtual” domain. The ECIR research plan integrates social sciences, legal studies, computer science, and policy analysis.

The ECIR project is directed by Political Science Professor Nazli Choucri, Principal Investigator and Associate Director of MIT's Technology and Development Program, and co-Principal Investigator Venkatesh “Venky” Narayanamurti, Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Professor of Physics at Harvard.