Duane Boning appointed as the new Vice Provost for International Activities
The professor in EECS will oversee the institute’s global engagements and policies.
MIT has announced the appointment of Duane Boning as the new Vice Provost for International Activities (VPIA), effective September 1 of this year. Boning, a long-standing member of the MIT community and the Clarence J. LeBel Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will oversee the Institute's global engagements and policies. Boning's appointment is seen as a continuation of MIT’s commitment to fostering international partnerships that address global challenges.
According to the MIT Organization Chart, the VPIA is responsible for developing new international initiatives across many MIT departments. The role also consists of overseeing the International Advisory Committee and the International Coordinating Committee. Furthermore, the VPIA is a member of the Senior Risk Group and works with other executives like the Vice President for Research to review international engagements “that may pose elevated institutional risks for MIT.”
Boning succeeds Richard Lester, the Japan Steel Industry Professor who served as VPIA for nine years and will now take on the role of interim Vice President of Climate at MIT. Before becoming VPIA, Lester was the head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering from 2009 to 20015.
Lester’s tenure was marred by the 2018 Saudi Arabia-MIT controversy because his report recommended against the termination of MIT’s engagements with private Saudi donors and sponsors. The report drew criticism from people in the MIT community because of MIT’s support of Saudi Arabia despite the country’s human rights violations and authoritarian regime.
The new Vice Provost Boning’s career at MIT spans over four decades, beginning as an undergraduate in 1980. He earned his SB, SM, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Institute and joined the faculty in 1992. His research focuses on modeling and control for circuits and nanofabrication. From 2001 to 2011, Boning was the editor in chief of IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing. Throughout his tenure, he has been recognized for his leadership and teaching excellence, including receiving the Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2024.
In his new role as VPIA, Boning will be responsible for guiding MIT's international collaborations and ensuring they align with the Institute's mission. His previous leadership roles include faculty director of the MIT-Masdar Institute Cooperative Program and co-director of the Leaders for Global Operations program. Boning also previously served as the director and faculty lead of the MIT Skoltech Initiative.
Provost Cynthia Barnhart praised Boning’s appointment, noting his "exceptional record of accomplishment" and expressed confidence in his ability to lead MIT’s international activities into the future.