The Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institutes (PIKSI) in Boston aim to “broaden inclusion within professional philosophy.” In part because such efforts are currently unpopular with the powers that be, its primary funding, from MIT and Harvard, has been cut.

To cope with the cuts, its organizers say that “it is our plan to shrink it a bit and see what we can do to raise funds for 2027, with the hope that we can build it back up with other funding in 2028 and beyond.”

In the following guest post, Sally Haslanger (MIT) discusses what PIKSI Boston, which has been in operation since 2015, does, its impact on students, and how you can help with efforts to sustain the program.

PIKSI’s in Peril but You Can Help
by Sally Haslanger

PIKSI-Boston is a summer institute organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the University of Massachusetts-Boston to address pipeline issues and broaden inclusion within professional philosophy.

Since 2015, we have supported 220 undergraduates or recent graduates (the Alain Locke Fellows) who have come to MIT for ten days in the summer to spend full-time studying philosophy—representing a broad range of traditions and areas—with visiting professors and graduate teaching fellows. Each Alain Locke Fellow is also paired with a mentor to assist them in the process of applying to graduate school. 

The impact of this program is tremendous, not only for the fellows, but also for the faculty and graduate students involved. For instance, one fellow wrote: “Upon my return [home], I realized how transformative PIKSI-Boston was for me. I no longer feel like grad school is some far-off possibility and I feel that my ideas and experiences can create good philosophy.” Alums don’t all go into philosophy graduate school or pursue philosophy as a career, though many have. In a recent survey, of 31 respondents, 28 were pursuing philosophy or an adjacent field.  Feedback suggests that the program has also empowered fellows to enter other professions with greater confidence.

PIKSI-Boston provides funds for round-trip travel, lodging, meals and social events for the Alain Locke Fellows as well as the visiting professors and teaching fellows. Funding also provides stipends for the co-directors of the Institute,  course materials, and promotional items. 

In the current climate, institutional efforts to address inclusion have been discouraged, and budget cuts in higher education have hit such programs hard. While the Philosophy Section at MIT remains committed to supporting PIKSI, their contribution falls well short of the funding needed and all other financial support has been eliminated. This is at a time when philosophy is of increasing public importance and careers that can benefit from an advanced degree in philosophy—such as philosophy of AI—are expanding.

Our aim, at PIKSI-Boston, is to reduce the size of the program for 2027 in order to maintain it during this financial crisis, and to spend the year seeking support to endow it. 

We are asking colleagues to make a contribution to PIKSI-Boston using this link. (Once there, enter “Piksi” into the “search for a fund” field.)

The money goes to MIT and is earmarked for the PIKSI-Boston program. Because MIT is a non-profit, donations are tax-deductible. We also created a fundraising brochure (a “one pager”) that you should feel free to send to others:

(PDF version here.)

Our goal is to raise enough to host ten undergraduates and two teaching fellows in 2027 or $40,000. If necessary, we will reduce the duration of the institute from ten to five days. Here are some examples of what your donation can provide.

Anything you can provide will be put to good use. This is an investment in the future of professional philosophy. You can donate here.

If you have questions, or if, by chance, you have leads for any major donors, please contact me. 

Thank you for your support.

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