Shrinking population causes and consequences topic of upcoming Baker Institute conference
Population decline has quietly emerged as one of the defining demographic shifts of the 21st century, and many countries are now confronting shrinking populations and the economic, social and infrastructure challenges that accompany the shifts.
Rice to lead first national research security survey
Rice’s Tam Dao and Kenny Evans have received a federal grant to investigate the scope and frequency of foreign influence in U.S. institutions.
Rice, OU energy conference examines future of resilient US energy system
The third annual energy conference, hosted by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in partnership with the University of Oklahoma’s Energy Institute, brought together academic, industry and policy perspectives to examine the challenges facing the nation’s energy system and the infrastructure needed to support future economic growth.
Rice experts available to discuss Nepal-Tibet floods, glacier loss and climate change
As rescue efforts continue following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border, Rice University experts are available to discuss the climate science behind changing glaciers and the cultural consequences of their loss.
Why governments need science advice: Lessons from UK’s chief science adviser
Professor Dame Angela McLean, the U.K. government’s chief science adviser, discussed the role of science advice in government during an armchair discussion at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, hosted by the Science and Technology Policy Program as part of its Civic Scientist Lecture Series.
The Baker Institute’s fall 2026 calendar will bring prominent policymakers, scientists, business leaders and scholars to Houston this fall for a series of public conversations on energy and grid resilience, artificial intelligence and health, global affairs, demographics, science policy and the future of Texas.
Global energy demand hits record high, raising new questions for energy policy
Global energy use reached an unprecedented milestone in 2025, highlighting both advances in clean energy and the continued dominance of fossil fuels, according to the 75th annual Statistical Review of World Energy. Experts at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy hosted a conversation the Review’s producer, the Energy Institute, July 29 to provide context and discuss the projected future of energy consumption.
Uncertainty and the future of North American trade discussed by international experts
The Claudio X. González Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy convened leading trade experts to examine the implications of the U.S. decision not to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, and what the prolonged negotiations could mean for North American businesses.
The Brain Health for Economic Resilience Commission, convened in collaboration with Nature Medicine, was announced at the Texas Brain Economy Summit June 9–10.
Rice’s Baker Institute launches Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center with U.S. Department of Energy
Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy welcomed dignitaries from the United States, Cyprus, Greece and Israel on June 11 to mark the launch of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center (EMEC), a new initiative focused on advancing energy security, regional stability and international collaboration.
AI crashed a Paris wine tasting and that was the point
The ‘Human Flourishing in the Age of AI’ conference tackles how AI is quietly reshaping what it means to live a fully human life.
Rapid changes in federal health policy result in uninsured Americans, Baker Institute report shows
A new health policy research brief from the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice is drawing attention to the sweeping pace of health care policy changes implemented during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Rice experts available to discuss new federal oversight of advanced AI systems
Rice experts are available to discuss the executive order’s implications for AI governance, national security and health care innovation.
Texas universities show sharp differences in health insurance premiums, Baker Institute report finds
Annual health insurance premiums for faculty and staff vary by more than $5,000 per employee across Texas universities, according to a new report from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. For PPO (or POS plans) — the only plan type offered at every institution in the sample — the report finds that the total annual cost of individual coverage, combining employer and employee contributions, ranges from $8,095 for Texas universities belonging to Employees Retirement System of Texas (such as the University of Houston) to $15,742 at Trinity University.
Redrawing Houston: Event explores flood risk, growth and future of region
In a city infamous for its flooding, something as innocuous as rain can prove to be disastrous or even deadly. Small increases in the amount of rainfall over time can have significant consequences today, said Ed Emmett, fellow in energy and transportation policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and former Harris County Judge, as he led the daylong conference “Redrawing Risk: What FEMA’s New Flood Maps Mean for Greater Houston.”
