UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Book Talk

Recap

Published May 14, 2026

Benjamin Recht: “The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us”

Recorded on May 5, 2026, this video features a talk by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, focused on his book, The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us. Professor Recht was joined in conversation by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of […]

Learn More >

Book Talk

Recap

Published May 14, 2026

Benjamin Recht: “The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us”

Recorded on May 5, 2026, this video features a talk by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, focused on his book, The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us. Professor Recht was joined in conversation by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of […]

Learn More >

Authors Meet Critics

Recap

Published April 23, 2026

Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine

Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel featuring the book "Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine," by Charles Briggs, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. Professor Briggs was joined in conversation by Elinor Ochs and Eric Snoey, with Armando Lara-Millán moderating.

Learn More >

Authors Meet Critics

Recap

Published April 23, 2026

The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World

Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel on the book "The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World," by Trevor Jackson, Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley. Professor Jackson was joined in conversation by Chenzi Xu and Dylan Riley, with Abhishek Kaicker moderating.

Learn More >

Matrix News

Iris Hui Memorial Fund

Published April 23, 2026

History PhD Student Receives Iris Hui Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship

Vincent P. Tran, a PhD student in the Department of History at UC Berkeley, has been selected to receive the scholarship, which honors the vision and goals of Dr. Iris Hui, a PhD graduate of Political Science from UC Berkeley.

Learn More >

Matrix On Point

Recap

Published April 23, 2026

Matrix on Point: The U.S. Dollar Hegemony in Transition

Recorded on April 8, 2026, this panel brought together scholars to examine the foundation of U.S. monetary influence and the role of financial innovation in an evolving global economy. The panel featured Barry Eichengreen, Rohan Kekre, and Chenzi Xu, with Brian Judge moderating.

Learn More >

CRELS

Recap

Published April 1, 2026

Algorithms of Distinction: Class, Credit Scores, and Property in South Africa

Watch or listen to a lecture by Julien Migozzi, an economic geographer and Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, examining how 21st-century class dynamics become connected with data-driven stratification systems, focusing on the digital transformation of property markets in South Africa.

Learn More >