Book Review

Napoleon in Egypt, by Paul Strathern

I finished this book today and enjoyed it greatly. Obviously, the book focuses on Napoleon's invasion and occupation of Egypt in 1798. This is not a period of history about which I knew much and I found this well-researched book quite interesting.

Strathern discusses all aspects of the venture, including the scientific accomplishments. But the focus of the book is clearly on Napoleon and the what, how and why of the invasion. He makes a very good case that Napoleon was intent on following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and establishing an empire based in Egpyt founded on French culture and science. The large number of "savants" he recruited for the mission is just one piece of evidence supporting this idea.

Strathern discusses the major military engagements as well as the political maneuvering between and among France, England, Austria, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and other states.

My favorite chapters were 18 & 19 which document the pursuit of Murad Bey, one of the previous Mameluke rulers, south along the Nile into Upper Egypt by Napoleon's general, Desaix . This was country through which few, if any, Europeans had traveled and the ancient temples and other ruins they passed were unknown to European historians. The artist, Donon, accompanied the soldiers on this campaign, and the hundreds of sketches he brought back were instrumental in sparking European interest in ancient Egypt and establishing modern Egyptology.

Ultimately, the French were expelled from Egypt by the combined forces of Britain and the Ottomans. Napoleon abandoned his army and returned to Franch before this, however, in 1799, after a failed invasion of Palestine.

The parallels between Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the US war in Iraq are many, though by no means perfect. This gives the book a lot of contemporary interest beyond the history.

Strathern notes that, "between 1o,000 and 15,000 Frenchmen were probably killed or died of disease during the occupation of Egypt, as well as many times that number of Muslim warriors and Mamelukes -- all in the vain attempt to impose European civilization upon a backward people whose religion encouraged them to regard all change and all foreigners with the deepest suspicion." Regardless of how accurate that assessment is, the book still documents a very good historic example of the limits of military power.

Boren Scholarships

Cory Leonard sent this email out early this semester. The deadlines for the scholarships for 2009-10 are in February. If you are interested in applying, please coordinate with Cory. His email is Cory_Leonard@byu.edu.

Three BYU students received the prestigious David L. Boren National Security Education Program scholarship for 2008-09, the most that have ever been awarded in the 20+ years BYU has endorsed applicants. Funds provide support for students to study abroad and develop language, cultural, and area experience. They include:
• Marco Moreno-Campoy (Arabic/Jordan)
• Estee Ward (Arabic/Cairo)
• Miles Hansen (Persian/Tajikistan)

We look forward to increasing representation from other important areas/languages as designated by the Institute for International Education (IIE), such as Korean, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Hindi, and others.

For more information on NSEP: http://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarship or email nsep@byu.edu.

Thanks,

Cory

Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service

From Cory Leonard:

Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service
This summer: June 6 – August 1, 2009
Georgetown University, Washington, DC

****PRIORITY DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS – FEBRUARY 5, 2009***

Students are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline of February 5, 2009 for this summer's Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service. The institute is a dynamic summer program for undergraduate students interested in volunteerism and careers in the nonprofit sector.

This fast-paced Institute offers a rigorous combination of professional experience, academic learning and service projects that will provide students with an unparalleled experience in the nation's capital.

• Internships – Competitive placements with leading nonprofit organizations
• Classes – Up to 9 credit hours from Georgetown University
• Housing – Furnished on-campus apartments
• Service – Variety of hands-on community projects
• Guest Lectures – With Washington's top nonprofit executives and scholars
• Leadership Development – Leadership, mentoring and career building activities
• Scholarships – Over half of all students receive full or partial funding
• Networking – With hundreds of other top student and nonprofit leaders from around the world
Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until the final deadline of March 5, 2009. For more information on this exciting opportunity or to start an online application, please visit the website at www.DCinternships.org/IPVS.

Questions about the program or the application process may be directed to Mary Connell, Manager of Recruitment and Admissions, by phone at 1-800-741-6964 or via email at mconnell@tfas.org.

Internship Opportunity

From the Governor's Office of Economic Development: International Trade and Diplomacy, forwarded from Noleani Porter in the advisement center:

About the Position
The internship gives students hands-on experience in international business and market trends to help identify opportunities for Utah companies to expand abroad.

Activities may include:
· Company consultation
· Inbound/outbound trade missions
· Diplomatic visits

Interns work an average of 20-25 hours per week at $10 per hour. We are currently looking for someone who can commit until the end of June 2009.

Applicants should possess strong skills in the following areas:
· Communication
· Research
· Writing
· Computer
· Foreign language (Chinese or Japanese proficiency a plus, but not required)

To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Adam Walden at awalden@utah.gov.

For more information about the International Trade and Diplomacy Office visit www.international.utah.gov.

Critical Language Scholarships

From Eric Hyer, the Asian Studies Major Coordinator:

Maybe you are aware of this scholarship opportunity for our students interested in studying critical needs foreign languages.

Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace: Investing in the Study of Critical Languages Full Scholarships for Intensive Language Study at the Middlebury Summer Language Schools in: Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian

For more information please go to http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ls/fellowships_scholarships/kwd.htm

International Development Specialization

Perhaps everyone knows about this already, but I'll post this just in case some don't. We added a new 4-course track in international development to the degree this fall.

Here are the requirements as laid out in the MAP:

Complete the following (3 hours):

• ECON 431 : Economic Development. (3:3.0:0.0)

Complete three courses from the following, of which one course must be from political science:

• ECON 388 : Introduction to Econometrics. (3:3:0)
• ECON 432 : Economic Growth. (3:3.0:0.0)
• ECON 440 : Natural Resources and Environmental Economics. (3:3:0)
• ECON 458 : International Trade Theory and Applications. (3:3:0)
• ECON 459 : International Monetary Theory. (3:3:0)
• GEOG 255 : Middle and South America. (3:3:0)
• GEOG 271 : Middle East. (3:3:0)
• GEOG 272 : East Asia. (3:3:0)
• GEOG 273 : Southeast Asia. (3:3.0:0)
• GEOG 285 : Environment and Development in Africa. (3:3:0)
• PL SC 357 : Middle East: Political Systems. (3:3:0)
• PL SC 358 : Politics and Society in Latin America. (3:3:0)
• PL SC 444 : The Political Economy of Development. (3:3:0)
• PL SC 452 : Islam and Politics. (3:3:0)
• PL SC 472 : International Political Economy of Women. (3:3:0)
  

Book Review

Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis, by Mike Chinoy

Some of you may have attended Mike Chinoy's lecture at the Kennedy Center on December 4th. It was very good, and if you missed it you can find the podcast by following this link.

I started this book last Thursday and finished it this morning. It is a fascinating look at US policy toward North Korea during the Bush administration (up through early 2008). There is also some good background on US-North Korean diplomatic relations. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the documentation of the internal warfare in the US foreign policy bureacracy over what the correct US policy ought to be. The book is meticulously researched and would be a good read for anyone interested in North Korea, or in the mechanics of US foreign policy.

Chinoy is obviously a supporter of negotiations with North Korea, but he makes a good case. For the most part the book is historical documentation of what actually happened with little or no editorializing. The fact of the matter is that, despite a hard-line attitude toward North Korea, the Bush administration eventually ended up with pretty much the same deal that the Clinton administration had, but North Korea acquired several addition nuclear bombs in the meantime.

North Korea is run by a reprehensible ruling elite with an awful human rights record, but Chinoy makes a very good case for the US talking with them anyway.

BYU IR International Study Opportunities

I sent this email to all the majors last month. (Actually, Noelani Porter in the advisement center sent it out). It is worth reposting here.

Dear International Relations Majors:

Just a quick email to inform you of some opportunities to study and receive IR credit for classes taken while residing abroad.

The Kennedy Center offers numerous leads on internships and sponsors a variety of study abroad opportunities. Unfortunately, the international relations content is uneven and the coursework is usually suitable only for credit in one of the major’s specializations. We are working on ways for our majors to take classes at universities in other countries that will count as the direct equivalent of the courses listed in our MAP.

One opportunity is already in place. This is direct enrollment at Cambridge University in England for the summer. Enrollment is open to all majors, and that includes IR majors. More detail on this program is available at the following web address - http://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/isp.php?id=246.

A second opportunity is in the planning stages for Spring Term of 2010 and will involve a Study Abroad experience at the Foreign Affair College in Beijing. This will be a BYU sponsored study abroad program directed by BYU faculty, but at least some of the instruction will be provided by the Foreign Affairs College, which trains all of China’s diplomatic corp. The primary focus of this program would be on international relations, though it will be open to all majors for enrollment.

A third possibility is Korea University’s International Summer Campus which runs for six weeks during July and August each year. Many of the courses taught there are direct equivalents of courses required for the major. More information on this program is available at http://isc.korea.ac.kr/v4/src/program/course.php. The program is rather costly compared to equivalent coursework at BYU, but we are exploring the possibility of an agreement that might allow BYU students to pay BYU tuition. If you are interested in this last option, please contact me before enrolling as BYU has rather strict rules on approving course substitutions from other universities BEFORE taking the classes.

If you are interested in any of these options and have questions, please to not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached via email at kerk_phillips@byu.edu, via telephone at 422-1866 or 422-5928, or during my office hours on Tuesday & Thursday from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. in 215 HRCB.

Welcome

I hope this is a good idea. I think IR majors and faculty at BYU could benefit from a site that provides information and advice on the IR degree, and which can be updated quickly.

I do not intend to use this site for long posts, or philosophical discussions. I do intend to post the following:

• Links to articles that may be of interest.
• Reviews of books on international relations topics.
• Information on the major; including possible course substitions.
• Announcements of relevant events, scholarships, job opportunities etc.
• Other random (but related) stuff.

Comments are welcome.

Kerk Phillips, BYU IR Major Coordinator