Brazil Diplomat Lectures

From Erlend D. Peterson, Associate International Vice President:

Next week appears to be Brazil week. His Excellency Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Brazil Ambassador to the U.S. will speak at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Ambassador José Alfredo Graça Lima, Brazilian Consul General in Los Angeles, will speak at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 2, 2009. May I invite you to both lectures.

Brazil Ambassador to the U.S. – His Excellency Antonio de Aguiar Patriota
Topic: "Brazil-US Relations: Bilateral, regional and global agendas."
Lecture: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 2:00 pm in the Library Auditorium 1080 HBLL (bottom floor, north-west side)
Web bio: http://www.brasilemb.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=81

Brazilian Consul General in Los Angeles – Ambassador José Alfredo Graça Lima
Topic: (Title has not be given)
Lecture: Thursday, April 2, 2009 – 11:00 am in the Hinckley Center Assembly Hall

Asian Cinema Club's Screening of The Way Home

We would like to announce that the Asian Cinema Club will be showing the Korean film The Way Home on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. It is in Korean with English subtitles. More information about the film can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312841/.

Michelle Burgess
President of Asian Cinema Club

National Security Studies graduate school presentation

The Kennedy Center is hosting the following graduate school information seminar that may be of interest to your students as they consider their future plans following graduation.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
3:00pm in 257 HRCB (Kennedy Center)

BYU alumni Joshua Johnson (Political Science, 2006), an admissions counselor at Cal State University - San Bernardino, who is currently finishing his M.A. degree in National Security Studies will be here to discuss their master's program and recruit BYU students for:

National Security Studies M.A. degree program at Cal State University, San Bernardino:

The National Security Studies M.A. program at CSUSB is one of just five such programs in the United States, and the only one west of the Rockies. For students interested in international relations, causes of war, arms control, terrorism, and security issues involving Russia, East Asia, or the Middle East, we offer an excellent course of study that is designed to give students the requisite training and expertise to land a job in the U.S. Intelligence Community or with other federal agencies upon graduation. In fact, NSS students get preferential treatment in the federal hiring process because of the program's close relationship with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

The National Security Studies M.A. program at CSUSB houses the CSU Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (CSU-ACE). CSU-ACE began in the Fall of 2006 with a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence through the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Students from all majors are welcome to attend. International Relations and Area Studies majors, Political Science majors, Computer Science majors, and Geography majors with GIS experience and/or foreign language aptitude are particularly encouraged to attend.

Undergrad research opportunity

From Eric Hyer, in the Political Science Department. (He is also the Asian Studies Major Coordinator):

Please beware that any study at other universities or programs must be approved by BYU prior to leaving or there is the risk the credits may not transfer back to BYU when you are done. Check with the Advisement Center for details.

With that caveat...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES PROGRAM

GREAT WESTERN DEVELOPMENT, RURAL PEASANTS, AND WATER POLICY ACROSS CHINA’S LOESS PLATEAU

Central Washington University and the National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the Center for Historical Environment and Socioeconomic Development of Shaanxi Normal University, the Northwest Socioeconomic Development Research Center at Northwest University of China, and the Qinghai University for Nationalities announce the call for applications for the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates
(REU) program GREAT WESTERN DEVELOPMENT, RURAL PEASANTS, AND WATER POLICY ACROSS CHINA’S LOESS PLATEAU for summer 2009. This unique program in social science research will be conducted in Ellensburg, WA, Gansu, Qinghai, and Shaanxi provinces of China in the summer of 2009.
Twelve highly-qualified undergraduates and a team of faculty mentors will undertake collaborative research on how economic development and societal change is impacting China’s already precarious environmental position across the Yellow River loess plateau. The seven-week program will be conducted between June 16 and August 4, 2009.

The program’s primary objective is to mentor students through the complete process of designing a research agenda and performing primary research in the social sciences at an international field site. It includes a unique combination of close mentoring, student/faculty teamwork, multidisciplinary research, and international field experience. Student participation will be encouraged from all fields of the social sciences including sociology, anthropology, geography, environmental studies, economics, political science, Asia-Pacific studies, history, and land/resource management. Juniors and non-graduating seniors are particularly encouraged to apply. Graduate students are not eligible. Applicants are limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Faculty mentors include Richard Mack (economics), Hong Xiao (sociology), and James Cook (Asian Studies) of Central Washington University, and Roberta Soltz (biology). We will also be working with a large team of Chinese researchers and students.

Costs of participation (travel, room, board), including the payment of a significant research stipend, will be paid by the program. Student participants are responsible for their travel to/from Central Washington University, passport and visa fees, and personal incidentals.

Deadline for applications is April 20, 2009. Additional information and application forms can be found at http://www.cwu.edu/~studyabroad/faculty-led.html. Central Washington University is an EEO/AA/Title IX Institution/TDD.

Graduating Senior Farewell Social

From Noelani in the Advisement Center:

Thursday, 9 April
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
238 HRCB

Vital graduation information—and good food!

This event is for graduating seniors who have applied for April or August 2009 graduation. Guests are not permitted. Career Placement Services will offer a brief presentation and I will be giving instructions for the convocation ceremonies and information as our newest alumni. Presentations will be given at the top of each hour.

US Treasury Internships

Internship Opportunity – Fall 2009
Office of Economic Policy
U.S. Treasury Department
Washington, D.C.

The Office of Economic Policy, U.S. Treasury Department is currently looking for college students interested in Economics, Finance, or Public Policy for our Fall 2009 internship program. Our program runs year round with three sessions: January through May, May through August, and September through December. Our program is about substance. Interns are generally assigned a long-term research project as well as smaller projects. They are also expected to attend Congressional Hearings and think tank lectures and presentations and summarize these events for the Assistant Secretary and other senior level economists. Candidates should have strong writing skills, be able to work independently, be well organized and highly motivated. Interns are expected to work between 32 and 40 hours a week. There is some flexibility in the work hours if you are taking classes while in D.C. Our intern positions are unpaid. We do provide a subway subsidy to help defray commuting expenses.

If you are interested in applying, submit your resume (with your GPA included), a copy of your transcript (unofficial will suffice), two writing samples and three references tomailto:%20Christine.Devlin@do.treas.gov.Applications are due July 3, 2009. U.S. citizenship required. For further information, please contact Christine Devlin, Office of Economic Policy, U.S. Treasury Department, 202-622-2200.

Getting Majors "Just Right"

Being an economist, I am biased in favor of this essay, which points out how economics is the "just right major". On the other hand, I think it also demonstrates how the IR degree has moved in the "right" direction. Agree with the article or not, it is an iteresting take on what a major should be teaching its students.

http://www.viet-studies.info/kinhte/Economic_Major_CHE.pdf

Advanced Studies Program in International Economic Policy Research at the Kiel Institute

The Kiel Institute will continue its successful Advanced Studies Program in International Economic Policy Research with a new round starting in August 2009:

Courses - Lecturers
Economic Growth - Philippe Aghion (Harvard)
Macroeconomics in Open Economies - Charles Engel (Wisconsin)
Monetary Policy: Theory and Practice - Lawrence Christiano (Northwestern)
Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the EU - Jakob de Haan (Groningen)
International Banking and Finance - Steven Ongena (Tilburg)
Labour-Market Economics - Dennis Snower (Kiel)
International Trade - Thierry Mayer (Paris)
Economic Development - Pierre-Richard Agenor (Manchester)
International Migration - Hillel Rapoport (Bar-Ilan)

First outlines for these courses are now available! Participation is possiblein the full ten-month program as well as in selected courses.

I would be grateful if you could pass this information on to interested candidates. Detailed information on the program is provided on the Kiel Institute´s website http://www.ifw-kiel.de/ in the Advanced Studies Section.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and best regards

Harmen Lehment

Professor Harmen Lehment
Director, Advanced Studies Program
Kiel Institute for the World Economy
D- 24100 Kiel

Asian Cinema

We would like to announce that the Asian Cinema Club will be showing the Japanese film Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind on Wednesday, March 18, 2009. It is in Japanese with English subtitles. More information about the film can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087544/.

Maybe you should consider a PhD...

from Darren Hawkins (Chair of Political Science & former IR Coordinator):

Dear Political Science and International Relations Students:

As the Department Chair of the Political Science Department, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join us for an informational session we are holding Friday, March 13 that might affect your future! There are many paths that PL SC and IR students can take after graduation. The large majority will get a master’s degree or a law degree. Some of you will go on to get a Ph.D.

We would like to encourage more to consider a Ph.D., but also provide information about masters’ options. So, we are sponsoring the following event along with Pi Sigma Alpha. EVEN if you are just a freshman or sophomore, I strongly encourage you to attend if you have a possibility of thinking about a Ph.D.

NOTE: The first hour will be about Ph.D.s; the second hour (from 2-3 pm) will be on masters’ programs.

Maybe you should consider a PhD...
Come learn from experienced faculty about acquiring a PhD or a professional graduate degree!
Friday, March 13, 2009
1:00pm in 238 HRCB
Refreshments will be served!

Whether this is a choice you have considered or haven’t even thought of yet, this meeting should be a great opportunity for all who attend.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks,
Prof. Hawkins

MESA/IR lectures

from Chad Emmett (A member of the IR Committe of the Whole, and director of the MESA degree):

IR majors:

Coming up next week are two great lectures from specialists in Middle East terrorism and intelligence.

The first is Monday March 2 at 2:00 in 238 HRCB (Kennedy Center). Dr. Gabriel Weimann, a Communications Professor in the Department of Communications at Haifa University, Israel will speak on “Terrorism and the Internet”. Much of his research has focused on how Islamic terrorist groups have used the internet to further their cause.

The second lecture is on Wednesday March 4 at 2:00 in JFSB B092. Avi Jorisch will speak on: “Tainted Money: Winning the War on Money Laundering and Terrorism Finance”. Avi’s in-country research on Hizballah’s funding of terrorism was instrumental in severely restricting the broadcast funding and abilities of Hizballah’s al-Manar TV.

These two speakers will be accompanied by and introduced by Ahmed Qureshi--a BYU graduate in Middle Eastern Studies who is now president of Harbinger Technologies Group. This group as described on its web site is “comprised of former intelligence operators, military officers, law enforcement personnel, as well as Islamic/Arab culture experts, scientists, software designers and linguists. This diverse team works together to create intelligent solutions – training, consulting and tools that better equip you to understand and know either your clients, allies or your enemies.”

All three of these men are excellent examples of how to turn an IR related degree into a job.

Hope to see you there

Professor Emmett