Thunderbird School

From Tom Brennan, Recuiter from the Thunderbird School:

Thanks again for meeting me in my visit to BYU a few weeks ago. I enjoyed presenting to the current students and learning about their interests and future goals. If you happen to speak with any students interested in pursuing an education in global management or global affairs with Thunderbird, you can send them the link below for more information. This is the link to the e-versions of all of our print materials:

http://www.thunderbird.edu/prospective_students/_thank_you.htm

Feel free to share my contact information with anyone who would like to speak with me. We would be happy to return to BYU for a visit in the future.

Have a great week!

Best regards,

Tom Brennan
Director of Recruitment
Thunderbird School of Global Management
(602) 978 - 7219
MSN Messenger: brennantp@t-bird.edu

Looking for an Overseas Experience Next Summer?

From Scott Cooper in the Political Science Department and a member of the IR Committee of the Whole:

IR students,

As you’re making plans for future study, please consider London Study Abroad in Winter or Spring 2010. The BYU center in London accepts about 45 students per semester and has its own facilities—two townhouses in a cool part of town that have been converted into dorms, classroom space, common areas, and faculty apartments. Students take 4 classes in Winter (or 2 in Spring), but the real highlight is being able to get course credit while living in one of the most interesting cities on the planet. Classes are tied in with field trips in London itself, as well as to sites around Britain (and, in Winter, Paris).

I’ll be teaching Intro International Relations (Poli Sci 170, Winter) and British History & Politics (ES 336, Winter & Spring) and would really like to have a strong contingent of IR-interested students along. London is a great place to talk about stuff like balance of power politics, causes of the great wars, the origins of democracy and rule of law, and Britain’s occasionally difficult relationships with the EU. It’s also of course a great place to take classes on Shakespeare, classical civilization, and world religions.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me (scott_cooper@byu.edu) or the Kennedy Center’s international study office (isp@byu.edu). And remember to tell your parents you’re going mostly for the classes.

Prof. Cooper
762 Kimball Tower
scott_cooper@byu.edu

Congratulations to Stephanie Blood

This is a bit late and I apologize for being slow to post things this past week or so.

Stephanie Blood, a senior majoring in International Relations, won the “Most Motivational Display” award at the 2009 Strut Your Stuff Internship Fair on April 3rd. There were around 100 participants and only 8 participants won awards, so this is a high honor. Pictures of all the winners are available at the Internship Office Website (www.byu.edu/intern).

Three Cheers!

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

Washington DC apartment available

From the Internship Office. If any of you are doing internships in Washington DC this summer and are looking for a place to stay, here is a lead.

Hi my name is McKenna Taylor. My husband and I are LDS and we currently live in Washington DC. We were interested in subleting our apartment for the summer and know that many BYU students/couples come to DC for summer internships. I wanted to know if there would be a way to advertise our sublet because we want an LDS student or couple to rent from us from the middle of May to August. Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon. You can e-mail me at mckennataylor@yahoo.com.

Marketing BYU Inquiry Conference

from Eric Darsow, Inquiry Conference Planning Committee

Dear International Relations Majors:

The Kennedy Center for International Studies is hosting the 11th Annual Inquiry Conference featuring students’ cross-cultural field research on March 3-6th, 2009 in 238 HRCB. The following presentations by students in your discipline might be of interest to you (as part of a larger panel session, see schedule for details):

Models of Socialization for Youth (2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.):
Cortney Evans (International Relations) “Agents of Political Socialization of Youth in Mukono, Uganda”

Understanding the Misunderstood (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon):
Matthew Adamson (International Relations) “My Life Is Not Upside-down: Parental Loss and Hope among Vulnerable Children in South Africa”

Perceptions of Identity (1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.):
Adam Harris (Political Science) “Facing Reality: An Experimental Approach to Ethnic Identity”

The above students and others will be presenting on their field research experiences from around the world, addressing diverse topics such as conceptions of beauty in India to transportation infrastructure in Beijing. To make the entire experience more academically enriching, after presenting individually, groups of 3-4 presenters will sit on a panel together to critique, debate, scrutinize, and dispute each others’ research.

So browse the attached conference schedule and locate the conference sessions that interest you makes you wonder—the most intriguing one or most controversial. Find the one that you know you can’t miss. Then come and join us and bring your friends, spouses, teachers, pets, and roommates. All are welcome. And it’s free!

Email inquiry.byu@gmail.com or call 801-422-1541 if you have further inquiries about the conference.

More details available at http://www.kennedy.byu.edu/events/inquiry/

Faculty Panel Discussion Today!

Winter 2009 Book of the Semester
Faculty Panel Discussion
Four faculty perspectives on the ideas presented by William Easterly in White Man’s Burden
Wednesday, 25 February
3:00–5:00 p.m.
238 HRCB

Randy S. Lewis, professor of chemical engineering
Daniel L. Nielson, associate professor of political science
Frank L. McIntyre, assistant professor of economics
Joseph Price, assistant professor of economics

You can watch a podcast of this panel by visiting http://kennedy.byu.edu/archive/.

5 March CFR Call

from Irina Faskianos via Cory Leonard:

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), I invite you and your students to participate in the next session of the Winter/Spring 2009 CFR Academic Conference Call series on Thursday, March 5, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (ET). Roger M. Kubarych, CFR's Henry Kaufman adjunct senior fellow for international economics and finance, will lead the discussion on "The Global Economic Crisis." For the complete schedule of upcoming Academic Conference Calls, please visit http://www.cfr.org/educators/newsletter_detail.html?id=1275.

In addition to his position at CFR, Mr. Kubarych is chief U.S. economist at UniCredit Global Research, which is part of UniCredit Markets and Investment Banking, and is a senior economic adviser for HVB Americas Inc. He was senior vice president and chief economist of the New York Stock Exchange and served for thirteen years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in a variety of positions. In addition, Mr. Kubarych was special assistant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury undersecretary for monetary affairs, and served on the economic intelligence advisory panel to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He has written numerous papers, books, and articles on economic and financial topics and writes a regular column for Japan's Nikkei newspaper.

As background for the discussion, you may wish to review the following materials:

1) "The U.S. Economic Stimulus Plan," Backgrounder, CFR.org, February 18, 2009 (Updated); http://www.cfr.org/publication/18348

2) Roger M. Kubarych, "Testing Time for a Young Administration," Nikkei Financial Daily, February 12, 2009;http://www.cfr.org/publication/18584/testing_time_for_a_young_administration.html (The full text of this article will be included with the dial-in instructions.)

3) "Fact Sheet: Financial Stability Plan," FinancialStability.gov, February 10, 2009; http://financialstability.gov/docs/fact-sheet.pdf

4) "A New Information Infrastructure for Financial Markets," Working Paper, Squam Lake Working Group on Financial Regulation, February 2009;http://www.cfr.org/publication/18568/new_information_infrastructure_for_financial_markets.html

5) "Timeline: Global Economy in Crisis," Interactive, CFR.org, January 26, 2009 (Updated); http://www.cfr.org/publication/18372

6) Simon Johnson, "The Economic Crisis and the Crisis in Economics," Revised Version of Speech Prepared for Presidental Address to the Association for Comparative Economics (San Francisco, January 4, 2009), Peterson Institute for International Economics, January 7, 2009. http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=1090

South African Ambassador's Visit - Change of Location

from Erlend D. Peterson, Associate International Vice President:

May I invite you and your students to attend the lectures that will be given by the Ambassador of South Africa to the United States. Will you also forward this email to those whom you feel would be interested in attending Ambassador Nhlapo’s lecture.

South Africa – His Excellency Welile Nhlapo
Topic: ASouth Africa Today: Challenges and Opportunities@
Lecture: Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 12:00 noon in the HBLL Library Auditorium.
Web bio: http://www.saembassy.org/

Ambassador Welile Nhlapo’s CV

During the difficult period of struggle against apartheid, Ambassador Nhlapo made a significant contribution to the liberation movement. He began his activities as a student in the Black Consciousness Movement and together with the late Steve Biko and Tebogo Mafole, he co-authored the publication, “Black review,” in 1972 that reviewed the activities of black organizations at the time.In 1973 a banning order was issued against him and he went into exile in Botswana in 1974. During his years in exile, he became the Deputy Editor of the ANC publication, Sechaba, Head of the ANC Youth Section, and other structures of the ANC.

He later became the ANC Chief Representative in Botswana and finally before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, became the Head of the Political Section in the ANC Secretary-General’s office and later the organization’s International Affairs department.
He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and was part of the South African Government delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 when South Africa was re-admitted to the world body.

In 1995, he was appointed South African Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. In 1997, he was appointed Special Envoy to Burundi. He also served as non-resident Ambassador to Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan.

In 1998, he was appointed Deputy Director-General responsible for Africa in the Department of Foreign Affairs. During this period, he participated in South Africa’s conflict resolution efforts in Lesotho, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, Zimbabwe and Great Lakes region.
In 2001, he was appointed Head of the Presidential Support Unit which advised the Presidency on conflict situations in Africa and the Middle East.

Contributing to the peace process in Burundi, as South Africa’s Special Envoy, Ambassador Nhlapo formed part of the South African negotiating team assisting to find a solution to the conflict in Burundi. He was appointed deputy Head of Mission responsible for political affairs in the African Union Mission in Burundi. He later became the Head of the Political Section of the United Nations Mission in Burundi.

Shortly before assuming the post as South African Ambassador to the United States on 14 August 2007, Ambassador Nhlapo was Director in the Department of Political Affairs (Africa Division 1) at the United Nation’s Headquarters in New York.
Ambassador Nhlapo currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund in the United States of America.

Ambassador Nhlapo was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is married to Mrs Sissy Nhlapo; they have three children.

Asian Cinema Club's Screening of Beijing Bicycle

We would like to announce that the Asian Cinema Club will be showing the Chinese film Beijing Bicycle on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. It is in Mandarin with English subtitles. More information about the film can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276501/ .