[Tlc] [Vsg] TLC/VSG-positions/fellowships
justinm at ucr.edu
justinm at ucr.edu
Sun Feb 22 02:23:48 PST 2009
I appreciate the kind words from all indeed. Like Dr. Montesano, I am not a VSG member, simply a reader. For the TLC, I collect information that I think will be useful to readers from many places (NGOs, Gov't orgs, universities, wire services, blogs, etc.). I also forward messages sent to me by members, regardless of their political views. We have a very diverse international membership as does the VSG.
This list of positions, as I stated in the first post to the TLC, was from UCLA's CSEAS. The list and the order they are in are directly from UCLA's list. They are often a wealth of information as are the SEAS centers at U.Mich, Cornell, Chulalongkorn, UCB, Kyoto, NIU, SOAS, ANU, ASU, OU, NUS, UW, etc..
As others have stated, I do not try to filter information based on my political position or personal views. I do not presume that my personal opinions should get in the way of my job as a conduit for information and opportunities on TLC subjects. I also am not particularly enamored with my own opinions or judgments. The TLC is generally a place where information is freely shared. However, perhaps I should not have posted this on the VSG. I will refrain from posting information on it again. I do enjoy reading the VSG posts very much though. I hope to be permitted to do so in the future.
Thanks again,
justin
______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:24:30 +0800
>From: Michael Montesano <michael.montesano at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vsg] TLC/VSG-positions/fellowships
>To: giebel at u.washington.edu
>Cc: "justinm at ucr.edu" <justinm at ucr.edu>, tlc at lists.ucr.edu, Martha Lincoln <martha.lincoln at gmail.com>, "Pietro P. Masina" <pietro.masina at gmail.com>, Hue-Tam Ho Tai <hhtai at fas.harvard.edu>
>
>
>
>
> Christoph,
>
> Greetings from Singapore.
>
> I cannot presume to know the culture of the VSG
> list, where I am but a reader, but as a relatively
> active member of the TLC list and one very familiar
> with its folk-ways, I believe that you owe Just an
> apology for your unqualified statement about what he
> should and should not post.
>
> That, like Prof Tai, I view the possibilities for
> interactions with organs of the American state a bit
> differently from you is not really the issue here.
> It is, rather, that Justin serves "our" list
> tirelessly and that members of that list are deeply
> appreciative of his sensitivity in handling
> potentially controversial posts (not least those
> relating to the current situation in Thailand) with
> unfailing fairness and seriousness. He deserves far
> better than your comment, I am afraid to say.
>
> I hope that the family is well,
> Mike
>
>
> 2009/2/22 Christoph Giebel <giebel at u.washington.edu>
>
> Thank you, Pietro, for engaging so clearly the
> central and critical issue here, something that
> Martha and I had not been afforded thus far.
> Instead there's "censorship and political
> correctness run amok," and then this: whoever
> "suggested" that "VSG would be condoning torture
> by posting" these psy-op jobs? I think this list
> can do better. As to "guessing": if you scroll
> down to the job descriptions at the bottom (I made
> it easier by snipping the other job descriptions),
> here're some relevant catch phrases:
>
> * Intelligence Research Analyst
>
> * U.S. Army Special Operations Command
>
> * U.S. Army 4th Psychological Operations Group
>
> * knowledge of the [...] communications environment [...] Psychology, [...] Media Studies, [...] Communication/Mass Communication, Area Studies/Ethnic Studies, Anthropology/Archaeology
>
> * Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia or Malaysia [CG: all countries with majority or large minority Muslim populations]
>
> * travel within the U.S. and abroad
>
> * work closely with U.S. and possibly foreign military personnel
>
> * obtain and keep at least a SECRET level security clearance
>
> Not much guessing needed here, I'd say. These are
> jobs in covert information manipulation and
> targeted messaging aimed at non-US populations --
> not something I'd call the "free flow of ideas,"
> truth, and transparent research to which we are
> professionally and ethically committed. So I
> maintain, with all due respect, that Justin should
> not have posted those psy-op jobs on a global
> academic discussion list and that Hue-Tam was
> wrong to equate proprietary/secret
> (dis)information projects with open/transparent
> academic and NGO research and to label as
> censorship a suggestion that academia not aid in
> recruitment efforts into its antithesis.
> Christoph
> C. Giebel
> UW-Seattle
> PS: What is the reaction on TLC, assuming this
> string is being cross-posted?
> PPS: All this is not happening in a vacuum, but
> manifestation of the greatly increased efforts of
> the US national security state over the past few
> years to make inroads into US academia --to muddy
> the distinction, as Pietro pointed out, between
> transparent academic and secret intelligence
> research-- particularly in the areas of foreign
> language acquisition, area studies, and academic
> study abroad. This has been done relentlessly,
> shamelessly, and without regard to academic
> traditions, standards or ethics.
> In Bolivia recently, a US Fulbright scholar and
> Peace Corps volunteers were asked to spy for the
> US embassy there; thankfully they went public.
> At UW, my home department, the Jackson School of
> International Studies, has been approached by the
> CIA and other intelligence agencies three times in
> the past years seeking formal affiliations. The
> last attempt was by some people running shady
> front organizations in the greater Washington,
> DC/Alexandria, VA area, and claiming to be engaged
> in "anthropological field research" in Iraq, Iran
> [!], and Afghanistan. Not particularly known for
> its anti-imperialist radicalism, Jackson School
> faculty nonetheless rejected these overtures as
> completely unacceptable and dangerous.
> A few years ago, the US Office of the Director of
> National Intelligence (ODNI) started a program to
> establish "Intelligence Community Centers of
> Academic Excellence" (CAE) at US universities.
> Funding provided directly by the US military and
> the 16 US intelligence agencies supports so-called
> "intelligence community scholars" to engage in
> "national security studies" (which is not an
> established academic field), internships with spy
> agencies, and foreign "cultural immersion," based
> on intelligence objectives they were asked to
> articulate prior to participating in study abroad
> programs. Privacy rights assure that there's no
> transparency should these IC students go on
> academic programs overseas with unsuspecting
> academics. Needless to say, this is toxic to
> academic overseas study or research programs,
> antithetical to ethics of transparent foreign
> interaction, and will endanger the safety and
> security of program participants and their foreign
> counterparts. Yet stringent objections by US area
> studies academics at the start of ODNI's CAE
> program were ignored. Recently it became known
> that UW quietly became one of ODNI's CAEs, and
> academic departments and programs across campus
> are raising protests. I am spearheading efforts
> in this regard in the UW Faculty Senate. Similar
> actions are being taken at Wayne State University
> in Indiana.
> It would be of great interest if other VSGers had
> experience with similar infiltration/recruitment
> attempts by intelligence agencies and shared them
> on this list.
> -------------------------
>
> From: "Pietro P. Masina"
> <pietro.masina at gmail.com>
> Date: February 21, 2009 9:39:41 PM PST
> Dear all,
> I am not a US citizen nor I live/work in the
> States. For me the question of the US national
> security should be or not facilitated through
> VSG is not particularly relevant. Like most
> people in this list I am very critical about
> many things done by the US in the name of its
> national security but I am not going to raise
> this point here.
> The question for me is that applied military
> research is far and distinct from free academic
> research. Martha and Christoph are right in
> pointing out that this distinction should be
> maintained. I would not be happy to see job ads
> on this list for international banks or
> corporations or consulting firms searching
> personnel for their vietnamese branches - not
> for ideological considerations but simply to
> avoid the list being transformed into something
> different from what it is now. The case of NGOs
> is entirely different as the work of NGOs is
> open and public, and often the work of NGOs on
> the field provides useful feedback for our
> academic research. Military research is by
> definition secret and its results are not used
> to promote the progress of scientific knowledge
> but only to increase the strength of country.
> Even when military intelligence is used for
> benign purposes (maintaining peace, finding ways
> for promoting dialogue) it remains distant from
> the standards of free academic research and the
> confusions among the two fields should be
> avoided. I don't think this is a matter of
> censorship, like I would not consider censorship
> to deny HSBC or IBM to post job vacancies on our
> list.
> Best regards from Hanoi
> Pietro
> Prof. Pietro P. Masina
> Dept. of Social Sciences
> University of Naples 'The Oriental'
> Largo S. Giovanni Maggiore 30
> 80134 Naples - Italy
> Tel: +39 081 6909436
> Fax: +39 081 6909442
>
> On Feb 21, 2009, at 7:12 PM, Hue-Tam Ho Tai wrote:
> Christoph:
>
> Who is the "we" here? Whose judgment is being
> exercised? Who should decide whether the US
> national security state should or should not be
> facilitated through VSG?
>
> I am as appalled as anyone that the US has engaged
> in torture (and just wait for my book to come out
> to read about the torture of someone who was dear
> to me). But it is a stretch to go from a job
> posting in intelligence to suggest that VSG would
> be condoning torture by posting it. Do you
> actually know exactly what the job would entail?
> Or just guessing?
>
> Hue-Tam
>
> -----------------------------------
>
> From: Martha Lincoln <martha.lincoln at gmail.com>
> Date: February 21, 2009 6:52:12 PM PST
> Let me clarify my previous question. I believe
> that it is ethically pressing to inquire the
> changing relationship between academic research
> positions and applied military research. I am
> certainly not alone in inquiring into these
> issues, nor am I calling for censorship or what
> is dismissively being termed "political
> correctness." As Christoph points out, these
> are absolutely critical questions for students
> of the social scientists. The American
> Anthropological Association, to which I belong,
> recently turned out a majority vote to revise
> its professional code of ethics, and now
> requires that anthropologists must not engage in
> secret or clandestine research. Details can be
> found at
> http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policy-advocacy/Proposed-Changes-to-the-Ethics-Code.cfm>.
> I don't understand why my post was interpreted
> as an ominous feint in the direction of free
> speech, nor why it occasioned threats
> of resignation.
> Martha Lincoln
>
> On 2/21/2009 21:35, Christoph Giebel wrote:
>
> I did not say, Hue-Tam, that we should stick to
> "purely academic" job postings. The issue is
> whether or not knowledge and expertise will be
> employed in open, transparent and ethical ways.
> As professional organizations of anthropologists,
> psychologists, and psychiatrists have made clear,
> there's no academic freedom to engage in torture
> regimes. And it is absolutely not censorship to
> choose better judgment not to facilitate
> recruitment efforts for psychological operations
> by the US national security state, targeted more
> often than not "down steep gradients of power" (as
> the anthropologists say [quote corrected by CG]).
> Cliches of "political correctness run amok" are
> not helpful here. Psy-ops and the free flow of
> ideas are a strange pairing indeed.
> C. Giebel
> UW-Seattle
> -----------------------------------
>
> From: Hue-Tam Ho Tai <hhtai at fas.harvard.edu>
> Date: February 21, 2009 6:21:20 PM PST
> Let me emphasize that my position on postings
> has nothing to do with my opinions about US
> foreign policy and everything to do with
> censorship and political correctness run amok.
>
> If VSG is going to engage in censorship, I am
> ready to resign forthwith from a email group
> which Judith Henchy and I (more Judith and I,
> but I was head of VSG at the time) created.
>
> As others know from previous exchanges I believe
> in the free flow of ideas.
>
> Hue-Tam Ho Tai
>
> On Feb 21, 2009, at 6:16 PM, Hue-Tam Ho Tai wrote:
> Sorry, Christoph.
>
> If we're going to stick to purely academic job
> postings, then let's drop any reference to jobs in
> human rights organizations, NGOS, etc... If we're
> not, then let us post any job available without
> imposing our own political agendas and biases.
>
> If VSG is going to be part of censorship, I want
> NO part of it.
>
> Hue-Tam Ho Tai
>
> On 2/21/2009 21:07, Christoph Giebel wrote:
>
> Hue-Tam is wrong on this point. No one is
> preventing grads or young scholars from "making
> up their own minds as to which jobs they want to
> pursue." The problem is whether a global
> academic discussion list should facilitate
> recruitment into the US empire's sphere of
> proprietary knowledge production
> and covert information usage that is
> diametrically opposite to academic standards and
> ethics. The answer has to be a resounding 'no.'
> Thanks, Martha, for bringing this to our
> attention, and, no, this has not always been
> standard practice.
> C. Giebel
> UW-Seattle
>
>
> On Feb 21, 2009, at 5:42 PM, Hue-Tam Ho Tai wrote:
> Thanks, Justin. You were absolutely right to do
> so. It's not our jobs to screen job ads.
> Graduate students and young scholars are quite
> capable of making up their own minds as to which
> jobs they want to pursue.
>
> Hue-Tam
>
> ------------------------
>
> From: Stephen Denney <sdenney at OCF.Berkeley.EDU>
> Date: February 21, 2009 10:49:47 PM PST
> I would agree, and I don't think it would make
> much sense for Justin to have to cut out the two
> notices for military research positions when
> forwarding this information to the VSG list; the
> other alternative being to not forward the
> information at all. It seems to me that people
> on this list can read the job listings and make
> their own judgments.
> Steve Denney,
> library assistant
> U.C. Berkeley
>
> On 2/21/2009 20:38, justinm at ucr.edu wrote:
>
> I was just forwarding information that I usually do the TLC list. I thought some grad. students or young scholars in the VSG would be interested. There was no agenda except to provide information.
>
> Best,
> justin
> ______________
> Dr. Justin McDaniel
> Dept. of Religious Studies
> 3046 INTN
> University of California, Riverside
> Riverside, CA 92521
> 951-827-4530
> justinm at ucr.edu
>
> ---------------------------
>
> Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:25:15 -0500
> From: vsg-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu (on behalf of Hue-Tam Ho Tai <hhtai at fas.harvard.edu>
> )
> To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg at u.washington.edu>
>
> Why the concern about non-academic jobs being advertised on VSG? Does anyone have an objection to posting about a position with an international public health project in Vietnam? Or is it about objecting to certain kinds of jobs? Does/should VSG have a position on what jobs are appropriate to take/advertise?
> Hue-Tam Ho Tai
>
> On 2/21/2009 19:30, Martha Lincoln wrote:
>
> I have to say I'm unnerved to see these intelligence research positions posted alongside academic positions, especially following a long thread on the many problems raised by "embedded" anthropology on the Environmental Anth listserv. Has this always been standard practice?
> Martha Lincoln
>
> ------------------
> 2009/2/20 <justinm at ucr.edu>:
>
> Forwarded from our friends at UCLA's SEAS Center.
> Best,
> justin
>
> ---------
> 1. Academic Position: Instructor for Introduction to Southeast Asian Literature Course, University of California, Irvine
> 2. Academic Position: Southeast Asian American Studies Course, UCLA
> 3. Professional Positions: International Public Health Project in Vietnam, Research Positions in Anthropology
> 4. Professional Position: Intelligence Research Analyst - Filipino Studies, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
> 5. Professional Position: Intelligence Research Analyst, South / Southeast Asia Studies, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
> 6. Tour Guide Positions: Vietnamese, Indonesian and Khmer speakers
> 7. Visiting Research Fellowships: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
> 8. Postdoctoral Fellowship: Asian Religions, Washington University in St. Louis
> 9. Fellowships: Study of Buddhism, University of Hamburg
> 10. Rotary World Peace Fellowships
>
> [snip]
>
> (4)
> Intelligence Research Analyst - Filipino Studies
> U.S. Army Special Operations Command
>
> Main Category: Filipino Area Studies
> Secondary Categories: General Social Sciences, Sociology, Political Science/International Relations, Anthropology, Filipino Area/Ethnic Studies, Filipino History
>
> The U.S. Army 4th Psychological Operations Group needs a researcher/analyst with graduate-level knowledge of the political, social, cultural, economic and/or communications environment in the Philippines. A position is now open at the GG-11 level for a specialist on the Philippines. The beginning salary for the positions is $58,155. This is a two-year temporary position with the possibility of being extended.
>
> A successful candidate must have strong reading and listening comprehension skills in Tagalog (or another Philippines-related language such as Tausug, Yakan, Maranao, Cebuano, or Maguindanao); be able to conduct social science or intelligence-related research and analysis; and be able to write high quality studies and assessments in English, using a broad range of data and sources. The position requires travel within the U.S. and abroad. Ability to work closely with U.S. and possibly foreign military personnel is essential, but military experience is not required. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and be able to obtain and keep at least a SECRET level security clearance. The position closes on 10 March 2009.
>
> A more detailed description of the positions can be accessed through the Civilian Personnel On-line website at http://cpol.army.mil. Follow the links from "Employment" to "Search for Jobs." At the bottom of the page titled "Vacancy Announcement Board" in the "Search-Announcement" block enter the announcement number WTST09029615. Applications MUST be submitted online through the CPOL website by self-nomination using the Army's Resume Builder and RESUMIX data base. For further information on the application process contact Norman Gardner, Chief, PACOM Strategic Studies Detachment, e-mail: <gardnen at soc.mil>.
>
> *Contact Info: *
> Mr. Norman Gardner
> Commander 5th POB / 4th POG
> 3531 9th Infantry St. Stop K
> Fort Bragg, NC 28310-8500
> Phone: (910) 432-9512
> Email: gardnen at soc.mil
>
> *Website: https://cpolwapp.belvoir.army.mil/public/vabSelfNom/index.jsp
> __________________________________________________
>
> (5)
> Intelligence Research Analyst, South / Southeast Asia Studies
> U.S. Army Special Operations Command
>
> Main Category: Asian History or Studies
> Secondary Categories: Sociology, Social and Cultural History, Psychology, Political Science/International Relations, Policy and Political History, Media Studies, Languages, Humanities, Communication/Mass Communication, Area Studies/Ethnic Studies, Anthropology/Archaeology
>
> The U.S. Army 4th Psychological Operations Group needs researchers/analysts with graduate level knowledge of the political, social, cultural, economic and/or communications environment in South and Southeast Asia. Positions are now open at the GG-11 level for specialists on Bangladesh, India, Indonesia or Malaysia. The beginning salary for the positions is $58,155. These are two-year temporary positions with the possibility of being extended. A successful candidate must have strong reading and listening comprehension skills in Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian or Malaysian; be able to conduct social science or intelligence-related research and analysis; and be able to write high quality studies and assessments in English, using a broad range of data and sources. Each position requires travel within the U.S. and abroad. Ability to work closely with U.S. and possibly foreign military personnel is essential, but military experience is not required. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and !
!
be able to obtain and keep at least a SECRET level security clearance. The positions close on 04 March 2009. A more detailed description of the positions can be accessed through the Civilian Personnel Online website at http://cpol.army.mil. Follow the links from "Employment" to "Search for Jobs." At the bottom of the page titled "Vacancy Announcement Board" in the "Search-Announcement" block enter the announcement number WTST09029654R1 (for Bangladesh or India) or WTST09029407R1 (for Indonesia or Malaysia). Applications MUST be submitted online through the CPOL website by self-nomination using the Army's Resume Builder and RESUMIX data base. For further information on the application process contact Norman Gardner, Chief, PACOM Strategic Studies Detachment, e-mail: <gardnen at soc.mil>.
>
> Contact Info:
> Mr. Norman Gardner,
> Commander 5th POB/4th POG
> 3531 9th Infantry St. Stop K
> Fort Bragg, NC 28310-8500
> Phone: (910) 432-9512
> Email: <gardnen at soc.mil>
> Website: https://cpolwapp.belvoir.army.mil/public/vabSelfNom/index.jsp
> _____________________________________________________
>
> [snip]
> _______________________________________________
> Vsg mailing list
> Vsg at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg
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