Sunday, May 29, 2011

I realize that in the grand scheme of things, there are far more egregious injustices stemming from our current budget than the cutting of overseas research and study. 

Nevertheless, given the incredible human and economic cost of the wars the United States has been drawn into over the past decade, current proposals to cut $800 million from funding devoted to supporting overseas study strikes me as a particularly bad idea. One way or another, it seems, the US is going to be involved in events taking place around the world. Wouldn't it be better for there to be some people in this country who actually know something about the world beyond our borders? 

The other day I received a message about funding cuts from the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT), an organization that supported my studies in Turkey when I was a graduate student. Without ARIT and organizations like it, American expertise relating to the Middle East and other parts of the world would be in much worse shape.   

Here is the message: 

As you may have heard, the U.S. Department of Education has
cut many programs that support international research and study,
including the grant that supports ARIT operations in Turkey.  This is a
serious situation for our programs and financial status.  The Council of
American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) has put together a petition
to restore funding to the Department of Education Title VI AORC Program.
We are trying to gather as many signatures as possible to help show the
impact AORCs have had on the American and global academic community when
we fight to restore funding for FY2012. Please share this link with your
and your Centers' contacts. Please also encourage people to include
comments on their experience and connection with AORCs.

• And here is some information from the petition they are circulating: 
• 
  
• Target: The 112th Congress of the United States of America and the U.S. Department of Education
• Sponsored by: Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)

Recently, the Department of Education cancelled the Title VI American Overseas Research Centers (AORC) program following a Congressional appropriations bill (HR 1473) cutting $800 million from higher education programs. The decision to cut these programs cameafter AORCs had submitted their applications for funding for the FY2011 competition. AORCs are a unique part of the Department of Education's international programs and a vital part of American higher education.  Our petition requests restoration of Title VI AORC funding now and in the future.

American Overseas Research Centers:

Are located in countries of vital importance to the United States: AORCS are located in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Inner Asia, West Africa, and Central America.

Have impact on thousands of U.S. students: The AORCs are responsible for taking thousands of U.S. students and scholars from universities across America to places overseas where access to study and research sources is difficult.  In many countries where AORCs are located they are the only permanent link to American academia.

Are relied upon by U.S. universities and colleges: 400 American educational institutions in 47 states holding nearly 1000 institutional memberships in 25 AORCs around the world rely on the AORCs for research and study overseas.

Are cost-effective: The AORCs facilitate research, conduct programs, and inform the American public all while operating at very low cost.  With the elimination of the Title VI AORC program, any further reduction in funding could cause AORCs to shut down or drastically cut services.

Inform the American public and policy makers: AORC officers and affiliated scholars are called upon by television, print, radio, and electronic media outlets and government agencies for interviews and background information about current events.

Would you like to sign the petition? If so, please visit the petition site and fill out the requisite information. It only takes a couple of minutes. 

And here is a post from Sean's Russia Blog on the killing of Fulbright-Hays, another indispensable funding opportunity for Americans working on studies relating to non-western countries.