Deadline: April 14, 2006
The Staff of the East European Studies (EES) program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars would like to ask for your help in recruiting applicants for the 20th Annual Junior Scholars Training Seminar (JSTS). As you may know, this conference brings graduate students and postgraduate students together with leading scholars in the field to discuss their research and the state of the field. The Junior Scholars' Training Seminar is supported by the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) of the United States Department of State. This seminar,
cosponsored by EES and the Committee on East European Studies of the American
Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), is held annually in August at the Aspen
Institute’s Wye Conference Center in southern Maryland. It is the only inter-disciplinary, national meeting devoted solely to building American scholarship on the region Central Europe and the Balkans. Junior scholars are chosen through a national, peer-reviewed competition to select 16-18 junior scholars in the social sciences and humanities.
JSTS is a unique opportunity for junior scholars as it offers a inter-disciplinary perspective. Throughout the meeting, junior scholars take turns presenting their research to their peers and Senior Scholars. This gives them the opportunity to receive feedback on their work, not only from renowned scholars in the field, but also their peers from different disciplines. Junior scholars leave the meeting with a better understanding of where their research fits in the larger field of East European studies. JSTS also helps them develop a network of junior and senior scholars with whom they can continue to collaborate. Thus, junior scholars obtain a
firmer footing in the field for planning their academic or government service careers. With an alumni pool of more than 300 scholars and the seminar now in its 20th year, JSTS has played an important role in the field of East European studies throughout the United States.
An indication of the value of the JSTS program can be discerned from a selection of the evaluations submitted by the recent participants:
The whole JSTS experience was a unique opportunity to get feedback on my work from individuals who know a great deal about the part of the world that I study. This is often not the case when I interact with other political scientists or with colleagues at a disciple-focused conference. I had the opportunity at JSTS to have much longer conversations than would have been possible at these other venues and in a more relaxed environment. I also got to see what work other young scholars were producing in various fields, since at inter-disciplinary conferences, I rarely attend history or sociology panels.
Stephen Bloom, PhD Candidate, University of California, Los Angeles
No one in the corporate or policy world underestimates the power of “face time” and “networking,” and this is just as necessary for scholars and academics. I’d venture a guess that any one of us would say we learned more from three days of this working conference at Wye Woods than from a dozen traditional conferences or two dozen published papers. There simply is no substitute for taking the time to hear others’ perspectives and learn about other methods and opportunities, and that’s as true for scholarship as for any other realm of endeavor.
Laurie Koloski, Assistant Professor, College of William and Mary
JSTS was a phenomenal opportunity for junior scholars to share their research with, receive constructive feedback from, and socialize with other scholars (both senior and junior) interested in East European studies. As a Ph.D. candidate in history at Ohio State University, I feel isolated, particularly because currently we have no scholars working in the field of East European history. This program put me in contact with scholars with whom I was able to (and will continue to) share my research and ask for assistance. Senior scholars were supportive and very knowledgeable about the field. I cannot stress enough how much I gained from JSTS. It was an honor to be a part of this program and an honor to work with all of
these other scholars on such an intimate level.
Basia Nowak, PhD Candidate, Ohio State University
We encourage you to share this opportunity with your students and colleagues. Application forms and instructions are available at ttp://www.wilsoncenter.org/ees. If you have any questions regarding JSTS eligibility please contact ees@wilsoncenter.org.
Thank you for your help!
NB: If current funding restrictions remain, this will be the last year that projects related to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia will be accepted.
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East European Studies
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-3027
tel: 202-691-4000
fax: 202-691-4001
www.wilsoncenter.org/ees
Located in the Ronald Reagan Building
Federal Triangle Metro Stop (Blue/Orange) Lines
[sursa balkans]
