Transitions from Neopatrimonialism

Place your favorite transition on this typology and see if Snyder's 1992 theory works. For me worked on one country, failed on another. 

IMT-Lucca School of Advanced Studies PhD Call

this is carbon-copied from IMT webpage, more information available at: 

http://imtlucca.it/phd/call_for_applications/

IMT Ph.D. Program Call Application
is now OPEN

Deadline: September 26, 2012 at 18:00 (Italian time).

The call for applications for admission to the IMT Ph.D. Program is now open. 
Download the full call (only in Italian). 

The Doctoral program is divided into four tracks:

Computer, Decision, and Systems Science (CDSS)  Director:Rocco De Nicola	The Track in Computer, Decision, and Systems Science (CDSS) aims to equip researchers and professionals with a wide knowledge of the theoretical foundations of computer science, informatics and system analysis applicable to a large variety of real-life problems of industrial, managerial, economic, and societal interest. Such elements include control systems, management science, optimal decision making and numerical optimization, image analysis and pattern recognition. The objective of the program is to provide Ph.D. candidates with the necessary scientific competence to master the theoretical aspects of the discipline, to propose original research ideas, and to develop numerical algorithms, managerial solutions and software tools for applying the new concepts to practical applications. The Track in Computer, Decision, and Systems Science is organized into four main curricula: Computer Science Control Systems Image Analysis Management Science
Economics  Director:Fabio Pammolli	The Track in Economics trains researchers, professionals and experts in political economy, applied public economics, industrial economics, with a focus on comparative institutional analysis, on the empirical analysis of real and financial markets, on macroeconomic policy. With its theoretical, quantitative and institutional approach, the program meets the increasing demand for highly qualified professionals, too analyze, plan, and manage concrete applications of political economy.
Management and Development of Cultural Heritage  Director:Maria Luisa Catoni	The program aims at providing prospective professionals operating in the field of management of culture and cultural heritage with specific know-hows. It also promotes research offering the students a lively contact with different research approaches and methodologies applied in the research fields related to cultural heritage and art history.
Political History  Director:Giovanni Orsina	The Track in Political History aims to provide students with the most advanced and update-to-date theoretical and methodological instruments for the historical study of nineteenth and twentieth century politics, policies, political institutions and political ideas. The program aims in particular at bridging two divides: that between the theoretical approach of social scientists (political scientists and theorists, economists and anthropologists, global) and the idiographic approach of historians; and that between national and non-national (international, cross-national, transnational) political histories. By focusing on the theoretical competences necessary to understand political history, the core courses will aim especially at overcoming the first divide. By comparing national experiences, focusing on transnational phenomena and analyzing the interplay between national and supra-national arenas, the core seminars will especially aim at overcoming the second divide.

Duration: 3 years 

Language: Courses and seminars are held in English. Foreign Ph.D. students are required to attend an Italian Language and Culture Course. 

Classes starts in February 2013.

 Scholarships and Facilities  

• 36 Ph.D. positions are covered by scholarships in the gross amount of 13,638.47€ /year (≅ 12,378.30 €/year net).
• A limited number of additional positions without scholarships may also be offered.
• Ph.D. students have tuition fees waived.
• Ph.D. students who are granted a scholarship have free accommodation in shared double rooms in the School residence halls (with the exception of students whose permanent residence is within 30km of IMT).
• Ph.D. students have free access to the canteen services.
• Ph.D. students are covered by insurance against any accident and/or injury that may occur while they carrying out their Ph.D. activities.

For more information please visit the Scholarships, Fees and Services page.

  Requirements  

Applications are open to candidates who meet the below requirements, without regard to religion, nationality, age or gender.

• Proficiency in English is compulsory.
• The candidate must have completed and obtained a degree equivalent to at least 4 years of university studies

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://imtlucca.it/phd/call_for_applications/

Research Grants - Violence and Aggression

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence and aggression. 

Deadline August 1, more information here:

http://networkedblogs.com/z181u

CfA PhD Program GSSPS Uni Milano

Through APSA Polmeth list:
_____________________________
The Call
for Applications of the Graduate School of Social and Political Studies for the
Academic Year 2012-3 is now OPEN.


13 Ph.D.
Scholarships available
GSSPS – University of Milan

ADMISSION TO Ph.D. PROGRAMS
for Academic year 2012-2013


The University of Milan is pleased
to announce that the Call for application, based on qualifications and
interviews, for admission to the Graduate School
in Social and Political Sciences (GSSPS) for the following Ph.D.
Programs:

Ph.D. in Labour Studies – Coordinator:
Prof. Lorenzo Bordogna
Ph.D. in Political Studies – Acting
Coordinator Prof. Francesco Zucchini
Ph.D. in
Sociology – Coordinator: Prof. Luisa Leonini

is now available in Italian and in
English here http://www.unimi.it/ricerca/dottorati/56986.htm .

Click here to read more about the
GSSPS downloading the 2012 School brochure

For the academic year 2012/2013 the GSSPS will assign a total of 27 places, 14
with scholarship and 13 without scholarship.

14 places with scholarships will be assigned as follows:
Ph.D. in Labour Studies – 4 University of Milan scholarships
Ph.D. in Political Studies – 5 University of Milan scholarships
Ph.D. in Sociology – 4 University of Milan scholarships + 1 "Centre
for Study and Research on Women and Gender Differences"
scholarship funded by "Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender
Equality in Sciences - STAGES" - European FP7

13 places without scholarship will be assigned as follows:
Ph.D. in Labour Studies – 4 places without scholarship
Ph.D. in Political Studies – 5 places without scholarship
Ph.D. in Sociology – 4 places without scholarship
All applications must be submitted online via SIFA Servizi ON LINE http://www.unimi.it/hpsifa/nonProfiledPage_100.html

(Servizi di Ammissione) starting from 18th June 2012.

For further details please write to GSSPS Secretariat, University of Milan,
via Pace 10, 20122 email graduate.school@unimi.it
http://www.graduateschool.unimi.it/call_2012_13.html

Deadline
for application is strictly 31st July 2012.

TEXT OMITTED

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О простоте языка в академическом письме

Я могу быть неправ, поправьте меня, пожалуйста, если это так. Русский язык богат и могуч, но это не означает то, что научный аргумент на этом языке должен быть изложен так сложно и завихристо, что среднему, образованному читателю не понять ничего из той белиберды которую несут некоторые ученые.

Лично меня наставники-корифеи воспитывали по англо-саксонской академической традиции, где приветствуется предельная простота изложения и четкая структура аргумента. Сейчас я много читаю русскоязычную академическую литературу. Русский конечно не мой родной язык, но я считаю что я на нем сносно выражаю свои мысли. И меня бесит когда плохие ученые скрывают свои неинтересные, очевидные и скучные аргементы за фасадом заумной писанины. Не позорьте политологию. Если не можете обьяснить на доступном языке свой аргумент - милости просим из этой сферы.

Между прочим, это не касается словарного запаса - используйте богатый язык и терминологию нашей дисциплины. Но не надо заворачивать аргумент так, что его надо перечитывать раз пять чтобы понять то, что вы просто ничего не излагаете по существу. 

Mini Marshall Plan for Central Asia?

V.Ivanov (Photo by
A.Koryakov/Kommersant)

A leading Russian business daily Kommersant and Rossiyskaya Gazeta report here (in Russian) and here  on a curious document submitted by Russian drug control czar Viktor Ivanov to the Government. The paper calls for the creation of what seems to be a Russian CA development agency. The document was floated by Ivanov's agency probably because Russians want to frame it as part of their comprehensive approach to drug control in Central Asia and new drug policy.

Claiming that 40% of GDP in some Central Asian states comes from drug trade (never clarified which one, hugely improbably number anyways), Ivanov proposed to kill illicit economy by encouraging legal economy. Apparently the way Russians see it is not through micro-credit and encouragement of small entrepreneurship, but through huge Russian state corporations taking over largest projects in the region and creating new ones.

Russian Corporation for Cooperation with Central Asian Countries, as the proposed agency is officially called, will be founded as a joint stock company with 51% of shares going to the Russian Government and 49 to Russian companies, mostly Russian state corps like RosNeft, VTB, GazProm, VEB, RosAtom, RJD and Inter RAO EES, Rostehnologii and Sberbank. From the private sector only Sistema and Alfa Group are mentioned.

List of proposed projects is very entertaining. Russians are proposing to take over hydroenergy constructions at Kambarata and Rogun, re-create Soviet energy distribution systems and add a new water pipe from Siberia to Fergana Valley. Also envisioned is construction of atomic energy plant in the region and of a big poultry production plant. Beside such big projects, creation of a university specializing in development education does not seem that fantastic (no one seems to have been interested whether development oriented schools already exist in the region).

The whole initiative is based on a number of very shaky assumptions.
First, it is somehow assumed that Central Asians will meet the alarmingly ambitious development initiative with joy and open embrace. This is not going to happen, regional elites are very wary of Russians' real motives.

Second, it is assumed that drug trafficking in Central Asia is done by impoverished individuals, much like the image of a poor and desperate Afghan farmer who plants poppy because there is nothing else to plant. To me at least it seems that a typical Central Asian drug trafficker is not that destitute and has ample income opportunities were he/she willing to take them up.

Moreover, it is assumed that the way to lure traffickers out of the drug game is not by giving 'em cheap credit to open up firms, but by building huge plants where they most probably be employed.

Third, Russians pretend they have extra cash to spend. The initial project cost is Rbl 2 billion (about USD 64 mln) and annual salary expenses will amount to USD 6 mln, and all expenses will surely be higher than that. Where is the money coming from, is the question to the Government of D.Medvedev that has yet to pay off the promised pension increases.

Russian drug agency planners also have very curious notions of public-private partnership. Given the list of proposed participants, public-private for Russian drug people means partnership of the state and state-run corporations. very odd...as is odd the promise that local firms will be allowed in the future.

Journalists claim this is all not more than a 'retirement project' for Ivanov that has very little chances of success, at least in the form declared. I agree. 

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Barroso speaking behind US President Seal - Awkward...

http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/index.cfm