A PROJECT FOR TRAINING AREA SPECIALISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP55-00001A000100050016-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: January 19, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP55-0000lA000100050016-4
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A PROJECT FUR TRAINING AREA SPECIALISTS
THE NATIONAL NEED
In the present crisis, the United States is faced with
the urgent need of specialists with knowledge of the languages
and peoples of major world areas and competent to work an
economic, political or social problems of these regions. Per-
sonnel so trained is needed by the Department of State, the Central
Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense and other Federal
agencies.
Facilities exist in a number of our major universities
for training area specialists. These facilities can be enlarged
and put to more intensive use. Their training capacity can be
more than doubled.
Unless immediate steps are taken the staffs of existing
area centers will be drawn off by governmental agencies. This
personnel is far too limited to meet the existing demands and if
the training staffs are dispersed we will be unable to provide
the substantially larger number of trained younger men.
The problem therefore is to work out the means and
procedures for building a competent group of area specialists
while our universities are still in a position to provide the
government with this service.
1. That the Federal Government provide funds for the
training of 1,000 university graduatekstudents as area specialists
over the next three years.
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2. That this be arranged through a contract with
the Social Science Research Council.
3. The contracting agency would establish an eight-
man board composed of loading area specialists from the major
participating universities in order to maintain uniform standards
and coordinate activities,
4. The board would assign to the appropriate area
training centers in the universities the number of specialists
to be trained for each of the major world areas, as for example,
of the 200 specialists to be trained on the Far East, Yale
University might be responsible for 50.
5. The board, with the cooperation of the training
centers, would be responsible for the selection of trainees.
6. Each area trainee would agree at the outset to
make his services available to the government upon the completion
of his training.
7. Since the trainees would be potential government
employees, every effort should be made with the proper manpower
authorities in the Federal Government to give the trainees a
status that would keep them in training for a three year period.
This would call for some agreement with officials of National
Selective Service for draft deferment and with the Department
of Defense insofar as reserve officers are concerned.
8. In addition to the two years in residence at the
university, a year of field experience is recommended.
9. The level of training needed would be equivalent to
that required as preliminary for the Ph.D. degrees that is it is
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expected that all work necessary for that degree except the
dissertation would be completed.
The above provisions have been discussed in a pre-
liminary way with representatives from the major area training
centers. From the standpoint of the universities, the program
is feasible and can be started in June, 1951, if funds are pro-
vided, and if a decision is reached by March 1, 1951. The time
to secure commitments from the universities for such a program is
AREA PRIORITIES
All major world areas should be covered, although the
emphasis will be placed on immediately critical regions. A
tentative breakdown for the first 1,000 would be as follows:
250 U.S.S.R.
200 Far East
100 South Asia
100 Southeast Asia
100 Middle East
150 Central and Western Europe
60 Latin America
40 Africa
SUB-AREA SPECIALTIES
National and other significant subdivisions of the
gross areas will be recognized and certain students assigned to
each. For example, of the 100 students for Southeast Asia, some
will specialize on the language and background of units like Burma,
Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.
DISCIPLINE SPECIALTIES
Students will be selected also on the basis of subject
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matter interests, such as sociology, political science, economics,
anthropolo?r, psychology, history, linguistics, etc. The numbers
for each category can be determined by the board in the light of
national needs.
AREA TRAINING
The area training will include intensive language,
general background, advanced research, and specialized courses,
following the patterns already in practice in area training centers.
DISCIPLINE TRAINING
Each trainee will continue study for the requirements of
a doctor's degree in his own subject, be it anthropology, economics,
psychology or other. This combination of area and discipline train-
ing is consistent with current practice. It will serve to meet a
constant government need, namely, for an economist with knowledge
of China, etc.
TIME REQUIRE tT
The training program covers three years, two at the
university arxi one in the field. However, for the first group
the time period eoi3ld be cut down by selecting more advanced
graduate students, and by giving priority to those who have already
had certain language and background area instruction.
UNIVERSITY ASSIQ4MENTS
Centers for the study of most of the major world areas
are already formally organized in many universities. In the few
cases where adequate facilities do not exist, they can be created..
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For illustration, some of the universities with known facilities
for special areas are cited:
U.S.S.R.
Columbia, Harvard, Indiana, Washington, Yale,
California
Far East
Michigan, Washington, California, Chicago, Harvard
Columbia, Yale, Stanford
South Asia
Pennsylvania, California, Cornell
Southeast Asia
Yale, California, Cornell, Minnesota
Middle East
Pennsylvania, Princeton, Michigan, Columbia,
Johns Hopkins (School of Advanced International
Studies)
ESTIMATED COSTS
For a three-year training period for 1,000 students,
a sample cost estimate is given:
1. Instructional casts for students for
2 gears, at *2,000 per 12 month year .... $4,000,000
(This figure assumes: tuition at
$1000 per student, and t,1000 for
employment of new faculty, extra
pay for extra time of existing
faculty, new space, etc.)
2. Maintenance of students for 2
years, at 3200 per month.. .............. 4,&00,000
(This figure would be reduced to
the extent that students already
at the aduate level are in-
eluded.
Travel and field work for 1 year, at
$5,003 ................... ....... 5,000,000
Hooks, teac?ling 2aterials, etc........... 400,000
Strengthening of instructional offerings
at some centers ......................... 1,000,000
(A request might be made for
foundation funds to cover items
4 and 5.)
6. Administration of program for
3 y ars.?+ .............................? 300.000
Total $15,500,000
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January 19, 1951