MIDDLE EAST SCHOLARS APPROVE RESOLUTIONS ON FUNDS FROM INTELLIGENCE ESTABLISHMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100020034-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: December 4, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100020034-1
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
4 December 1985
Y
SCHOLARSHIP ?
Middle East Scholars Approve Resolutions
on Funds from Intelligence Establishment
NEW ORLEANS
Members of the Middle East
Studies Association in resolutions
they passed at their annual meet-
ing here last week, re-emphasized
their concern over accepting
money from the U. S. intelligence
establishment for scholarly activi-
ties.
One of the resolutions criti-
cized Nadav Safran, director of
Harvard University's Center for
Middle Eastern Studies, for fail-
ing to disclose in advance that p
Central Intelligence Agency grant
of $45,700 had helped cover the
costs of a recent conference on
Islamic fundamentalism.
The resolution "deplores" Mr.
Safran's violation of a MESA reso-
lution of three years ago, which
called on its members to disclose
"all sources of support-other
than personal-for [their] re-
search."
The members here also "re-
affirmed" the 1982 resolution.
In a second action, MESA mem-
bers "resolved that the associa-
tion calls upon university-based
international studies programs to
refrain from responding to re-
quests for research contract pro-
posals from the Defense Aca-
demic Research Support Program
or from other intelligence enti-
ties."
The program is sponsored by
the Defense Intelligence College
of the Department of Defense.
Last spring, in the latest episode
in a long-simmering controversy
over intelligence-agency financ-
ing for scholarly research, the col-
lege issued a call for applications
from academic and other groups
interested in cooperating on "an
agenda of research efforts" on Af-
rica, Latin America, the Middle
East, and South and Southeast
Asia.
Scholars Asked Not to Apply
Last year, the Association of
African Studies Programs and the
executive council of the Latin
American Studies Association,
together with the directors of 19
area-studies centers, circulated a
letter asking scholars not to apply
to the support program.
Members of MESA said at the
meeting here that they were con-
cerned that scholars would com-
promise their reputations and ac-
cess to sources abroad if they par-
ticipated in defense and
intelligence-agency research pro-
grams. They also said they were
afraid such programs would result
in the government's setting re-
search priorities in area studies.
The resolution they passed sup-
ported the "creation by Congres-
sional mandate of an independ-
ent, multi-agency foundation,
similar in structure to the Nation-
al Science Foundation, for the
sponsorship, review, and funding
of foreign area research."
"We understand and sympa-
thize with your concerns, and
support efforts to create such a
foundation," Robert O. Slater,
program manager for area and
language studies at the Defense
Intelligence College, said during
the MESA meeting here.
The MESA members also asked
their ethics committee to consider
whether the association should
call on individual scholars-not
just on university oroarams-to
decline funds for research from
the C.I.A. or any other intelli-
gence-gathering agency. The eth-
ics committee is to report on the
matter at next year's annual meet-
1im -KAREN J. WINKLER
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100020034-1