A PROJECT FOR TRAINING AREA SPECIALISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP55-00001A000100050037-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: January 19, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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A PROJECT P'C)R TRAINING AREA. SPECIALISTS
~TRE.NATIONAL NEED
In the present crisis, the U~aited States is faced xith
the urgent need of specialists xith knoxledge of the language~?
and peopled of a~~or xorld areas and competent to xork on
economic, political or social problems of these regivna. Fer-
sonnel so trained ie needed by the Department of State, the Central.
Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense and other Federal
agencies.
Faailitiea exist in a number of our mayor uaivereitie~t
for training area specialists. These facilities can be er~l.arged
and put to more intensive use. Their training capacity can be
more than doubled.
Unless irnt~ediate stags are taYen the staff's of existing.
area cantata rill be drawn off by governmental agencies. This
pergannel is far too limited to s~eet the existing demands and if
the training staffs are dispersed we *ill be unable to provide
the aubatantially larger nussber of trained younger men.
The problem therefore la to xork out the ~seane and
procedures for building a competent group of area apecialistsz
xhile our univeraitiee are ati11 is a position to provide #be-~
govez~>ent xith this servS,ca.,
v~#tOPOSAL
1. That the Federal Government provide t~snds for the
training of 1,000 university graduate~studenta as area specialists
over the next three years,
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"''~. That this be arranged through a contract with
the Social~~Scienee Psaearch Ceuneil.
a/3. Tha contracting agency would establish an eight-
men board composed of leading area specialists From the ma~ar
participating uni'aaraities ia~ order to maintain waifox^~ staxx3arrSs
and coordinate activities.
~~.. The board would aseiga to the appropriate area ,
training cantata in the vmiversitiss the ttumbcr of specialists
to be trained for each of the mayor world areas, as for esample,
of the 200 specialists to be trained on the Far fast, Yale
University might be responsible for 50.
`~5. The board, with the cooperation of the training
centers, would be reapansibls far tote selection of traimees,~
6, 1~ach area trainee eeauld a.gr?a at the outset to
make his services avaliable to the governtaent upon the completion
of his treixttimg,
7. Since the trainees would be potential government
employees, every effort should be made frith the ,proper manpower
authorities in the Federal Government to give the trainae~s a
statue that wrould keep thAm in treSniag Pot a three year period.
This would cal]. for so~ae agreement with officials of National
Selective Service For draft defsrxient and with the Department
of Defense insofar as reserve officers are concerned.
~~. In addition to the two ~-eare in residence a.t the
uniaeraity, 8 gear of field ezpsrience i.a recommended,
' ~ 9. The levol cf training needed rrould, ba equi~.va3.aat to
that required as preliminary for td~e Ph.D. degres~ that is it ins
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eacpacted Chet alt work necessary for that degree e~capt the
dissertation would be completed.
(/~'h.a above provisiona have been disco?sed in a pr?-
l.f.m3.r~ary way with represeaatatiPee frvna the major er?a txaining
canters. F~pn the standpoint of the universities, the progr~a
is f?asible end can be started in dine, ._,1951, if fmsds are pro!--
e,.~-, _ ..._._.-s
41dsd, and if a locilion is reached. by ~iarch,_ 1~ 195i. The time
to secure coaaaiitraents from the univaraities for such a program is
AREA PRIORITIES
All major world e.r~e should be covered, althQ~zgh the
emphasis will be place-d.on ieunmdiately critical regions. A
tentmtive breakdown Qor the first 1,000 rrovtld be as followsa
250 Q.S.S.g.
2U0 Far Ee.st
100 South Asis
100 Southeast Asia
240 Middle East
150 Centxal end !I'estern Evroge
60 Latin America
44 Afr3.ce
~-AREA SPECIALTIES
Nat3.onal and other signifieant subdivieidns of the
grass exea.s will be recognlseui and certain, students assigned to
each. For axple, of the 140 stetdeuts far Southeast Asia, sr,~
will specialise on the langus~;e and baC~rotiuad of units 131re Burma,
Thailand, Indoneais., Plailippine8, eta.
Students will be selected oleo on the baaie of subject
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me.tter interests, such as sociology, no2itical eeiEACe, economics,
anthropology, ps3~chology, history, linguistice~ etc. the numbers
for each category can be,determin?d by the board in. the light of
r~tdonal Heads.
Ag,F,A TRAINING
The axes tr+~S.niny~ ~orS.ll include intensive ].anguage~
general background, advanced rase?~rc~i, and apecia7.iaed courses,
following ?.he patterns already in practice in area training centers.
DISCIPLINE fiAAINING
Each trainee will continu? study for the requirements of
a doctor's degree in hig own eub~ect, to it anthrapoloE,,y, economics,
psyc'~olog~y or other. This combination of ar?a end discipline train-
ing is consistent with current practice. It will serve to meet a
constant government n?ed, namely, #or en economist .with knowlcsdge
of China, etc.
TIDE REQUIR.Et~I:NT
The trainingx prograa~ cover9 three paste, two at the
unieersity arx3 one in the field. However, for the first gn~up
the time period conl.d be cut down by selecting :note scivranCed
gra+iuste students, and by givin;~ ~3riorlty to thoa? wbo have already
!~e.d Cert~.n lrxngua.ge and F~aC}t,~ro?,ind area instruction.
UNIVE;P~SITY ASSTi::l4?~E2+1T5
Centere~ for the study of most of the mayor wand aree.e
are already formally organised in n+azay universities. In the few
cases whero c~.clequate facillt?iF~s do not exist, they erui be created.
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?~~+'
For illustration, ~ of the universities ~-ith know faciliti?s
for spacial areas are citeds
a.S.9.R.
Columbia, B?~.rvard, Indiana, Washington, Yale,
California
Far East
Iiichigan, 1Pashiz~ton, Ga].3.~rnia, Chice.gn, Hr~srd 8 -t- J
`
Colt3arbia, Y~
e, Stanford
South Asia
Pmmnnaylvania, Cali~6rni$, Cornell
Southe~.st Asia
Y~, Cal~,#"ornia, Cornell, Minnesota
3~iddlw Etagt
Pennayyl~einia, Princeton, M3c~'gan, Co~ftabia,
Johns Hopkins (School of Advanced International
9ttbdiea)
ESTIMr1TE,D CflSfiS
For athre~-yeas trsining ?eriod for I,C{~ students,
a sample cvet estimate is giv4.n:
1.
Instructional costa for students far
2 years, at ~2,'JOG per 1,2 montlz year,...~b,fl30,(~Ofl
(Tkiia figure assumes= tuition at
X1000 per student, and X1000 Por.
caeployment of new faculty, extra
pay for extra ti!ae of existir~r
faculty, new space, etc.)
2.
~QaintPn~.r.ce of stu3ent3 for 2 ,
yeA.r~s, at X200 pgr month ................ 6,800,004
(This figure mould be reduces to _
they extent that students already
at the aduate level are in-
cluded.
3.
Travel end fiekc-~. work f"or 1 year, at
965,000 .......................-.......,... 5,iTflfl,fl00
Books, teac'iing .nciterials, etc...........
i~40,fl0fl
5.
3tr+engthening af~ inatructioual offerings
at some centers .........................
(A request might be made far
foundation ftuzds to cover items
1, 0,00,00fl
4 and 5. )
6. Administration of p?~ogram for
3 yes.rs ................................. 300.600
Totr~1 X15,500,000
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January 19, 3951