Scholarly Collaborative Program Summer Institute

AFRICA / ASIA / LATIN AMERICA SCHOLARLY COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM

SUMMER INSTITUTE

Democracy, Social Movements and Governance in the South

6 - 31 August, 2007

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA), the
Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Council for
the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) are
pleased to announce the Africa/Asia/ Latin America Scholarly
Collaborative initiative encompassing joint research, training,
publishing and dissemination activities by researchers drawn from
across the global South, and to call for applications to participate
in the third South-South Summer Institute they are organizing within
the framework of the initiative. The theme of the second summer
institute is: Democracy, Social Movements and Governance in the South
The Summer Institute will be held in Kuala Lumpur, from 6-31 August
2007.

Within the ambit of the APISA-CLACSO- CODESRIA collaboration, a series
of activities and programmes have been scheduled for implementation
over the period to the end of 2007, among them an annual summer
institute. The institutes are designed to offer research training to
younger scholars on the diverse problems and challenges facing the
countries of the South. In doing so, it is hoped also to promote a
revival of comparative thinking and cross-regional networking among a
younger generation of Southern scholars. The institutes are rotated
among the three continents where the lead collaborating institutions
are located. This way, participants in the institutes who will also be
drawn from all three continents will be exposed to the
socio-historical contexts of other regions of the South as an input
that will help to broaden their analytical perspectives and improve
the overall quality of their scientific engagements.

1. OBJECTIVES

The underlying objective of the institutes is to offer research
training opportunities to participants on various key issues relevant
to the South, and on the theoretical and methodological perspectives
that might be appropriate for gaining a full understanding of the
specific situation of countries and peoples located outside the core
of the international system such as it is presently structured. The
main premise of this effort is the glaring inadequacy of the theories
and methodologies developed in the North, crystallized in the
mainstream social sciences, to provide the required instruments for
the attainment of a sound understanding of the problems confronting â€"
and, in many cases, overwhelming the countries of the South. Through
the institutes, it is hoped to be able to mobilize young scholars from
across the South to reflect on the alternatives that are available for
overcoming the present situation. This way, the institutes will
contribute to the promotion of a better knowledge and understanding of
the theories and methodological approaches developed in different
regions of the South as alternatives to the dominant, Northern-biased
paradigms that have shaped the social sciences. It is also expected
that participants will become acquainted with the local intellectual
environment in the regions where different sessions of the institutes
are hosted, and strengthen their comparative research capacities in
the process. In sum, the institutes are structured to serve as a
unique forum for enhancing a deeper understanding among a younger
generation of Southern scholars of the history, politics, economy and
culture of the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, and offer
an opportunity to participants to develop long-lasting collaborative
relationships with their counterparts from other Southern countries.

2. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION AS LAUREATES

Younger scholars resident in countries of the South and who are
pursuing active academic careers are eligible to apply for a place in
the institute. Each applicant should have a university education,
preferably a doctorate in the social sciences and humanities.
Selection for participation will be on the basis of a competitive
process. All together, 36 people will be selected for participation in
the institute on the basis of 12 each from Africa, Asia and Latin
America. The full participation costs of the selected laureates will
be covered, including their travel costs (economy return air tickets),
accommodation and subsistence.

3. FACULTY AND STAFF

The Summer Institute will be led by a faculty of four experienced
Southern scholars who have made some of the most original contribution
to an understanding of the particular theme for which they have been
selected to give lectures. In this way, just as the young scholars who
will be identified to be laureates will be drawn from Africa, Asia,
and Latin America, the composition of the faculty that will lead the
sessions of the institute will also be tri-continental, underscoring a
joint and mutual learning process that should enhance the overall goal
of building alternative southern perspectives to dominant discourses
that tend to reflect uneven international power relations and
deepening South-South comparative insights. Each of the four members
of the faculty for the institutes will be allocated five days to
deliver his/her lectures and to mentor the laureates on those aspects
of their academic preoccupations that are directly connected to the
expertise they bring to the programme.

4. THE 2007 SESSION OF THE INSTITUTE

For the 2007 session of the South-South Summer Institutes, it has been
decided by APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA to host it in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. APISA will assume overall responsibility within the
tri-continental partnership for the session. The Summer Institute will
run from 6 â€" 31 August 2007. The faculty for the institute will
deliver a series of lectures over a period of five days each.
Additionally, round-table discussions will be organized with scholars
from Asia.. For the 2007 session of the Summer Institute, it is a
requirement that prospective laureates should have a demonstrable
working knowledge of the English language. APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA
will work together to facilitate the procurement of entry visas to
Malaysia for the prospective laureates whose applications are
successful.

5. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Every researcher wishing to be considered for selection as one of the
36 laureates to be invited to participate in 2007 Summer Institute in
Kuala Lumpur organized within the framework of the
APISA-CLACSO- CODESRIA tri-continental partnership is required to
submit an application which will comprise the following key items of
documentation:

a) An outline research proposal, written in English, on the subject on
which the prospective laureate would like to work during the Summer
Institute. The topic selected must be related to the theme of the 2007
Summer Institute in which the laureate is interested in participating.
Such proposals should not exceed 10 pages in length and should have a
clearly defined problem statement.

b) A covering letter, of one-page, which should indicate the
motivation of the prospective laureate for wanting to participate in
the institute and explain how they envisage that they and their
institution will benefit from the institute.

c) An updated curriculum vitae complete with the names of the
professional and personal references of the prospective laureate, the
scientific discipline(s) in which s/he is working, the nationality of
the applicant, a list of recent publications, and a summary of the
on-going research activities in which the applicant is involved.

d) A photocopy of the highest university degree obtained by the
applicant and of the relevant pages of his/her international passport
containing relevant identity data.

e) A letter from the applicant's institution (university
department/faculty) or research center supporting his/her candidature.
This statement of institutional support should be done on the
institutional letter-headed stationary and must be duly signed and
stamped.

In order to receive the certificate of participation in the institute,
each laureate will be required to draw on the lectures delivered and
the course material provided to revise the original proposal on the
basis of which they were admitted and, in so doing, produce an essay
of up to 20 pages for consideration for joint publication and
dissemination by APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA in the South-South
Occasional Papers series.

6. APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINE

As the institutes will involve the participation of laureates and
faculty from Africa, Asia and Latin America, it has been decided that
applicants resident in Africa should submit their applications to
CODESRIA, those resident in Asia to APISA and those resident in Latin
America to CLACSO. The full contact details for APISA, CLACSO AND
CODESRIA are reproduced below for the attention of all prospective
applicants. The deadline for the receipt of applications is 30 June
2007. Applications found to be incomplete or which arrive after the
deadline will not be taken into consideration.

An independent Selection Committee charged with screening all
applications received will meet shortly after the deadline for the
receipt of applications. Successful applicants will be notified
immediately after the Selection Committee completes it work.
Notification of results will be dome by e-mail, or by fax and post if
the situation warrants it. The results of the selection exercise will
also be published on the websites of APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA.


Applicants from Asia should send their applications preferably by email
to:

APISA,

Strategic Studies and International Relations Program
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, MALAYSIA
Tel: 603- 89213647; Fax: 603-89213332
E-Mail: secretariat@ apisanet. com

Website: http://www.apisanet.com