The IIAS evaluated
In 1998, the IIAS, which was founded in 1993, entered the sixth year of its existence. From the 16th to the 18th of March 1999 an International Review Committee assessed the IIAS for the period 1993-1998.By Sabine Kuypers
The Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has been made responsible by the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sciences for the evaluation(s) of the IIAS, among other scientific institutions. An initial (interim) KNAW evaluation, which took place in 1995 at the request of the Ministry, assessed the IIAS favourably. A comprehensive evaluation was then scheduled to take place within five years. In anticipation of this KNAW evaluation (which is to take place autumn 1999), and in order to be able to draft a solid policy for the coming period, the IIAS board decided to make an evaluation of the IIAS in two stages. The first stage involved an internal review covering the first six years of the IIAS, prepared by Dr C.J.M.A. Smeets, entitled: The International Institute for Asian Studies: An internal evaluation, which was completed in February 1999.The second stage involved an international review of the IIAS which was conducted by a committee composed of Professors James J. Fox (Director, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University), Carol Gluck (George Sansom Professor of History, East Asian Institute, Columbia University), and Om Prakash (Delhi School of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Delhi) from the 16th to the 18th of March. The report of the international review committee was completed in April 1999.
Krishna Dancing
Whereas the internal evaluation gives a comprehensive picture on the activities of the IIAS 1993-1998, based on facts and figures as well as on commentaries from scholars within the Netherlands and abroad, the international evaluation (second stage) focuses primarily on recommendations for the future. The report of the international Committee Evaluation was given the name 'Krishna Dancing' by the committee members, following in the footsteps o of the tradition associated with the initial formation of the IIAS when the formation report was called 'Baby Krishna' and its subsequent report (concerning the social sciences) 'Krishna in the Delta'. We mention just a few recommendations:
The International Review Committee's report, together with the IIAS Internal Evaluation prepared by Dr C.J.M.A. Smeets, will be presented to the KNAW for their evaluation of the IIAS in the autumn of this year. The reports may be made available to a wider public after the KNAW evaluation.
ESF Asia Committee Secretariat
After a break of about one year, a new Asia Committee was formed at the beginning of this year. During the past year, the planned new ESF Asia Committee's programme as well as its membership were subject to weighty discussions among the ESF Standing Committees for the Humanities and for the Social Sciences in Strasbourg. Both Committees have chosen for a narrow interpretation of the tasks of the Asia Committee, stressing the importance of their own discipline. Finally, largely due to the efforts of Dr Max Sparreboom, ESF officer for the Asia Committee, both parties found themselves on a single course, and a new Asia Committee could be formed at the beginning of 1999. The IIAS has re-activated its role as ESF Asia Committee's Secretariat, and was able to send out a call for workshop proposals in March 1999 (deadline 16 May) to European recipients of the IIAS Newsletter. Since then many reactions have been received by the Secretariat. The new Asia Committee will convene for the first time in July this year. For further information, please see the regular ESF Asia Committee's section of the Pink Pages in this and following Newsletter(s), or the Internet: http://www.iias.nl/esfac/
Strategic Alliance
In February, the IIAS-NIAS Strategic Alliance changed its name to 'Strategic Alliance between The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Leiden, the Netherlands; The Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS), Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Institut für Asienkunde (IfA), Hamburg, Germany. Right from the beginning, the basic document of the Nordic-Netherlands Strategic Alliance, had envisaged that European parties would join in at a later stage. After having co-operated on several joint projects, such as the Programme for Europe-Asia Research Linkages (PEARL), the Institut für Asienkunde formally joined the Alliance at the end of 1998. For the time being, apart from other current projects, the main joint undertakings between the three institutes will be the PEARL network and an 'Asia Update' to be held in Brussels in November, in conjunction with the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). The IIAS will assume a co-ordinating role in these joint activities. More news about the Alliance may be found on these Pink Pages or on the internet: http://www.iias.nl/
PEARL Secretariat
After the (ASEF/ESF/Alliance/Yonsei University) workshop held in Seoul last year (see Newsletter 18), during which the Programme for Europe-Asia Research Linkages (PEARL) was officially founded, the IIAS has continued its activities as secretariat for this network. A flyer was drafted (see below), and members were stimulated to approach their respective governments to bring PEARL to the attention of Ministries for Foreign Affairs and of Education. PEARL succeeded in attracting the attention of the ASEM Ministers of Foreign Affairs, who held their preparatory meeting for ASEM III in Berlin in March 1999, and was mentioned in the official 'Chairman's statement. PEARL continues to seek funding and develop a programme in co-operation with other institutions. A PEARL Brochure is being drawn up. The PEARL flyer may be obtained from the PEARL Secretariat. More information may also be obtained from the web: http://www.iias.nl/
Miscellaneous
The IIAS Annual Report 1998 has been printed and may be obtained from the IIAS Secretariat. For further information about the IIAS research fellows, its research programmes, its publications and seminars, please check this newsletter and the internet: http://www.iias.nl/
Drs Sabine A.M. Kuypers is Deputy Director of the IIAS