Int'l Congress of Slavists

[David J Birnbaum]

First, I'd like to thank Michael Flier and George Fowler for publicizing
the Congress as well as they have this year.

Second, I have never participated in an International Congress, do not
plan to participate in the next one, and do not know the original reason
for restricting participation to professionally employed Slavists. And I
certainly concur that emeriti and those who have been squeezed by a
hostile job market should not be excluded from participation. Independent
scholars can also be part of the American Slavistic community.

But one reason for the rule might be to exclude from the American
delegation those who are citizens of and permanent residents in other
countries, and who may be associated only on a very temporary basis with
an American university. Given the orientation of the Congresses toward
national delegations, it seems reasonable to limit participation in the
American delegation to those who are not eligible for membership in other
national delegations.

Lest someone misunderstand, this does not exclude newly-arrived American
Slavists, need not require American citizenship, and need not require
steady employment in an American university. What it would require is a
self-identification with American Slavistics as a scholarly community.

Cheers,

David
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Professor David J. Birnbaum      djbpitt+ at pitt.edu
The Royal York Apartments, #802  http://www.pitt.edu/~djbpitt/
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