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<channel>
	<title>Love of History &#187; academic</title>
	<atom:link href="http://loveofhistory.com/tag/academic/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://loveofhistory.com</link>
	<description>A historical perspective of current events</description>
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		<title>Preparing for Academic Wars</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/preparing-for-academic-wars/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/preparing-for-academic-wars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:13:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=1764</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have gathered a few useful quotes for academics who want to excel in their work. As our jobs become increasingly more competitive, I thought it was fitting to chose war-related quotations. The following are certainly applicable in Academia, so take them seriously and adjust them accordingly! &#8220;Work hard and become a leader; Be lazy and never succeed. &#8211; -Proverbs 12:24 You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war. &#8212; Napoleon Bonaparte Don&#8217;t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft. &#8212; Theodore Roosevelt Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. &#8212; Lao Tzu In war there is no substitute for victory. &#8212; General Douglas MacArthur Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. &#8212; Sun Tzu Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the Attack. &#8212; Sun Tzu If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. &#8212; Sun Tzu Spontaneous adaptability is the key to a warrior’s survival. &#8212; Suro Mike Inay If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I&#8217;d spend the first four sharpening the axe. &#8212; Abraham Lincoln The stick is equally as deadly as the blade in the right person&#8217;s hands. &#8212; Suro Mike Inay To fight and conquer in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy with no fight at all, that&#8217;s the highest skill. &#8212; Sun Tzu Speak softly and carry a big stick. &#8212; Theodore Roosevelt Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never &#8212; in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. &#8212; Winston Spencer Churchill God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it. &#8212; Daniel Webster You win battles by knowing the enemy&#8217;s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect. &#8212; Miyamoto Musashi It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. &#8212; Gen. Douglas MacArthur Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. &#8212; Sun Tzu Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. &#8212; Napoleon Bonaparte Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. &#8212; Sun Tzu Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. &#8212; Sun Tzu It&#8217;s not the size of the dog in the fight; it&#8217;s the size of the fight in the dog. &#8212; Mark Twain Speed is fine but accuracy is final. &#8212; Bill Jordan All war is deception. &#8212; Sun Tzu Mental bearing (calmness), not skill, is the sign of a matured samurai. A Samurai therefore should neither be pompous nor arrogant. &#8212; Tsukahara Bokuden&#8221; Unknown transl.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Publish your First Academic Book</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/how-to-publish-your-first-academic-book/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/how-to-publish-your-first-academic-book/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[press]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[publish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[publisher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So, you submitted your PhD successfully and you received the coveted title. You also managed to get a part time teaching job, or a full time job for which you get paid only at a part time rate. Your ex supervisor, your friends, your relatives, your new colleagues, they all have very high expectations of you. They are looking forward to reading your first monograph. On the other hand, you are too aware of the difficulties of satisfying them. It is true that there are too many books out there. Everyone wants to be a published author! However, while the publishing houses are facing financial constraints, the publishers are becoming increasingly more selective. Only a small percentage of the books that have been written will be bound in a volume and will enter triumphantly in the libraries and the bookshops of the world. Yours will be one of them, if you follow the simple steps I will describe here. First of all, you need to chose your publisher carefully. University presses are best suited for your needs at this stage of your career. Check out who published your favourite books in your field in the past ten years. Common sense dictates that the publisher will be interested in producing another volume of the same topic and calibre. While in this process, avoid ALL vanity presses or presses that do not send the manuscript to external readers. These can only harm your future academic career! As a new and unknown author, you need to inspire trust to your publisher. The most effective way to do that is by asking one of your esteemed colleagues for his/her recommendation. Your ex supervisors and/ or the external examiners of your thesis are best suited for this role. They can talk to their own publishers or send to the press your unpublished thesis with the promise that extensive revisions will take place. If they are in no position to help, do not rush into sending your manuscript to the publisher. First of all, you need to build an excellent reputation by publishing several articles and an edited collection of papers. Once your edited book is in the libraries, it will be much easier for you to land a contract for your monograph. Since your recommendation letters are assured or your reputation has been strengthened, you should contact personally the publisher. Start from the top publishers in your field. Do not sell your work short! Even if you met the Acquisitions Editor at a conference, send a brief email stating the topic and giving professional information about you. The prospective publisher will be able to tell you whether (in principle) he is interested in producing such a volume or not. With this letter at hand you can go to future employers and apply for full time jobs. Then it will be time to put together the book proposal. Firstly, you should present the state of the art of your topic by describing briefly the books, which are in the market and their impact on the academic community. Your original contribution to the topic should follow immediately after. Make certain that the publisher, the readers and the general public understand the value of your book and how it will change the way we think about your topic. In addition, you would have to describe the content of the manuscript; so, write down the titles of the chapters and give a summary for each one of them. The publisher will also be interested in the his/her readership, so add a paragraph explaining who will read the volume and why. If you expect it to be used in university courses, by all means, mention it! Do not try to convince them that it addresses the needs of a general readership; rather insist at a targeted audience. Add also information about the length of the manuscript, the photographs and the maps that will be included. This way, the press can estimate the cost of the production. Throughout the proposal be clear, truthful and simple (not simplistic). Send also your cv and at least one chapter. Send the proposal to one press at the time. I know that you are stressed about the publication and that you would have preferred to send it to a multitude of publishers but I would still advise against it. Bear in mind that publishers occasionally, if not regularly, talk to each other and that sometimes readers are receiving proposals for more than one presses. While you are still in the fever of your search, do not forget that you have to revise your thesis and complete at least 2-3 chapters (if not the entire manuscript) in order to get the coveted contract. Keep in mind that you are writing for a wider audience and not for a committee. Make certain that the book is short, 250-300 pages, and extremely readable. Incorporate in your revisions the feedback you will receive from colleagues or readers (even if they rejected you). Be extremely patient, while you are waiting for the readers’ reports; it may take months before you receive firm answers. When they arrive, the press will offer you (hopefully) a contract and you will be on your way to becoming a published author! If, on the other hand, you book is rejected (God forbid!) do not get desperate. Every time I get rejected I remind myself that this happens because I am at least twenty years ahead of my time! Pick up the pieces and try another press.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Relocation, Relocation: The Fate of an Academic Gypsy</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/relocation-relocation-the-fate-of-an-academic-gypsy/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/relocation-relocation-the-fate-of-an-academic-gypsy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:53:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How to get a job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ancient history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arcaheology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[classics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PhD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relocation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[researcher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=124</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Sunday I went for tango in Market Harborough. There, I have been introduced to a young dancer with excellent leading skills. Curious about his style, I asked him where he took tango lessons. He mentioned that he started in Paris and then he continued in Canada and the UK. Then it was my turn to reveal the whereabouts of my teachers: Ireland, UK, Italy, Germany and Greece. The next question took me by surprise. He asked me: Are you a Researcher? How could he have guessed? Was it my scholarly glasses? My lack of fashion sense? Or my excellent grasp of the English tongue, despite my Greek origins? No, he said. Only researchers travel so much and stay in a place long enough to take tango lessons! So, is this the fate of all Academic researchers? I am sure there are some bright exceptions, who were lucky to study as undergraduates and postgraduates at an Institution that eventually gave them a job. For the rest of us, the road is our only option. As early as the end of your BA, they advise you to seek another university for the completion of your MA studies. And as soon as you get your First, they ask you to move once more, so that you can find a supervisor in yet another university. By that time, you may start wondering whether they dislike you intensely and thus try to get rid of you. I can assure you this is not true. Your teachers probably think that you will need the experience of adapting in a new working environment, since for the rest of your life you will be moving from one city to another, one country to another, or one continent to another. (There are no universities in different planets, yet!) Jobs in Ancient History, Archaeology and Classics are scarce and they are advertised once in a blue moon. When I finished my PhD I sent applications in ca. 30 universities, in 2 different continents, in 4 different countries. The chances of staying in UCL, where I finished my thesis, were negligent and I have not bothered applying not even for a part time post. From then onwards I found out that the only way to stay in Academia was to get whatever was on offer in whatever place it was offered. The repeated moves took their toll, physically, emotionally and socially. Only determination and blind idealism kept me going over the years. Finding a permanent job is not a guarantee that you will stay permanently in the same city either. Sabbaticals are usually spent in foreign countries, excavating, using the libraries, becoming part of laboratories… And when the time comes to ask for a promotion, then another move may be in the horizon. The only opportunity for a researcher to remain in one place and grow roots is after she/he departs for the Underworld. Or is it that also the beginning of a new journey?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Seven Requirements to get an Academic Job.</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/seven-requirements-to-get-an-academic-job/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/seven-requirements-to-get-an-academic-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:14:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How to get a job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[publications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[requirements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ancient Historians are struggling to get their first post after they finish the PhD. The qualified candidates are too many, while the available jobs are always scant. In a previous article I insisted that the one prerequisite for getting a placement in a university is that the applicant should be a “good fit”. Even if this is essentially true for all cases, we should not forget that the competition is stiff and that the prospective candidates should meet also a set of other requirements. 1)      Publish or perish! Although this rule is not a strict prerogative, it would be advisable that the applicant has already published a couple of reviews and a couple of articles. The most prestigious the journal, the more chances s/he has to be noticed. Publishing in edited collections is also acceptable, if the editor is a well known scholar. 2)      In addition, a contract with a university press to publish the thesis could be very helpful. Be careful not to get contracts with vanity presses! They can do more harm than good! 3)      Teaching experience is a must. A few lectures as a visiting scholar, or a tutorial as a PhD student may prove your abilities as a teacher and give you adequate experience that will allow you to face the burden of full time teaching later. 4)      You need to prove that you can network and organize events. Therefore, you should volunteer to co-organize the Ancient History or Classics Seminar in your department, in which you can invite scholars from other universities. Alternatively, you should co-organize a conference on a topic of your choice. If all goes well, you may even manage to put together an edited volume. 5)      The ability to raise funds is probably one of the most important assets you can exhibit. Any type of scholarships, grants or fellowships you acquired over the years should be highlighted. Departments are especially interested in candidates who can bring regular revenue; thus compensating for their salary. Excellent scholars tend to underestimate the power of money and focus only on their publication record. I am certain, though, that hiring committees will take a different view. Do not forget that universities are also business organizations with annual budgets, accountants and managers. 6)      In the current climate you will need to prove your ability to become a competent administrator. Once you have acquired a permanent post in any university, you will be asked to perform administrative tasks. These may involve compiling grades, or organizing the teaching schedule, or arranging for exchanges with the Erasmus program, or coordinating modules, or…. anything really. As the amount of time we spend administering the department increases, so do the job requirements. Therefore, if you manage to hold a part time job as a clerk or administrator in any organization (even for the briefest of times), it will be considered an asset. 7)      In addition to the above, you will need to develop a pleasant personality to match your new position in life. A long list of publications is not the only prerogative to get the much desired post. You will definitely need excellent communication skills, a charming disposition and an ease in making new friends. In order to achieve this you should stop reading blogs, stop commenting on facebook photos and abstain from your continuous string of tweets. Get out of the house and go to the nearest pub! As most academics are also perfectionists, I should offer a word of caution. Try not to get overqualified, while you attempt to meet the above requirements. If you end up having more publications than your future Head of Department or you gain more grants than senior scholars, you will probably be rejected.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What jobs can you do with an Ancient History or Classics degree?</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/what-jobs-can-you-get-with-an-ancient-history-and-classics-degree/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/what-jobs-can-you-get-with-an-ancient-history-and-classics-degree/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:53:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How to get a job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ancient history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[classics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[course]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[degree]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=85</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Contrary to the image I usually project, I do not expect my students to dedicate themselves to a life of poverty in their pursuit of learning Greek or Latin. Instead, I am a firm believer that a course in Ancient History or Classics is only the first step to achieve an illustrious career outside academia. Unfortunately, the direction they may take is not an obvious one. Up to now, when they asked me about the application of their degrees in real life, I tended to joke and claimed that “we are useless to humankind, since all of our customers died centuries ago”. Here I intend to correct this fallacy, and give a list of the professions our graduates follow. Probably the majority of students become educators, after they receive their degree. In my eyes, teaching is not a profession. It is a vocation that can be very rewarding. Because of their love for books, many choose to become librarians. This allows them to continue their avid reading, without having to pay a fortune to bookshops. Historical training and the analysis of ancient processes give the ability to analyse modern events. Journalism, and especially becoming a foreign correspondent, is an excellent application of the skills you would acquire during your university years. However, in order to follow this profession you may need an MA in Journalism. Until then, you may pursuit blogging. You should not dismiss the skills you get, when you write your essays. I always insist on grammar and syntax and all the tedious little details that make a script enjoyable to read. Once you master the English language it will not be difficult to find a job as a copy editor, editor, or technical author. Traditionally, classics graduates in the UK enter public services and become competent administrators. Under the current economic circumstances, this may be an excellent idea. In addition, private businesses (e.g. banks) are always in need of graduates that will become part of their administrative mechanism. If you do not find the safety of a monthly salary appealing, then you can start your own business. For this choice you will need two additional prerequisites: a) a passion for something outside the sphere of ancient history and b) some entrepreneurial skills (which normally cannot develop in a university environment). Since I find this career path especially interesting (albeit difficult), I will talk about this possibility in more detail over the next few months. Working with primary material is another skill that can be turned into a job. Many graduates will opt for becoming archivists or even museum curators, after they receive the appropriate postgraduate training. Politics is another sphere you may choose to enter. Your acumen in the analysis of current affairs (or ancient ones), your eloquence (after all you read Cicero’s speeches) and your ideals (I am sure you did not become an ancient historian because you expected a financial return) will turn you into an excellent professional politician. Also, if you can speak a couple of languages, you may pursuit a career as a Diplomat or International Relations specialist. If you fail in your aspirations to get in the limelight, you can always work as a public policy analyst. Corporate organizations will be glad to hire classicists or ancient historians in sectors such as marketing, human resources and project management. Look for companies with a strong business philosophy in need of graduates with analytical skills and uncommon sense. And make certain that you have some hands on experience in a local company before you apply for such a post. After all, in these cases experience always counts more than any ‘First Class’ degree you may get. The ones who enjoy travelling should definitely follow a career as a tour planner or guide. This way you will get all the free trips your heart desires and you will meet a range of interesting people. Other less known professions, you can follow are: stockbroker, IT programmer, event coordinator, translator or interpreter, police investigator. For all of these you will need additional training but the effort will be worth it, if you heart is at it. I wish you good luck in whatever you chose! Just make certain that you follow your passions and your future happiness will be assured!]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>50</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Academic Prostitution</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-prostitution/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-prostitution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:27:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belle de jour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[london]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PhD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prostitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=60</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I admit I was fascinated by the story of Belle de Jour, the high class call girl, who became famous through her blog, book and TV series. I may not have read the book but I was fanatic about, initially, the blog and, then, the series, in which a sassy Billy Piper lives the high life in vibrant London. Throughout this time I thought that Belle was a fictitious character born by the perverse imagination of a male author. You can guess my surprise and subsequent curiosity when I found out not only that she is made of flesh and blood but also that she is a respected scientist in the University of Bristol. A colleague that crossed the river of respectability and attempted the unimaginable! I was not alone in my reaction. The story excited the imagination, if not the sexual fantasies, of a number of academics who got engaged in a heated debate about the topic. As it became known that Belle entered the profession during the last year of her PhD, there were concerns about the financial situation of our postgraduate students. Does Academia push them to prostitution in order to complete their research? Conveniently, Belle answered a resounding No! She claimed that she did not finance her studies through her nocturnal adventures. After all, the fees for her PhD were paid over the first three years, while the fourth probably came for free. And yet, how many PhD students do you know that finish within the allocated time? At least in ancient history the fourth year is almost obligatory, as statistics would indicate. Despite the fact that a thesis takes longer than expected, research councils continue to fund only the first three years. Should we be surprised that some of our students would turn to other means for their survival? During their final year they desperately need three things: money for food, time to write and company to keep their sanity. What are their options?  If they get a job it will take them longer to submit their work, with dire consequences for their career. If they opt for the part time option, they will end up malnourished (a friend of mine survived on potatoes and pasta for the good part of the last 6 months).  And if they chose to enjoy the company of other human beings, they will lose both time and money. Belle found the perfect solution: a part time job that provided for her welfare, allowed her time to do research and brought her in physical contact with men. Who can suggest anything better?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Academic Jobs in Ancient History</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-jobs-in-ancient-history/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-jobs-in-ancient-history/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:26:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How to get a job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ancient history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postdoc]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=33</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I took notice of a THES blog written by the Insecure Scholar. He lamented the fact that he is receiving invitations to teach at universities as a guest lecturer but none of these institutions is willing to give him a permanent job. At a moment of frustration I answered that he may be the best scholar in the world but this does not mean that universities are willing to pay money for his scholarly skills. Unfortunately, I have not expanded on this idea and this may have caused uncertainties. I intend to clarify here what I meant. I am not insensitive to the needs and disappointments of the Insecure Scholar. After all I was in his/her shoes until comparatively recently. I spent four years after my PhD trying to get Postdoctoral Fellowships and a series of part-time jobs in order to survive (both in physical and professional terms). During this time I was trying to get a permanent job in Ireland, the Celtic Tiger of the European Union. I kept applying and reapplying for every available post but my efforts did not yield any positive results. Every time I was rejected I looked back at my cv. Initially, I thought that my articles and forthcoming-contracted books were not adequate for the post. Or, maybe, my considerable teaching experience did not meet the strict standards of the Irish Universities! Of course, when I realized that the successful candidates have not even finished their PhDs, my confusion reached unprecedented levels. I consider myself fortunate to have landed a job in Leicester, after sending my second application for a post in a British University. Now, from the inside, I realize that UK Universities are not that different from the Irish ones. A list of publications and part-time teaching posts under no circumstances do they guarantee a post in ancient history. I have seen so many excellent candidates over the last few years. All of them send one application after another and get one interview invitation after another, without being able to get a contract or permanent position. The reasons for being rejected are as many as the candidates themselves. They may have too many or too few publications or articles in the wrong journals or wrong edited collections. Or their topic may not be exactly what the department is looking for. Or they may be too traditional or too modern. Or they may be coming from countries outside the European Union. Or&#8230; In a nutshell, they do not “fit”. UK Universities are desperate to find a combination of attributes in each candidate, which will prove that s/he will easily integrate himself/herself in the department. Once the scholar is integrated s/he will have to prove that s/he can contribute financially to the glory of the department. So, please, do not despair, if the job does not come up immediately after you finish your PhD. There is not one recipe that may guarantee a post. There is, of course, advice one can give e.g. on writing a cover letter or on presenting yourself in an interview. Beyond that, it is anybody’s guess, who will be hired.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Academic Administration. Good or Evil?</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-administration-good-or-evil/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/academic-administration-good-or-evil/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:59:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[procrastination]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Don’t you just love administration? And I do not mean “like”. I mean absolutely loving every minute you spend in front of your computer, downloading forms, filling them up and then sending them off to cyberspace. Did you ever wish you had more administrative tasks to complete? Did you ever look back at your long and arduous day hoping that you had one more report to fill before you went to bed? I know I did. No I am not perverse. I just came up with the perfect solution to a very difficult problem. I started to use administration the same way I use meditation. The benefits of meditation are well known. There are several studies indicating the part of the brain they affect. By now, we understand fairly well how meditation slows the brain, clarifies the thoughts, helps us focus on the “here and now” and balances the emotions. In effect, it empties the mind from unwanted negative thoughts and gives new meaning to life. I cannot possibly support the theory that administration benefits us in exactly the same way as meditation. However, I can inform you that it has one similar effect. It empties the brain. The past few years I noticed that every time I fill a new form or write down a complicated report my brain stops functioning in its full capacity. In the beginning I felt frustrated. As time passed by, though, I learned how to use this effect to its full advantage. By now, when I want to rest from the demanding article I write or the dissertation I am correcting, I turn to the most tedious administrative task that is pending. Within minutes any clever forthcoming thoughts die on the spot. Another way to use administration is as a meaningful form of procrastination. When the ultimate theoretical model eludes me, when the trip to the library in Cambridge or London seems way to long, when writing does not flow, I need to procrastinate. Nevertheless, procrastination allows feelings of guilt to arise. Unless, of course, I occupy myself with something productive. And what can be more productive than administrative work? It immediately boosts my self esteem, I become more confident and definitely happier. And when I am happy, I spread joy to the world. I become the perfect colleague, friend and confidant. In fact, sometimes outside my office door you will even see the sign “Please Disturb”. So, I have one advice to the vice chancellors of the world who suggest that academics should undertake more administration: By all means, give as more! As soon as procrastination becomes our best friend, as soon as our brain cells become dead, we will fully qualify for the highest echelons of the British Academia.]]></description>
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