Natural Science Forum / Physics / General Physics / July 2008

Dear Newsgroup:

I have a lot written about power struggle and influence of a few in
academic instructions and in some degree explained my point of view
about their operations.

You may wonder how their mechanism of influence is channeled in the
academia.

One way of concentration would be on the issues of race, religion and
nationally of faculty members.

With my experience of a quarter century in this domain, I would say
most attention would be given to those factors in the first place
rather than merit.

They are mostly interested in visible minority applicants particularly
those from India and China (in the USA and Canada).

The next group is from Eastern Europe such as Poland and Russia and
Hungry.

These individuals under the clause of “minority groups” placed in the
academia and sometimes in position of power to enhance powers of those
few to control the institutions of higher learning.

I have no objection at all to hire faculty from these groups, but if
the primarily intention of administrators centered for interests of a
few over others then that will be a serious issue.

I see so many Chinese on the position of power ranging from chairs of
math departments to NSF Funding positions, etc.

When China entered WTO, it has put its illegal trade influence in many
countries around the world (without any attention to some of its
obligations), and created a crisis in American economy.

We need an over all review of hiring of above groups in academia and
place a serious restrictions on their ranks and positions.

In Basti Newsgroups we have no “quotas” in enrolment but also I hope I
will mange to put stop to control of a few over others in the
newsgroups (in a broad sense) under the pretext of freedom of
expression act.

Dr.Mehran Basti