Dear Prof Kriegsman,
yes, I believe your remark is certainly true.
I do of course agree with the first point you highlight. It is most sad
that Italy and some other countries as far as I know don't advertise
positions, in as much as their academic systems are peculiarly
...unpractical, at best, and therefore these countries cut themselves off
the international arena. I am only too well aware of the research
environment in Italy..
Yet, it appeared to me that, say, a national of Vietnam, pursuing a
post-doc in Canada, having recently managed to master English (by far the
international language worldwide acknowledged as such) up to a
professional and daily life level, will well feel somewhat ruled out from
an employment opportunity because of the very language. Again, I would
advertise a native-language-only position on local/national newspapers or
the local edition of Science or similar. If I'm going to publish an
employment ad on an international corkboard, more the so if it's a mailing
list (that is meant to cross any boundaries, including those of countries
with ever-changing borders as sometimes wars entail), I will have to be
difference-conscious, so as to respect all differences, beginning from the
most obvious one - cultural. I may of course request/require that, for
teaching purposes, a basic knowledge of the local language is needed
and/or that within 6/12 months the recipient be able to master the
language, but then this would be an entirely obvious request, and one that
is relatively easy to cope with, when one really wants to..
Umberto Fracassi
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Dip.to di Scienze della Terra
Universita' di Firenze
Via I. Nardi, 2
50132 Firenze
Italy
Tel: +39-055-243486
Fax: +39-055-241595
Email: [log in to unmask]
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"This is what you should do: Love the earth and the sun and the animals,
despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid
and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not
concerning god, have patience and indulgence toward people, take off your
hat to nothing known or unknown, or to anyone or number of people
...reexamine all you have been told at school or church, or in any book,
dismiss what insults your soul, and your very flesh shall be a great
poem."
Walt Whitman
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