Subject: Introduction
From: Seth Spaulding (seths+@pitt.edu)
Date: Mon Apr 19 1999 - 00:12:08 EDT
Ferghana List: Have enjoyed reading messages of others and feel I must
introduce myself. I am a specialist in educational planning, educational
reform, education and development, comparative education and similar
things. I have taught at the University of Pittsburgh for many years and
have been a Director of UNESCO's formal education programs out of Paris and
of the International Bureau of Education in Geneva.
My interest in the Valley is partly because I am interested in education in
nations in transition and also because I was an Asian Development Bank
consultant during a fact-finding mission a couple of years ago in the
Kyrgyz Republic that led to the first ADB loan in education. I was later a
consultant to an ADB project designed to study the impact on health and
education sectors of the structural adjustment programs imposed on the
Kyrgyz Republic by the IMF, the World Bank and other monetary policy
organizations. The study was done through Abt Associates, under contract
with the ADB. During this latter study, I headquartered in Jalal-Abad and
traveled extensively to towns and villages in the province and to some
extent in Osh province. My current work includes co-directing an
ADB-financed educational reform project in Mongolia. We also have had
projects (and continue to work) in China, Laos, Thailand, Bosnia and other
countries.
Many of the problems faced by the Kyrgyz Republic are similar to those
experienced in Mongolia. Mongolia is progressing nicely now, though there
continue to be serious problems. I would like to keep up on what is
happening in the Valley and will be happy to share what is happening in my
work if it is relevant.
I am currently trying to finish up the academic year here at the University
(we finish the term the end of April). At the end of April, I leave
Pittsburgh for six weeks in Asia, including three weeks in Mongolia. I will
not be a regular correspondent during that time, but I will review my
e-mail from time to time and participate in the discussions to the extent
possible.
I have just returned from the Comparative and International Education
Society meetings in Toronto, Canada, where numerous papers were presented
on education in nations in transition (including a session that I chaired
on that topic). Clearly, there is some value in sharing information among
countries in transition and perhaps I can help in that direction.
Warm regards to all on the list.
Seth Spaulding
+++++++++++
Seth Spaulding
Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies
School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Phone: (412) 648-7113; FAX: (412) 648-1784
Home: (412) 621-9098
e-mail: seths+@pitt.edu
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