Thursday, July 23, 2009

JOINT RESEARCH PROJECT

After the success of the first Joint Research Project (JRP), the Executive Board of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association, in cooperation with the Atlantic Treaty Association is launching the Second JRP Program.

The Initiative aims at: a) contributing to discussion and debate at the ATA/YATA General Assembly in Kiev, October 7-10, 2009; b) reinforcing transatlantic efforts to promote Alliance value among the successor generation.

In 2009, NATO’s 60th anniversary provides a valuable opportunity to reappraise the Alliance’s accomplishments and anticipate the challenges that confront history’s most successful military alliance in the 21st century.

YATA would like to hereby promote the creation of 3 joint research teams, formed by young talented students or professionals, coming from YATA member countries. The team members will work together on one of the three topics listed below, under the supervision of a Tutor (chosen by the Vice-president for Education) and a senior expert (not compulsory). Furthermore, the YATA Board will provide the appropriate communication tools for completing the research.

Prospective candidates are welcome to apply for elaborating on one of the following topics:
• Communicate the outcomes of NATO’s Strategic Concept;
• Atlanticism Beyond Borders;
• Social Media and the Atlantic Community.

The “application packages” are to be sent to jointresearch2009@gmail.com until August 6, 2009. The package should include the following:
• application form (sent out to each YATA chapter via mail);
• CV;
• One page long abstract of the chosen topic (font type: times new roman, font size: 12, one & half spaced);
• a recommendation from the national YATA chapter.

According to the selection criteria, all applicants must fit the following requirements:
• is a member of a national YATA chapter;
• not older than 35;
• has (working or study) experience on the field of the chosen topic;
• writes and speaks fluently in English;
• is planning to participate as an official representative of her/his national YATA Chapter at the General Assembly in Kiev;
Please note that only two delegates per national chapters will be reimbursed in Kiev, and there will not be an exception for JRP participants.
• is willing to coop with her/his JRP paper on a daily basis.

Applicants will be notified about the decision not later than August 9, 2009. Two applicants per topic will be asked to start working on the paper. Each selected applicant will receive the contact details of her/his co-worker and of the Tutor (a YATA member, requested by the Vice-president for Education) responsible for the given topic.

JRP participants will have to submit a project summary by August 26, 2009. The project summary must contain the following information:
• 2 pages long draft of the paper with at least 10 reliable sources;
• a short CV of the senior expert (at least 35 years old, who has teacher and/or researcher of the given topic) asked by the JRP participants to help their project;
• a declaration from the senior expert presented in the project summary – that she or he is willing to give a professional assistance to the project (by August 30, 2009).
Please note that it is not compulsory to have a senior expert.

All JRP papers should be submitted to jointresearch2009@gmail.com by September 27, 2009. Papers have to cover 10-15 pages (font type: times new roman, font size: 12, one & half spaced), citing at least 15-20 sources (please note that each source needs to have a reference in the text). Each paper should have the recommendations of both the Tutor and the senior expert. Besides, each JRP paper needs to have a Power Point version for the presentations before the Kiev GA. Please note that each JRP team shall agree on the person who’s going to present their project.

The Vice-president for Education (together with experienced researchers) will revise the papers and the Power Point presentations, and will send back his suggestions – if necessary – by October 2, 2009.

The finalized versions of the JRP papers’ project summaries (1 page long outline!) and the Power Point presentations should be sent to jointresearch2009@gmail.com by October 5, 2009.

Please note that only the project summaries will be handed out to the attendees at the YATA GA. The JRP presentations would have the role to open the floor for discussions on the given topics.
Thus, a good JRP presentation would:
• supply the audience with enough information to have an overall picture on the topic;
• encourage the audience to debate on the statements delivered, and questions raised by the lecturer.

Nevertheless, JRP papers and presentations should be based on well-founded analysis, and lecturers shall have an adequate knowledge of their subjects!

All attendees will get a chance to reflect on the presented JRPs on an evaluation form, too. This way, JRP participants will have the opportunity to revise their papers based on the suggestions made by the audience, and make a final version of the papers by November 1, 2009.

The papers will be published on the YATA website.

For any other question and for submitting your candidacy, please contact András Hlács at vp-education@atlantic-youth.org or at hlacs.andras.corvinus (Skype), or call the +36-30-676-0947 (mobile phone).

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