WEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040089-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 89
• Publication Date: July 2, 1959
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040089-8
C)ffice Memorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Acting Chief, Language and Area School DATE: 2 July 1959
FROM : Deputy Chief, Area Training
SUBJECT: Weekly Activities Report
A. SIGNIFICANT ITEMS
None to report.
OTI-IER ACTIVITIES
1. First meeting of the new inter-agency roundtable on area training
was satisfactory in every way. We struck "pay dirt" in the unexpectedly
numerous suggestions for exchange of teaching aids and information use-
ful in the administration of the program. A complete report has been
submitted to you for DTR.
2. East Asia - RS # l,which was handled entirely by was
completed on 29 June with a three-hour examination. This course
heavily emphasized contemporary problems of concern to the Agency
and opened the way to a new approach in these regional courses, stress-
ing a comparative analysis of the roles of the countries. _'A full re-
J _L F
-
proposes to hold with'class members and various FE supervisors. The
written critiques reflected the students' unanimous appreciation of
the value of the course and their unusually fine spirit is indicated
by one member's invitation to the group to attend a sta arty in the
near future. Familiar problems which, we agree with are major
ones - are the uneven quality of presentations by guest lecturers and the
inability of the class to find adequate time for essential outside read-
ings - including much classified material on contemporary themes. The
class overwhelmingly supports Oconclusion that guest specialists
should be used almost exclusively as panelists joining in class discuss-
ions, rather than for formal presentations. Attrition was exceptionally
heavy in this course, which was completed by only eight of the 13 who
were enrolled. Of the eight, 3 were DDP and four were GS-13's or above.
3. Central Europe course, which has two weeks left to go, has
reached its more sophisticated thems, such as "Stalinism and Revisionism"
and "Long-term Economic Trends" in the CEP countries. On the former theme,
we were most fortunate to have as a panel leader, who is
25 YEAR : _
RE-REV'S`AI
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040089-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040089-8
PP Staff specialist on this subject. C/E,i Ihas
spoken warmly to of his interest in the course. A `field trip`"
to the R&S Library has helped the students prepare for their own
presentations of specific problems, with their conclusions, in the
final sessions of the course.
4. Our first session in the AAO
cues for inter-personal contacts
by the class of eight an b TO EE
session. The panelists,
unusual depth of experien
devoted exclus
was very we
ively to
ll received
tended this
have had an
and were admirably articulate,
but on the next time round, in September, we shall pair
off with a recent returnee whose viewpoint is closer to
group members.
one of them
that of the
5. A disconcerting note in this course offering was the complete
absence of dependents despite the enrollment of two wives. DC/EE
eems particularly anxious to have all dependents take this
briefing and has promised to apply pressure in an early EE staff
meeting.
6. A phone chat with C/WE opens the way to a solution
of another urgent problem in the AAQ category) which is to find a way
to give the inter-personal relations briefing to those going to the
smaller posts for the first time. Our AAO's covering these posts
have been generally limited to topics of a regional scope, in order
to combine the small numbers involved at any time. The inter-personal
relations briefing,however, must be tailored to a specific foreign country
or group of Closely similar countries. WE will cooperate with our effort
to obtain a sufficiently larize ou to give such a briefing on each of
the middle-size posts once a year. This can be
accomplished by rounding up every possible dependent, clerical and
junior professional who is likely to be assigned to the post in question
at a future date, regardless of whether the necessary field opening is
in view.
7. A valuable asset for the inter-personal contacts briefings, which
we have begun to build, is a collection of slides of foriegn peoples,
which will serve to illustrate cultural and temperamental differences.
The Human Relations Area Files at American University are likely to be
one of our outstanding sources for this purpose.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040089-8