(First sent out on email to the students of MESPOM 06-08)

Dear classmates,

This mail is a result of considerable thought.

Since 'Environment' is as cross-disciplinary as an imminently important academic pursuit can get, MESPOM is a very good idea. If there are any deterrents to the fostering and rendering of such ideas, the strongest among them is coordination between institutions and consensus on excellence. These can be sources of numerous problems with diverse facets. To single them out is an easy but useful job. To fix responsibility, on the other hand, is tedious, long and relatively useless - in the short term at any rate, unless the responsibility is fixed inward. The most direct way to deal with institutional problems is to engage those who feel a part of the institutions in question.

I feel a part of MESPOM. We are, indeed, all, central to MESPOM. After reflecting on Wednesday's MESPOM 06 meeting I gravely realized that I have voiced far too many complaints and done precious little about them. I have decided to remedy one of my own constant complaints by living up to one of my own constant brags¹.

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In discussions among students, we often unanimously marvel at the collective wealth of experience gathered in the student body. Surely then, if a course or part thereof disappoints, we can take matters into our hands.

At a meeting, when one of us, on being asked about omissions in MESPOM, remarks that the matter of resource allocation and management among communities has been hitherto ignored, I am surprised to note that the person making the remark, a friend, is actually quite capable of instructing the class on the subject. Then I think, if she arranges joint case presentations with two other students, who both have more experience than me in this area anyway, we will actually have a condensed lecture, the kind I immensely prefer to a 30 hour workload².

Let's begin a series in this, our last semester together. To keep it simple, let's keep it 'by offer' rather than 'by invitation'. If one of us feels competent to discuss a widely relevant topic commonly agreed to have been ignored, omitted or underemphasized, let them offer a 90 minute talk. Our field is so vast, there is much virgin turf out there.

A warm welcome is extended to those in MS group (through student representatives) that stayed back in Budapest and can somehow spare the time, to both, offer lectures and participate.

1 To launch this series, I offer a 75 minute workshop-styled talk on writing 'Policy Memos', a much valued practical skill that was included in the syllabus of Semester 2-A but regrettably could not be covered adequately. I assure you I shall diligently research and attempt to cover advances since my closely related work. A tentative date is Friday the 11th of May. If more than 10 show interest or at least 5 commit to attend, I shall confirm the date on a page dedicated to this series at www.MESPOM.eu .

If this particular talk does not attract enough participants, I propose the series should nevertheless be launched with another offer. Also, whether or not the above talk is held, the material may go up in some form on the said website, since I have already begun work on it. Further work can develop into an 'Open Courseware' section on the website; most leading universities have them.

Depending on the progress of this initiative, we may take up a similar, less formal, presentation series on "Country Profiles".

May I earnestly request the following (from all classmates except MS group, who may use emails):

1) Discussion about the total futility or any scant merit of this initiative be taken up on the Google group Mespom06 and NOT by reply to this email.
2) Offers or suggestions about future topis and speakers be posted to the relevant forum at MESPOM.eu, to be shortly opened.
3) Expression of interest and any subsequent negotiation about dates be confined to private correspondence between speakers and participants.

If you have read to this point, many thanks and regards.

Sincerely,
Sachin Kumar

CC to:

• Dr Mnatsakanian, for information and consideration
• Dr Cherp, for information and consideration
• Mr Baratashvili, for information and further communication to the now busier MS group
• Ms Margaryan, for information
• Mr Perneczky, for information and further communication to the MS group

2 Short lectures about new things may be attractive enough for some of us. Can the rest be lured to "credit-less" 90 minutes? Are there any examples of international universities granting credits or even transcript mentions of internal lectures within the student group? I prefer to look at it this way: The Policy Memo will be an assumed skill after a glance at a typical MESPOM transcript. The name of the course implies a great breadth of understanding. This is a chance to be truer to that implication.