Hi guys (and girls?),  I have also some doubts concerning the impact of this discussion, not so much because of language limitations but more because of the limited circle of involved who want to discuss at all… we all run into each other all the time, already knowing what's going on… and who feels comfortable with the current situation probably prefers to stay silent anyway (this is not to lessen this effort to provoke a discussion, of course).  I really miss some kind of discussion concerning Ph.D. studies (in arts and humanities) in general. In the last years, several new Ph.D. programs have been established at Czech art schools. However, I'm getting the impression that these institutions are not quite sure about its concept (and purpose), involvement of the students in their academic activities is very limited (for various reasons, usually lack of interest either on the side of institution or student, mostly both), and most people thus accept Ph.D. study as a good source of some regular income and plunge into self-education to work up to the degree; certainly not feeling as a part of the team. (I'm inspired by my local Ph.D. experiences, first at Art History Department of Charles University, now at FAMU) What's also alarming is the lack of theoretical education at the local art schools (and many of the humanities departments), considered an - quite irrelevant - appendix to the studio (or history) classes. Some here still seem to believe that too much theory is harmful for the artists. Artist/theoretician division is being broken down at the most advanced art departments. Since this is a small country, more cooperation and flexibility btw. schools and departments is needed. Instead of medium-limited courses or purely technical ones, ideal graduate class is concept-based, drawing on various resources and also explaining history, context, and politics of the tools, resulting in hybrid presentations, "morpholios" combining some writing + heterogeneous art work, mixed according to personal taste. I'm tired of all these "Introduction to…", "Chapters from…", or "History of…" kinds of historically- (and often rather simple-mindedly) approached classes. Or the same classes running for several years without any new ideas or bibliography included, or even without changing the questions at the exams…  (How's this possible?)  I agree that "floating" university with all the creative people around is beautiful idea but I'm afraid that most of the people are more earthbound and choose not to avoid academies totally, also because they do not want to close the doors to grants, scholarships and all these degree-based money. So maybe the question is – how to involve in the discussion also the people who don't want to discuss but perhaps should? It's hard to start outside-institutional educational alternatives in the context where the quality academic education in new media is not yet established. This brings about a paradoxical situation in which the ones who otherwise would probably function in an alternative sphere should try to flood the institutions with some creative pollution and make them more alternative… Not that I would have a recipe, lo siento amigos... L. <div>2007/6/30, Palo Fabuš <<a href="mailto:palo.fabus@gmail.com">palo.fabus@gmail.com</a>>:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> I absolutely agree. And I probably didn't express myself clearly, because this is not a thing I was pointing to. I just wanted to offer a little doubt of effectivness of this discussion. Because it should comply with it's instrumental purpose: as to motivate some changes. And if we are already applying the conditions of state we would like to reach by this discussion, then is probably something wrong. If you are about to convince people that English is imporant, you can't speak to them in English, do you? But speaking English is just a partial problem. Our hermetic approach of casting out the non-speakers from discussion might complicate more of the initial issues to be solved. But any of these arguments are obviously useless if every potential reader (and potential agent of proposed structural changes) of this mailing list speaks english. But does (s)he? pf On 6/30/07, givan bela <<a href="mailto:g@13m3.sk">g@13m3.sk</a>> wrote: > > Hi Palo, > > What I think is a problem in general in czech and slovak repubics in > learning and teaching media art properly (and not only in that area of > course) is the level of understanding of particularly english and > german of the students, which is an obstacle to understanding theory > and practical information about media art itself. Since the local > publications merely scratch the surface and on top of that are mostly > dated, a student or teacher who is not able to read in english, german, > etc.. is literally handicapped scientifically and artistically today. I > do believe that local situations and questions are important but the > way we deal with them is equally important. Furthermore it becomes a > very claustrofobic situation when one does not see relationships and > contradictions in local situations in a wider area, and how these are > discussed in general - and I am afraid the better analysis and > hypotheses are not formulated primarily in czech or slovak, but ... in > english these days... (I found out also that german translations to and > from english are very quick in being published, so that is a partial > solution...) - personally I was shocked about the level of discussion > and insight, with +20 year old (and older)) art students over the last > years due to the language problem - and that points for sure to a real > existing "local" problem that should be looked into asap! > > > Foreign language is important, but it should not be an obstacle in > > discussing local questions. > > _______________________________________________ > mtp-teoria mailing list > <a href="mailto:mtp-teoria@13m3.sk">mtp-teoria@13m3.sk</a> > <a href="http://13m3.sk/mailman/listinfo/mtp-teoria"> http://13m3.sk/mailman/listinfo/mtp-teoria</a> > _______________________________________________ mtp-teoria mailing list <a href="mailto:mtp-teoria@13m3.sk">mtp-teoria@13m3.sk</a> <a href="http://13m3.sk/mailman/listinfo/mtp-teoria"> http://13m3.sk/mailman/listinfo/mtp-teoria</a> </blockquote></div>