It was plainly a saturation course, but whereas skeptical educators could see evils in this revolutionary type of schooling, its results amazed the educational world. The graduates of the short courses, it was found, were often better equipped than the regular college student to tackle the complexities of the Far East.

When hostilities with Japan ended in 1945, many returning veterans were increased in either beginning or continuing their studies of the Far East. Working through G.I. Bill benefits, these order, more mature students forced colleges throughout the country to expand their departments in the field of Asia. Here at Harvard, where the ASTP had worked so well, the University decided to retain the China-Japan program under the name of the Regional Program on East Asia.

In 1946 when the program was officially begun, a large number of applicants applied for admission into the two year M.A. curriculum. At that time, the first chairman, John K. Fairbank, professor of History, was forced to limit the enrollment to 12 students. The East Asia program had no funds of its own, and had to work within a restricted budget. These financial limitations still present hardships to the program today, with only about five scholarships available, all from general University resources.

Reischauer Chairman

Professor Fairbank remained at the head of the program through its early years, stepping down from the chairmanship in 1953, and making room for his colleague, Edwin O. Reischauer, of Far Eastern Languages. With Reischauer doing scholarly research this year, James R. Hightower, associate professor of Far Eastern Languages, has taken over temporarily. According to Hightower, the program still restricts its enrollment to about 12 students a year because it could not accept more and still keep up the high standard of work that has characterized the study group.

There is also a placement problem, Hightower adds, that does not affect the other study groups so acutely. With China closed to Americans, there are very few businesses that are looking for people in this field. This leaves the government and education as the main sources of employment.

But even in education, Hightower explains, there are few openings. "There was a great need for teachers right after the war but now the colleges have ceased expanding their Asian studies and most posts are filled by capable, young men." Therefore, the program tries to accept only as many students as it can place. Of course, it a student wants to go on in education, he generally tries for a Ph.D. in his particular field. But this advanced degree is not secured under the Regional Study Program. If a person is interested in doing doctorate work in Japan's economy, for instance, he would study under the department of Economics.

Although there was a decline in applicants during the days of the McCarthy hearings ("If you had a Harvard degree in Chinese studies you jut couldn't get a job"), Hightower says that in most years there are about the same number of people filling out application forms. About two-thirds of those who apply are accepted, mostly American and non-Harvard B.A., although there are two Harvard and three Radcliffe students enrolled at present.

Accent on Accents

The accent appears to be on language study, Hightower says, because you cannot study a land without knowing its language. At least half of the hours in the first year, and a quarter in the second are spent learning either Japanese or Chinese; Korean was formerly taught, but was dropped last year.

The backbone of the two-year program is the thesis requirement. Each student works on this individual research, and the best are printed in a mimeographed "Papers on China." The topics range from ancient times to the present Chinese Communist Party. The accent, however, is on the modern, not because the school pushes it, but because it seems to appeal to more students.

These student theses have been circulated in libraries throughout the country and have provided scholars with interesting and sometimes illuminating descussions of topics which have not been otherwise fully explored. The whole Far East, in fact, is wide open, a veritable gold mine for the enterprising scholar. M. A. candidates often use their theses as preliminaries to Ph.D. works, and from there, it is hoped, to works of outstanding scholarly merit.

The greatest dilemma of 16 Dunster Street is the presence in the same building of both the Russian Research Center and the Regional Program on the Soviet Union. Both are outstanding educational units, but the former is made up of a mature scholars who work on individual research projects. In the Center are such men as Merle Fainsod, professor of Government and an expert on the workings of the modern Russian state. Most of these scholars have at least a Ph.D. and have already published works of note.

Russian Contact?

But the Regional group is a teaching program which leads up to a M.A. degree. The students, for the most part, only have B.A.s and are more concerned with mastering the language than in writing a book. Yet, the Center is very close to this group, because the Center's faculty members are also the Regional Study's teachers.