/ 15 April 2009

Landing a top holiday job in national intelligence

Forget mowing lawns, or thankless corporate internships: How about a two-week holiday gig as an analyst under US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair?

Blair’s office announced on Tuesday it was looking for about 30 smart, motivated students in graduate school or their final year of undergraduate studies for a first-of-its-kind July 13 – July 24 “hands-on seminar”.

However, applicants must be US citizens and at least 21 years old, with a strong academic background and the ability to pass a background security investigation before they study “Political Instability — International Systems in Transition”.

“The programme will include lectures, field trips to agencies and work on an intelligence problem under the direction of analysts drawn from the Intelligence Community,” Blair’s office said in a statement.

“Students who qualify will receive secret-level security clearances for the duration of the seminar,” as well as travel expenses, room and board, course materials, and a $1 000 stipend, the statement said.

The curriculum for the two-week programme will be the brainchild of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC, the deputy US director of national intelligence for analysis, and office of the intelligence community centres for academic excellence. — AFP