Social Sciences in War: The Cost of Being There Complex Terrain Lab
Via Michael Innes at the link above comes news that Michael Bathia, a social scientist with the US Army’s Human Terrain System, has been killed in Afghanistan.
In Memory of Michael Vinay Bhatia ‘99
Michael Bhatia
May 08, 2008
Michael Vinay Bhatia ’99 died yesterday in Afghanistan, where he as working as a social scientist in consultation with the US Defense Department.
In addition to graduating magna cum laude in international relations from Brown University, Michael was a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute from July 2006 to June 2007. At the Institute, he was involved in a research project on Cultural Awareness in the Military, while also writing his PhD dissertation.
Over several years, Michael’s research and humanitarian work took him to such conflict zones as Sahrawi refugee camps, East Timor, and Kosovo, in addition to Afghanistan.
Of his work in Afghanistan, Michael wrote in November: “The program has a real chance of reducing both the Afghan and American lives lost, as well as ensuring that the US/NATO/ISAF strategy becomes better attuned to the population’s concerns, views, criticisms and interests and better supports the Government of Afghanistan.”
Michael Bhatia was writing his PhD at Oxford University. He had also done work for the International Policy Institute here at King’s College London. He also taught in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University where I did my BA and MA degrees. Sadly, I never met him. I have the greatest respect for Michael Bhatia and people like him who are prepared to lend their vitally-needed expertise on the ground exposed to danger. Rest in peace.
A moving personal tribute at The QWU Blog
If you google Mike, you’ll read a lot about his scholarly work around the world, especially in Afghanistan. Mike was a true academic, but in many ways he was more like Indiana Jones. Mike didn’t sit around and do research. He spent his time in the field: in Kosovo, East Timor, Afghanistan and more. Mike was a genius.
More at Ghosts of Alexander
Friday, 9, May, 2008 at 3:03 pm |
[...] Michael Innes has a good selection of links and commentary on the death in Afghanistan of HTT social scientist Michael Bhatia at CTLab (see also David Betz at Kings of War). [...]
Friday, 9, May, 2008 at 4:25 pm |
[...] Kings of War on Michael Bhatia Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Guest Blogger: MichelleThis won’t get me a raise…IMac Fire [...]
Saturday, 10, May, 2008 at 2:40 am |
[...] of Being There – Complex Terrain Laboratory Michael Bhatia Killed in Khost – Ghosts of Alexander Social Scientist Killed in Afghanistan – Kings of War ‘Human Terrain’ Social Scientist Killed in Afghanistan – Danger Room In [...]
Tuesday, 13, May, 2008 at 12:11 am |
He died while participating in the highly controversial and dubious Human Terrain System, the Pentagon’s program which places researchers with military units in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The program in which he was participating has been criticized by many scholars who fear that it turns research findings against the communities who have been studied.
His research findings on the local communities were being deliberately used by him and the US army to target and kill those communities.
Compromising morality for the sake of your doctoral dissertation is unacceptable. In some cases like this one, it gets you bombed by unhappy locals.
Tuesday, 13, May, 2008 at 8:03 pm |
I don’t know who you are Kyrie, but go find another place to be self-righteous and insult dead people.
Tuesday, 13, May, 2008 at 9:13 pm |
Kyrie,
Your a fool.
I just left Afghanistan with the 82nd AB DIV and had the privledge of serving with Mike. The HTT (Human Terrain Team) that Mike worked with did more to prevent direct (combat) action on the Afghans in the AO he served. His knowledge of the targetd audience (The Afghan People), his understanding of their culture and his work to educate the soldiers and commanders on the ground to better address issues through means, other then combat, were instrumental to our deployment.
For you to simply toss out crap you have no knowledge of is pretty pathetic.
Monday, 19, May, 2008 at 12:25 pm |
Brown Alumni Monthly Tribute to Michael Bhatia:
http://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/obituaries/the_loss_of_a_heart_and_a_mind_1981.html
Sunday, 14, September, 2008 at 5:24 am |
I have only just found out ref Mike, I worked with Mike briefly while I was consultating for a NGO thruout Sth East Region.
He is a true hero and I will remember him always. He helped my small team immensely and his passing only makes me come back to AFG to fight the cause even further.
Mike bless you
Dave G
Sunday, 8, March, 2009 at 12:01 am |
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