Educational Exchange Programs
Study of the United States Institution Program Overview
Study of the United States Institutes
The deadline for this program has passed for 2009. Please check back in January 2010.
Ameerika saatkond kutsub kõrgkoolide õppejõude kandideerima kuuenädalasele enesetäienduskursusele 2009. aasta suvel järgmistes valdkondades:
1) American Civilization
2) American Politics and Political Thought
3) Contemporary American Literature
4) U.S. Foreign Policy
5) Journalism and Media
6) Religious Pluralism in the United States
Allpool on toodud kõikide kursuste täpsemad kirjeldused ning kandideerimistingimused.
Kandideerimiseks palub Ameerika saatkond täita kandideerimisvormi ning saata elektrooniliselt Ameerika saatkonda 15. jaanuariks 2009. Kontaktisik on Jane Susi, susij@state.gov.
Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) are intensive post-graduate level academic programs with integrated study tours whose purpose is to provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to deepen their understanding of American society, culture and institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic institutions abroad.
Pending ECA grant approval, the institutes will take place at various colleges and universities throughout the United States over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2009.
A. SUSI on American Civilization will provide a multinational group of 18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. The program examines some of the critical historical epochs, movements, issues and conflicts that have influenced the development of the U.S. nation and its people and includes a strong contemporary component, particularly current political, social, and economic issues and debates. The complexity and heterogeneous nature of American society is highlighted, as well as the institutions and values that have enabled the nation to accommodate that diversity. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at New York University.
B. SUSI on American Politics and Political Thought will provide a multinational group of 18 foreign university faculty with a deeper understanding of U.S. political institutions and major currents in American political thought. The institute will provide the participants insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced modern American political institutions. The institute will provide an overview of political thought during the founding period (constitutional foundations), and the development and current functioning of the American presidency, Congress and the federal judiciary. The examination of political institutions will include the electoral system, political parties and interest groups, the civil service system, media and think tanks, and the welfare/regulatory state. The institute will address modern political and cultural issues in the United States (including but not limited to civil rights, women's rights, immigration, etc.), and the significance of public discourse in the formulation of public policy. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
C. SUSI on Contemporary American Literature will provide a multinational group of up to 18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of contemporary American literature. Its purpose is twofold: to explore contemporary American writers and writing in a variety of genres; and to suggest how the themes explored in those works reflect larger currents within contemporary American society and culture. The program will explore the diversity of the American literary landscape, examining how major contemporary writers, schools and movements reflect the traditions of the American literary canon. At the same time, the program will expose participants to writers who represent a departure from that tradition, and who are establishing new directions for American literature. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of Louisville.
D. SUSI on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide a multinational group of 18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented with an emphasis on the post Cold War period. This institute will begin with a review of the historical development of U.S. foreign policy and cover significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have dominated U.S. foreign policy. In addition, the institute will explain the role of key players in the field of foreign policy, including the executive and legislative branches, the media, public opinion, think-tanks, non-governmental and international organizations and how these players debate, cooperate, influence policy, and are held accountable. Regional sessions, for the entire group, highlighting salient topics such as energy security and environmental policy in Europe; trade and human rights issues in Asia; foreign aid and humanitarian assistance in Africa; drug trafficking and immigration issues for the Western Hemisphere; and combating terrorism in the Near East and South Asia are among the relevant issues that might be explored. In addition, sessions focusing on current issues such nuclear disarmament, the Middle East peace process, or U.S. military actions would be appropriate. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
E. SUSI on Journalism and Media will provide a multinational group of 18 journalism faculty and other related specialists with a deeper understanding of the role of journalism and the media in U.S. society. It will examine major topics in journalism, including the concept of a "free press," First Amendment rights, and the media's relationship to the public interest. The legal and ethical questions posed by journalism will be incorporated into every aspect of the institute. The institute will cover strategies for teaching students of journalism the basics of the tradecraft: researching, reporting, writing, and editing. The program will also highlight technology's impact on journalism, addressing the influence of the internet, the globalization of the news media, the growth of satellite television and radio networks, and other advances in media that are transforming the profession. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
F. SUSI on Religious Pluralism in the United States will provide a multinational group of up to 18 foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of religious pluralism in the United States and its intersection with American democracy. Employing a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on fields such as history, political science, sociology, anthropology, law and others where appropriate, the program will explore both the historical and contemporary relationship between church and state in the United States. Participants will examine the following aspects of religious pluralism in the United States: the ways in which religious thought and practice have influenced, and been influenced by, the development of American-style democracy; the intersections of religion and politics in the United States in such areas as elections, public policy, and foreign policy; and the sociology and demography of religion in the United States today, including a survey of the diversity of contemporary religious beliefs and its impact on American politics. Pending ECA grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Conditions and Information:
- Through the grant to the host institutions, all participant costs, including: program administration; domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, housing and subsistence, mailing, and incidental allowances are covered. U.S. Embassy covers the travel costs.
- Typically, participants will have a private room with a shared bathroom during the residency portion( four weeks) of the institute, and will have to share a hotel room during the study tour (up to two weeks). Housing will typically be in college or university owned housing. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own. Full details will be provided once the grants have been approved.
- Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State's coverage of $50,000 with a $25 deductible for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
- Program Requirements and Restrictions: Participants are expected to participate fully in the program. They are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends cannot accompany participants on any part of the program. Please note that teaching methodology and pedagogical methods will not be addressed formally in the institute. Candidates should be made aware that they are applying for an intensive institute and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program.
- Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly-motivated and experienced professionals from institutions of higher education. While the educational level of participants will likely vary, most should have graduate degrees and have substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute.
- The ideal candidate will also be an experienced professional with little or no prior experience in the United States, whose home institution is seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the subject of the institute, to enhance and update existing courses on the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies areas related to the program theme. In this respect, while the nominee's scholarly and professional credentials are an important consideration, an equally important factor is how participation in the institute will enhance course offerings in U.S. studies at the nominee's home institution.
APPLICATION FORM
A.First Name:
Middle Name:
Surname(s):
(Clearly identify the nominee's first, middle and surnames as they appear on his/her passport.)
B. Date of Birth (please spell out Month, Day, Year)
C. City of Birth
D. Country of Birth
E. Country of Residence
F. Country(ies) of Citizenship
G. Home Address, Telephone and E-mail
H. Gender
I. Medical, Physical, Dietary or other Personal Considerations: Please state if the candidate has any existing medical conditions or is currently taking any prescription medication. This will not affect candidate selection, but will enable the host institution to make any necessary accommodations.
J. Current Position and Title
K. Current Institutional Affiliation and complete address
L. Work Experience, including previous positions and titles
M. Education, Academic and Professional Training, including degree earned and fields of specialization
N. Active Professional Memberships
O. Publications (please do not list any more than 10)
P. Previous Experience in the United States: Please list any and all trips the candidate has made to the United States and include approximate dates and the reason for travel.
Q. Family Residing in the United States: Please list any immediate family members who are currently residing in the United States, including city and state.
T. Personal Statement (no more than one page)