Mazar-e Sharif -- The U.S. Consulate announces the following academic opportunity offered by the Department of State of the United States of America. Please share this information with any scholars that may be qualified and interested. For more information please read the announcement below. Six-week Intensive Academic Exchange Program Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) for Scholars Deadline: Applications are due by no later than December 20th, 2013 The Public Affairs Section (PAS) is soliciting applications for scholars and professionals to participate Study of the U.S. Institutes for multinational groups of university faculty, scholars, and other related professionals in summer 2014. Institutes for Scholars will be held in the following themes in U.S. Studies: Contemporary American Literature, Journalism and Media, Religious Pluralism in the United States, U.S. Culture and Society, U.S. Foreign Policy, and U.S. Political Thought. English is the language of instruction throughout the institute. Generally, mid-career scholars and professionals with expertise and teaching experience in the fields of English literature, political science, international relations, foreign policy, journalism, and religious pluralism will be considered. The Institutes are projected to take place at various colleges, universities, and institutions throughout the United States over the course of six weeks in the summer of 2014. Nominations will be due to PAS by December 20, 2013 via the [email protected]. We will be selecting one participant for each of the institutes. Institute descriptions Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars 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 U.S. society, culture, and institutions. The ultimate goal of these Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic institutions abroad. Each Scholar Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a two-week integrated study tour. Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars will be held in the following themes: 1. The Institute 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 (U.S.) 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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. The Institute host will be determined at a later date. 2. The Institute on Journalism and Media will provide a multinational group of 18 journalism instructors and other related specialists with a deeper understanding of the roles that journalism and the media play in U.S. society. The Institute will examine the rights and responsibilities of the media in a democratic society, including editorial independence, journalistic ethics, legal constraints, international journalism, and media business models. 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, such as the influence of the internet, the globalization of the news media, the growth of satellite television and radio networks, and other changes in media that are transforming the profession. Pending ECA grant approval, the Institute will be hosted by Ohio University. 3. The Institute 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 and drawing on fields such as history, political science, sociology, anthropology, law, and others, 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 and society. The Institute host will be determined at a later date. 4. The Institute on U.S. Culture and Society will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly-motivated foreign university faculty and other specialists with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions. The Institute will examine the ethnic, racial, social, economic, political, and religious contexts in which various cultures have manifested themselves in U.S. society while focusing on the ways in which these cultures have influenced social movements and American identity throughout U.S. history. The program will draw from a diverse disciplinary base, and will itself provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of U.S. culture and society. Pending ECA grant approval, the Institute will be hosted by New York University. 5. The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of how contemporary U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented. The Institute will include a historical review of significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have shaped U.S. foreign policy. The Institute will explain the role of key players in U.S. foreign policy including the executive and legislative branches of government, the media, the U.S. public, think-tanks, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral institutions. Pending ECA grant approval, the Institute will be hosted by Bard College in New York. 6. The Institute on U.S. Political Thought will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of major currents in U.S. political thought from the colonial period to the present. It will explore the shaping of American identity and the intersection and interplay between that identity and U.S. history and politics. It will cover a broad range of American experiences that have shaped and been shaped by our national identity including, but not limited to, the colonial period, the constitutional founding, the Civil War, industrialization, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights movement. The Institute will also use this lens to explore contemporary U.S. political and social debates and topics relating them back to the formation and development of U.S. political thought. The Institute host will be determined at a later date. Who Can Apply? Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly-motivated and experienced scholars and professionals generally from institutions of higher education or research focused organizations (not-for-profits, think tanks, etc.). 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 or a related field. Ideal candidates are individuals 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. While the nominees scholarly and professional credentials are an important consideration, the potential impact and multiplier effect of the Institute is equally important. Ideal candidates will have little or no prior experience in the United States. English language fluency: It is imperative that all candidates demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding programs; participants will be expected to handle substantial reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the institute. Priority consideration: Study of the U.S. Institutes is highly competitive. Priority will be given to candidates who have firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component; who have no prior or limited experience in the United States; and who have special interest in the program subject areas as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties. In addition, ECA/A/E/USS makes every effort to have both a geographic and gender balance in the makeup of the Institute. How to apply Interested candidates should submit the following: · Application, including personal statement: A link to the application, which includes a section for a personal statement, can be found here · Candidate CV: This document should include the candidate’s current title, position, and institution, work experience, prior training, professional memberships, and publications related to the institute theme. CVs should not/not be longer than three pages. The candidate must complete the application form and submit it by the deadline of December 20th , 2013 to [email protected] . Key Program Information: The final nomination(s) from Mission Afghanistan will be determined by Kabul PAS in accordance with the program objectives and guidelines. Kabul PAS will handle all logistics concerning any accepted nominee’s participation. Please note: · Participants typically 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) with another student of the same gender. Housing will usually 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. · 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. · The U.S. Embassy will arrange economy class round trip international travel for each selected participant. These tickets will be funded by the SUSI program. The host institutions will cover all travel within the United States during the Institute. · Please note that teaching methodology and pedagogical methods will not be addressed formally in the institute. Candidates should be made aware that the institute is very intensive and that there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The institute should not be viewed as a research program. It is important that these requirements and restrictions be made clear to all candidates before nominations are submitted. Applications will be reviewed by a panel in Cultural Affairs at Embassy Kabul and selections will be made for interviews. One candidate will be selected for each institute. Candidates will be notified of their interview time by email within three weeks of the deadline. Post/Commissions will be notified regarding selection or non-selection of candidates by early April 2014. The following factors will be used in selecting participants from among the nominations. ¨ Have firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component; or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies or related fields; ¨ Have a strong interest in the topic and be interested and actively teaching about the topic; ¨ Be fluent in English; ¨ Be established in their career; ¨ Should have substantial knowledge of the general field of the institute (i.e. literature, international relations, political science, sociology, etc.); ¨ Have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by publications, awards, and recommendations; ¨ Have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country; ¨ Be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel; and, ¨ Be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country. Please address any questions about this program to the Kabul PD Exchanges mailbox at [email protected].
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 10:49:50 +0000
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