Посольство США в Україні оголошує конкурс на участь в навчальній програмі «Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders». Дедлайн - 6 січня 2020 року.

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine is pleased to announce a competition for the 2020 Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders. This program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and will cover all participant costs, including program administration, travel, housing and subsistence, as well as book, cultural, and incidental allowances.

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders from Europe are intensive short term academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. The SUSI programs for Student Leaders from Europe are five-week Institutes that consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures.  Each Institute will have up to 20 international participants and will include a four week academic residency component and a one week integrated study tour to another region of the United States.  The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities within the local community.  During the academic residency, participants will also have the opportunity to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom. The program will take place in early July to early August 2020.

Brief descriptions of each of the three institutes follow. Applications are available at the U.S. Embassy’s website https://ua.usembassy.gov/education-culture or by email to [email protected]

The deadline for receiving applications at the Public Affairs Section is January 6, 2020.

Institute Descriptions:

A. The Study of the U.S. Institute for European Student Leaders on Civic Engagement, hosted by the University of South Carolina, Columbia, will provide participants with an overview of how citizens have shaped U.S. history, government, and society both as individuals and groups.  The academic program will define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, and volunteerism. The Institute also includes workshop sessions that will allow participants to develop skills for journalism, story-telling, and media literacy. The program will encourage students to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities.   Study tours to Charleston, South Carolina; Williamsburg, Virginia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will explore civic engagement through the unique perspective of different communities in the U.S.  The program will end in Washington, D.C. where participants from all four Institutes will come together for a closing forum.  During the closing forum, participants will have opportunities to network, discuss their action plans, and engage in conversations on relevant topics with local subject matter experts.

B. The Study of the U.S. Institute on Education and the Future of Work, hosted by the University of Massachusetts-Boston, will explore how technology, the job economy, and skill based education are interconnected in the United States. The Institute will expose participants to global issues in the context of the future of work by examining educational, social, and economic trends. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the academic program will examine the role of U.S. educational institutions, particularly community colleges, in preparing Americans with the skills needed to succeed in multiple industries and sectors including business, technology, science, higher education, the creative arts, and other fields. Topics will include, but are not limited to, communication, entrepreneurship, globalization and urbanization, innovation and technology, organizational development and management, skills development, and reskilling and retraining. The program will also provide opportunities for participants to engage with educational and industry leaders through site visits around the greater Boston metropolitan area. A study tour to a different region in the United States will explore the theme from a different perspective. The Institute will end in Washington, D.C. where participants from all Institutes will come together for a closing forum. During the closing forum, participants will have opportunities to network, discuss their action plans, and engage in conversations on relevant topics with local subject matter experts.

C. The Study of the U.S. Institute for European Student Leaders on Entrepreneurship and Economic Development hosted by the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, will provide participants with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches by reviewing the development, history, challenges, and successes of U.S. entrepreneurial enterprises, including social enterprises, business leadership and women’s economic empowerment, in the United States and globally.  Topics will include, but are not limited to, business development in a global setting, diversity in the workforce, management strategies and techniques, and the relationship among businesses, governments and NGOs.  Academic activities will be supplemented by opportunities to engage with the local community, including meeting with local entrepreneurs, and a study tour to Atlanta, Georgia.  The Institute will end in Washington, D.C. where participants from all four Institutes will come together for a closing forum.  During the closing forum, participants will have opportunities to network, discuss their action plans, and engage in conversations on relevant topics with local subject matter experts.

Candidate Description and Qualifications:

The candidates are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Their fields of study will be varied and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields. The ideal candidates should be from non-elite backgrounds, with little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country, and should include historically underserved groups, indigenous groups, disadvantaged groups, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTI community, and ethnic minority communities. ECA reserves the right to disqualify nominees who do not meet the above diversity requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates nominated for this program will:

• be a citizen of Ukraine currently residing and studying in Ukraine as a full time University student at the undergraduate level;
• be proficient in English;
• be interested in the Institute topic;
• be between 18 and 25 years of age;
• have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and therefore be committed to return to their home universities following completion of the program;
• demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities;
• indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
• have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
• demonstrate commitment to community and extracurricular university activities;
• have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country;
• be eligible to receive and maintain the U.S. student exchange visa (J-1) required for the program;
• be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
• 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.

Financial Support:

This program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and will cover all participant costs, including: program administration; travel to/from the U.S., domestic travel and ground transportation; visa travel; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence.

Housing and Meal Arrangements: Housing will be in shared university dorms on campus with common bathrooms. Male participants will be housed on one-floor and female participants on a separate floor. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own. It is important that applicants are comfortable with such accommodations.

Program Requirements and Restrictions:

Participants are expected to fully participate in the academic program. They should attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. 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.

Under no circumstances are participants allowed to arrive in the United States prior to the start date of the Institute or remain in the United States after its end date. Similarly, participants will not be permitted to leave the Institute to visit relatives or friends while in the United States. If a relative or friend wishes to visit them, it will be considered on a case by case basis in consultation with the ECA program officer and the host institution. Participants are required to return to their home countries immediately following the end of the Institute(s). Violations of program rules, host institution rules, or local, state or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.

To be considered for evaluation, applicants MUST:

• Submit completed online application form.
• Respond to all essay questions as instructed, adhering to indicated word limits.
• Provide one or two letters of recommendation with certified translations, if necessary. One letter of recommendation must be completed by instructor, professor or advisor from the student’s university. The second recommendation can be from an employer, coach, or community/volunteer activities supervisor. Each letter of recommendation must have a contact information (telephone, email address) of a person who provided it. Family members and personal friends may not provide letters of recommendation.
• Provide official confirmation of the current academic year enrollment ‘dovidka’ (or a transcript).

Selection Process

Competition for the SUSI Program is open and merit-based. Selection committee will review all eligible applications and invite semi-finalists for interviews.

Upon receipt, evaluation of applications and interview reports, final selection will be made by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in Washington, D.C.

For more information, please, contact us at: [email protected] and by phone: (+38 044) 521 57 63.

• Application Form (DOC 280 KB)

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