- Program Description:
Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders 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. Thefive-week Institutes will consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities within the local community. Each Institute will include a four week academic residency component and a one week integrated study tour. During the academic residency, participants will also have the opportunity to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership will examine the history and participation of women in public life in the United States. The Institute will focus on two major areas: developing participants’ leadership skills in areas such as critical thinking, communication, decision-making, and managerial abilities; and, placing these abilities in the context of the history and participation of women in U.S. politics, economics, culture, and society. The program will also examine the historical domestic progress towards women’s equality in the United States, the current domestic successes and challenges to women in a variety of fields, and current challenges in global women’s issues.
The SUSIs on Women’s Leadership will begin with an opening conference in Washington, D.C., tentatively scheduled for late June in 2020. The one-day event will bring together 80 SUSI student leaders and approximately 10 U.S. student ambassadors from the four Institutes. The women will have opportunities to network with one another and meet with inspiring U.S. women leaders.
The 20 participants in this Institute will then travel to Green River College for their four-week academic residency. Day trips to cities around Washington State, including Seattle, Olympia, and Tacoma, will further illuminate the American experience. Throughout the Institute, participants will visit relevant local women’s organizations to meet with local women leaders. The Institute will also include a module on Environmental Stewardship designed to specifically address water and land management in the South and Central Asia region.
- Candidate Description and Qualifications:
Female candidates selected for this program should:
- be female
- be proficient in English;
- be interested in the topic of Women’s Leadership;
- 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 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 adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country.
Questions about the application process, as well as completed applications (Word – 42 KB), should be submitted NO LATER THAN December 17, 2019 at 17:00 to: USAExchangesDushanbe@state.gov
