Call for application for the Fall 2015 YSEALI Academic Fellowship Institutes for candidates from Thailand interested in the topic of “Environmental Issues”. Institutes will take place starting approximately from late August, 2015. Please submit your application to YSEALIThailand@state.gov before midnight on Sunday, May 17, 2015.
Download Application form.
Overview:
In 2013, President Obama launched the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) to enhance the United States’ relations with future leaders of Southeast Asia and foster an ASEAN community. To this end, the YSEALI Fellowship will bring 500 exceptional young leaders from ASEAN countries to the United States to further develop their professional and leadership skills. The YSEALI Academic Fellowship will bring 250 current or recently graduated students from ASEAN member countries to the U.S. for five week Institutes at pre-eminent U.S. universities and colleges. The Institutes will include an academic residency, leadership development, an educational study tour, local community service activities, and opportunities to engage with American peers. The programs will be held at various times throughout the summer, fall, and winter of 2015-2016; all programs will conclude in Washington, D.C. to allow for networking with policy makers, government representatives, businesses, and think tanks. The fall YSEALI Academic Fellowship Institutes will be five of twelve Institutes to be offered in 2015 and 2016.
Program Description:
The YSEALI Academic Fellowships are intensive short term academic Institutes whose purpose is to provide groups of young leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, and a particular theme, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. This Fellowship will focus on the theme of Environmental Issues, and the five-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. The Institutes will include an academic residency component of approximately four weeks and a domestic study tour of approximately one week. During the academic residency, participants will also have the opportunity to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom.
The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Environmental Issues will explore the role that environmental policy has played in the economic and political development of the United States. The Institute will use experiential learning techniques to expose participants to current themes in the field, including natural resource management, sustainable development/sustainable agricultural practices, food security, ecotourism, energy generation (new and traditional forms), and water management and treatment. The issues will be explored from numerous angles: local grassroots activism and civic initiatives, market-oriented approaches, and federal government policies and regulation. Finally, the Institute will explore environmental issues in the context of a globalized society, and draw comparisons between the United States and the participants’ home countries. Fellows will also have the opportunity to leave the classroom to meet with community leaders, and representatives of non-profit organizations. The academic residency will be complemented by an educational tour that will take participants to another area of the U.S. where they will meet with local, state, private, and nonprofit organizations working in the field. The Institute will then conclude with a 3 day program in Washington, D.C. The fall host will be the University of Montana (from approximately August 25-September 30).
Other Essential Program Information:
A. Program Funding: Through cooperative agreements to the host universities, the U.S. government will cover all participant costs, including: program administration; domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence.
B. Housing and Meal Arrangements: Housing will be in university dorms or university hotels. Participants may be expected to share a room and bathroom with another student of the same gender. 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 candidates are aware of these arrangements and that they are comfortable with such accommodations. Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.
C. Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State’s coverage of $100,000 with a $25 co-pay for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Information on the health benefit program may be found online at usdos.sevencorners.com.
D. Program Requirements and Restrictions: participants are expected to fully participate in the academic program. The participants should attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. Candidates should be made aware that the Institutes are 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 U.S. prior to the start date of the Institute or remain in the U.S. after its end date. Similarly, participants will not be permitted to leave the Institute to visit relatives or friends while in the U.S. If a relative or friend wishes to visit them, it will be addressed on a case by case basis, in consultation with the U.S. government program officer and the host institution.
Violations of program rules, host institution rules, or local, state or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program. It is important that these requirements and restrictions be made clear to all candidates before nominations are submitted.
E. English Language Ability: All candidates should be proficient in English so that they can actively participate in the academic program. Host institutions will take into account that the level of comprehension and speaking ability of participants may vary, and will prepare lectures and discussions that meet the highest academic standards while using language appropriate for participants where English is their second or third language.
Candidate Description and Qualifications:
The YSEALI Academic Fellows are expected to be full-time undergraduate students from college, university, or other institutions of higher learning; or have graduated in the past four years, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, extracurricular activities, or their profession.
Candidates nominated for this program must be:
Between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application;
A citizen of Thailand;
A resident of Thailand;
A full-time undergraduate student from college, university, or other institutions of higher learning; or have graduated in the past four years;
Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English;
Not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.;
Eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa; and
Selection criteria; successful applicants should:
Demonstrate interest, knowledge, or professional experience in “Environmental Issues”;
Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university, place of work, and/or community;
Demonstrate a commitment or interest in community service, volunteerism, or mentorship;
Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States and ASEAN as a region;
Be willing to actively participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and study tour;
Have a commitment to return to their home country to apply leadership skills and training to benefit their community, country, or the ASEAN region; and
Preferably have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States.
Timeline:
May 17, 2015 Application deadline
Early June 2015 Interview (Only shortlist candidates will be notified for the interview appointment.)
Early August 2015 Finalists will be informed by phone. Public announcement will be posted at U.S. Embassy website and www.facebook.com/thai.iea
August 2015 Fall 2015 YSEALI Academic Fellows Institute starts
Please submit your application form to YSEALIThailand@state.gov by midnight of May 17, 2015. (Please add “Environmental Issues - YSEALI Academic Fellows” on your email’s subject line.)