Study of the U.S. Institutes

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars (SUSIs) and Secondary Educators are post-graduate level academic programs. The institutes consist of a 4-5 week academic residency and a 1-2 week educational study tour to a different region of the United States.

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What?

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders are five-to-six-week academic programs designed for foreign undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 to improve their understanding of the United States and to develop their leadership skills. Institutes include a four-week academic residency consisting of interactive classroom activities, discussions, lectures, readings, site visits, and workshops; a one week educational study tour to a different region of the United States; leadership skills building activities; community service; and opportunities to interact with their American peers on a college campus.

Each Institute includes approximately 20 participants from selected countries. In 2019, the following themes will be offered for a total of 19 student leader programs: Civic Engagement / Comparative Public Policymaking / Entrepreneurship and Economic Development / Journalism and Media / Public Policymaking / Religious Freedom and Pluralism / Social Entrepreneurship / Women’s Leadership / Youth, Education and Closing the Skills Gap

Who?

he participants 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.  Emphasis should be made on recruiting participants from non-elite backgrounds, from both rural and urban areas, and with little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country.  In addition, recruitment of participants 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.

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OTHER PROGRAMS

International Visitor Leadership Program

The IVLP is a professional exchange program organized by the U.S. Department of State. Current and future foreign leaders from a variety of fields have the opportunity to develop their skills through short-term visits to the United States. Professional meetings allow participants to share their own expertise as well as learn new approaches from their American counterparts. Projects vary in theme and typically include visits to four U.S. communities over three weeks.

Emerging Young Leaders Award and Exchange Program

The Emerging Young Leaders Award is granted to 10 outstanding young leaders from across the globe. The young leaders selected are given the opportunity to visit the United States for an intensive 2-week program designed to recognize and support their efforts to enact positive social transformation. The program includes an award ceremony in Washington DC, meetings with U.S. government officials and NGOs, and a trip to Austin, Texas to participate in professional meetings with American counterparts.

YTILI Fellowship

The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship is a flagship young European leaders program of the U.S. Department of State that is supported in its implementation by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).