Public Affairs Section
Study of the United States Institute on National Security 2009
We are pleased to invite applications for a Study of the United States Institute on National Security: U.S. National Security Policymaking in a Post 9/11 World to take place from mid-January through early March 2009.
The Study of the United States Institute on National Security is a rigorous post-graduate-level academic seminar with integrated study tours, which will provide a group of 18 educators and professionals an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the foundations of U.S. national security policy and current threats facing the U.S. The institute focuses on the formulation of U.S. foreign and national security policy and the role of the federal government, think-tanks, media, and public opinion in shaping that policy.
The program will examine specific security issues such as energy policy, economic stability, cyber-security, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons, and infectious diseases. The program will also focus on regional security concerns in Europe, South Asia, the Western Hemisphere, East Asia, and the Middle East. Finally, the program will cover the fight against terrorism, the impact of globalization, and U.S. global leadership. The program will be supplemented by a simulation exercise, a group project, and a study tour.
The program's ultimate goal is to promote the development and improvement of courses and teaching about the U.S. at universities and other educational, training and research institutions abroad.
The host institution for this program will be announced pending the outcome of an open competition. An overview of the program will be posted on the web. In the meantime, prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the Branch of the Study of the United States website to obtain general information about the previous year's institute at:
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/
Other Essential Program Information
Program Funding:
The program will cover all participant costs, including: program administration, international travel, domestic travel and ground transportation, book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances, housing and subsistence.
Housing and Meal Arrangements:
Typically, participants will have a private room with a shared bathroom during the residency portion (four weeks) of the institute, and will share a hotel room during the study tour (up to two weeks). 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. Full details will be provided at a later stage.
Health Benefits:
All participants will receive the Department of State's coverage for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Program Requirements and Restrictions:
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. 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.
Candidate description and Qualifications:
Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly-motivated and experienced national security, university-level faculty or professionals from institutions of higher education, national security policymaking institutions, including national military academies, government ministries, and think-tanks. The ideal candidate will be a specialist in international relations or a related field.
The ideal candidate will also be an experienced professional with little or no prior experience in the United States, 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.
Candidates should be willing and able to participate fully in an intensive post-graduate level academic program and study tour and to be comfortable with campus life and an active program schedule.
It is imperative that all candidates demonstrate English language fluency.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the Branch of the Study of the United States website to obtain general information about the previous year's institute at:
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/
Applications should be submitted no later than Wednesday, October 1, 2008 to the Embassy of the United States, Cultural and Exchanges Assistant Mirka McIntire, e-mail: McIntireMH@state.gov