**FY-08 STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES INSTITUTES FOR SCHOLARS**

**1. INSTITUTE DESCRIPTION:**

Study of the United States Institutes are intensive post-graduate level
academic programs with integrated study tours whose purpose is to
provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to
deepen their understanding of American society, culture and
institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to
improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic
institutions abroad.

The institutes will take place at various colleges and universities
throughout the United States over the course of six weeks beginning in
June 2008. Specific program information will be posted on the
ECA/A/E/USS website as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime,
posts and prospective applicants are encouraged to visit our website to
obtain general information about the FY-07 Institutes at:
<http://exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/>

A. **SUSI on American Civilization** will provide a multinational group
of 18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper
understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. The
program examines some of the critical historical epochs, movements,
issues and conflicts that have influenced the development of the U.S.
nation and its people and includes a strong contemporary component,
particularly current political, social, and economic issues and debates.
The complexity and heterogeneous nature of American society is
highlighted, as well as the institutions and values that have enabled
the nation to accommodate that diversity. Pending ECA grant approval,
the institute will take place at New York University.

B. **SUSI on American Politics and Political Thought** will provide a
multinational group of 18 foreign university faculty with a deeper
understanding of U.S. political institutions and major currents in
American political thought. The institute will provide the participants
insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced
modern American political institutions. The institute will provide an
overview of political thought during the founding period (constitutional
foundations), and the development and current functioning of the
American presidency, Congress and the federal judiciary. The examination
of political institutions should be expanded to include the electoral
system, political parties and interest groups, the civil service system,
media and think tanks, or the welfare/regulatory state. The institute
will address modern political and cultural issues in the United States
(including but not limited to civil rights, women\'s rights,
immigration, etc.), and the significance of public discourse in the
formulation of public policy. The host institution is unknown at this
time, pending completion of an ECA grant competition.

C. **SUSI on Contemporary American Literature** will provide a
multinational group of up to 18 foreign university faculty and scholars
with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and
present, through an examination of contemporary American literature. Its
purpose is twofold: to explore contemporary American writers and writing
in a variety of genres; and to suggest how the themes explored in those
works reflect larger currents within contemporary American society and
culture. The program will explore the diversity of the American literary
landscape, examining how major contemporary writers, schools and
movements reflect the traditions of the American literary canon. At the
same time, the program will expose participants to writers who represent
a departure from that tradition, and who are establishing new directions
for American literature. The host institution is unknown at this time,
pending completion of an ECA grant competition.

D. **SUSI on U.S. Foreign Policy** will provide a multinational group of
18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding
of how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented with an
emphasis on the post Cold War period. This institute will begin with a
review of the historical development of U.S. foreign policy and cover
significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have dominated
U.S. foreign policy. In addition, the institute will explain the role of
key players in the field of foreign policy including the executive and
legislative branches, the media, public opinion, think-tanks,
non-governmental and international organizations and how these players
debate, cooperate, influence policy, and are held accountable. Regional
sessions, for the entire group, highlighting salient topics such as
energy security and environmental policy in Europe; trade and human
rights issues in Asia; foreign aid and humanitarian assistance in
Africa; drug trafficking and immigration issues for the Western
Hemisphere; and combating terrorism in the Near East and South Asia are
among the relevant issues that might be explored. In addition, sessions
focusing on current issues such nuclear disarmament, the Middle East
peace process, or U.S. military actions would be appropriate. The host
institution is unknown at this time, pending completion of an ECA grant
competition.

E. **SUSI on Journalism and Media** will provide a multinational group
of 18 journalism faculty and other related specialists with a deeper
understanding of journalism\'s and the media\'s roles in U.S. society.
It will examine major topics in journalism, including the concept of a
\"free press,\" First Amendment rights, and the media\'s relationship to
the public interest. The legal and ethical questions posed by journalism
will be incorporated into every aspect of the institute. The institute
will cover strategies for teaching students of journalism the basics of
the tradecraft: researching, reporting, writing, and editing. The
program will also highlight technology\'s impact on journalism,
addressing the influence of the Internet, the globalization of the news
media, the growth of satellite television and radio networks, and other
advances in media that are transforming the profession. Pending ECA
grant approval, the institute will take place at the University of
Florida,

Gainesville.

F. **SUSI on Religious Pluralism** in the United States will provide a
multinational group of up to 18 foreign university faculty and
practitioners with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture,
past and present, through an examination of religious pluralism in the
United States and its intersection with American democracy. Employing a
multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on fields such as history,
political science, sociology, anthropology, law and others where
appropriate, the program will explore both the historical and
contemporary relationship between church and state in the United States;
examine the ways in which religious thought and practice have
influenced, and been influenced by, the development of American-style
democracy; examine the intersections of religion and politics in the
United States in such areas as elections, public policy, and foreign
policy; and explore the sociology and demography of religion in the
United States today, including a survey of the diversity of contemporary
religious beliefs and its impact on American politics. The host
institution is unknown at this time, pending completion of an ECA grant
competition.

**2. OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:**

A**. Program Funding**: Through the grant to the host institutions,
ECA/A/E/USS will cover all participant costs, including: program
administration, domestic travel and ground transportation, book,
cultural, mailing and incidental allowances, housing and subsistence.
ECA/A/E/USS will provide posts with fiscal data to pay for the
international travel costs of the participants.

B**. 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 have to share a hotel room during the
study tour (up to two weeks). Housing will typically 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 once the grants
have been approved. It is important that these arrangements be made
clear to nominees and that they are comfortable with such housing
arrangements, particularly sharing a hotel room with another participant
for up to two weeks.

C. **Health Benefits**: All participants will receive the Department of
State\'s coverage of \$50,000 with a \$25 deductible for the duration of
the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.

D. **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 this is an intensive institute and there will
be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The
institute should not be viewed as a research program. It is important
that these requirements and restrictions be made clear to all candidates
before nominations are submitted.

**3. CANDIDATE DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS:**

A. Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 25-50,
highly-motivated and experienced professionals from institutions of
higher education. While the educational level of participants will
likely vary, most should have graduate degrees and have substantial
knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute.

B. 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. In this respect, while the nominee\'s
scholarly and professional credentials are an important consideration,
an equally important factor is how participation in the institute will
enhance course offerings in U.S. studies at the nominee\'s home
institution.

C. Candidates should be willing and able to fully take part in an
intensive post-graduate level academic program and study tour. While
senior faculty members are eligible applicants, ECA/A/E/USS urges posts
and commissions to give first consideration to younger and mid-career
professionals, and to persons who are likely to be comfortable with
campus life and an active program schedule.

**4. OTHER FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION:**

As a general rule, U. S. Embassy Seoul will select one candidate for
each program. Please be advised that the Study of the United States
Institutes are highly competitive.

A. Candidate Statement: In order to get a better sense of potential
participants\' motivations and goals, ECA/A/E/USS requests that each
candidate provide a short personal statement (one page) indicating why
he or she is interested in participating in the program and what he or
she expects to get out of the experience.

B. English Language Ability: It is imperative that all candidates
demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and
demanding programs; participants will be expected to handle substantial
reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in
all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a
successful experience in the Institute, both for your participant and
participants from other countries.

C. Priority Consideration: Priority will be given to candidates who have
firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational
materials with a U.S. studies focus or component, who have limited
experience in the United States, and who have special interest in the
program subject areas as demonstrated through past scholarship,
accomplishments, and professional duties. In addition, ECA/A/E/USS makes
every effort to have both a geographic and gender balance in the makeup
of the participants in the Institute.

**5. HOW TO APPLY**:\
If interested, please submit application (both hard copy
[and]{.underline} e-mail) to:

Dr. Chaeki Synn

Cultural Affairs Specialist

U.S. Embassy Seoul

\# 10 Namyoung-dong, Yongsan-ku, Seoul 120-140, KOREA

02-397-4751 (office)

011-282-2084 (cell phone)

e-mail: <SynnCF@state.gov>

The application deadline is Tuesday, January 22, 2008