U.S. Office of Palestinian
Affairs

SUMMER 2024 STUDY OF THE U.S. INSTITUTES FOR SCHOLARS

The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs Announces

SUMMER 2024 STUDY OF THE U.S. INSTITUTES FOR SCHOLARS

Deadline: December 29, 2023

The U.S Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) are pleased to announce the Study of the United States Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars for Summer 2024. The Institutes will be conducted as traditional in-person programs at U.S. host institutions.  Should health, safety, and travel conditions continue to pose significant challenges, the programs will pivot to a modified virtual format.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars (SUSIs) are intensive post-graduate level academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions.  The goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in academic institutions abroad. 

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars will take place at various colleges, universities, and academic institutions throughout the United States over the course of six weeks beginning in or after June 2024.  Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and up to two weeks of an integrated study tour to another region of the United States.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars comprise the following themes in U.S. Studies: American Politics and Political Thought; Contemporary American Literature; Journalism and Media; U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society; U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development; and U.S. Foreign Policy.

Institute Themes:

The Institute on American Politics and Political Thought will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced American political institutions and American democracy.  The Institute will explore the shaping of American identity and the chemistry between that identity and U.S. history, politics, and the democratic process.  The Institute will cover a broad range of American experiences that have influenced and been influenced by American national identity.  The Institute will provide a deeper understanding of major currents in U.S. political thought, from the colonial period to the present, and explore contemporary U.S. political and social debates and public policy, relating them back to U.S. political thought and American identity.  The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will administer this program; the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA will host the Institute in Amherst, MA.

The Institute on Contemporary American Literature will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of contemporary American literature.  The Institute will examine how major contemporary writers, schools, and movements reflect the U.S. literary canon.  The Institute will also explore the diverse communities and voices that constitute the American literary landscape and expose participants to writers who are establishing new directions for American literature.  The Institute will cover a variety of contemporary American writers and writing and suggest how the themes explored reflect larger currents within contemporary U.S. society and culture.  The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will administer and host this Institute.

The Institute on Journalism and Media will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign journalism instructors and other related specialists with a deeper understanding of the roles that journalism and the media play in U.S. society.  The Institute will examine the role of journalists in recognizing and preventing disinformation and will explore strategies for media and information literacy to counter disinformation.  Additionally, the Institute will examine best practices in journalism by discussing the rights and responsibilities of the media in a democratic society, including editorial independence, journalistic ethics, legal constraints, and international journalism.  In addition, the Institute will examine pedagogical strategies for teaching students of journalism the basics of the tradecraft: researching, critical thinking, reporting, interviewing, writing, and editing.  The program will also highlight the impact of technology in journalism, including the influence of the Internet, globalization of the news media, and other changes that are transforming the profession.  The Institute will include an integrated study tour to Alabama, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.  The University of Montana in Missoula, Montana will oversee and administer this program and Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ will host the Institute.

The Institute on U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and other specialists with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions through the lens of diversity and national unity.  The Institute will examine the ethnic, racial, social, economic, political, and religious contexts in which various cultures have manifested in U.S. society while focusing on the ways in which these cultures have influenced social movements and American identity throughout U.S. history.  The program will draw from a diverse disciplinary base and will itself provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of American culture and society.  The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will administer this program while Seattle University in Seattle, Washington, will host the Institute.

The Institute on U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with a deeper understanding of key components and structures of the U.S. economy.  Using a multidisciplinary approach, the program will explore various topics of socioeconomics; how financial institutions, investors, and businesses interact to support sustainable economic development, innovation, and growth; and increasing diverse and equitable employment through institutional regulation, social inclusion strategies, and private and public policies.  Throughout the Institute, participants will examine the interplay of climate change, U.S. business innovation, corporate regulation, entrepreneurship, and economic theory.  Participants will have opportunities to learn about key institutions and stakeholders in the U.S. economy and meet with a diverse range of business leaders and small business owners, among others.  The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will administer this program; the Institute for Training and Development (ITD), in conjunction with Suffolk University, will host the Institute in Amherst and Boston, MA.   

The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of new approaches to U.S. foreign policy and how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented.  The Institute will include a historical review of significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have shaped U.S. foreign policy.  The program will explain the role of key influences on U.S. foreign policy including the executive and legislative branches of government, the media, the U.S. public, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral institutions.  The Institute will also examine the current U.S. foreign policymaking landscape and emerging trends that are shaping policy.  The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will administer this program; the University of Delaware will host the Institute in Newark, Delaware.

Participant Eligibility:

• Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly motivated, experienced scholars and professionals generally from institutions of higher education or research focused organizations (not-for-profits, think tanks, etc.).  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 or a related field.
• Ideal candidates come from home institution 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.  While the nominee’s scholarly and professional credentials are an important consideration, the potential impact and multiplier effect of the Institute is equally important.  Ideal candidates will have little or no prior experience in the United States.
• Candidates must demonstrate English language fluency.  Institutes are rigorous and demanding academic programs conducted entirely in English.  Participants will be expected to read and comprehend substantial written materials and assignments in English and to participate in all seminar and panel discussions fully and actively.  English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute.
• Candidates must be willing to participate fully in an intensive post-graduate level academic program.
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible for these programs.
• Applicants should be residing in Jerusalem, Gaza, or the West Bank

at the time of submitting the applications and interview process.

• Participation in the program is contingent upon the applicant qualifying for a J-1 visa to the United States.

The SUSI program will cover all participant costs, including program administration; international and visa travel, travel allowances, domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence, as well as arrange and pay for participants’ international and visa travel costs and travel allowances.

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be notified for interviews.

Application Deadline and inquiries:

Please submit a copy of your passport, CV, and nomination form attached below by no later than December 29, 2023. 

Jerusalem and West Bank Applicants: Email completed application packages to jerusalemexchanges@state.gov

Gaza Applicants: Email completed application packages to JerusalemGazaExchanges@state.gov