Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars: Summer Program 2025 (Azerbaijan)

Deadline: 1 December 2024

Applications are now open for the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars: Summer Program 2025.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars (SUSIs) 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 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.

SUSIs for Scholars will take place at various colleges, universities, and academic institutions throughout the United States over the course of five to six weeks in summer 2025. Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour in the United States.

Themes

SUSIs for Scholars comprises the following themes in U.S. Studies:
- American Politics and Political Thought: 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.
- Contemporary American Literature: 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.
- Journalism and Media: 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.
- U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society: 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.
- U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development: 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.
- U.S. Foreign Policy: 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.

Program Specifications

All participants are expected to participate fully in the program. Candidates should be made aware that they are applying for an intensive program and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The Institute is not a research program. Participants must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends may not accompany participants on any part of the program. If the program is conducted virtually, the same participation requirements apply. Note that Institute curriculum will not formally address teaching methodology and pedagogical methods. Institutes focus on U.S. studies with only a brief focus on the U.S. education system itself.

Benefits

All costs, including program administration, travel allowances, domestic travel, and ground transportation, book, cultural, mailing, and incidental allowances, and housing and subsistence, will be covered.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly motivated, experienced scholars and professionals 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 substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute or a related field.
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 fully and actively participate in all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute, for participants as individuals and to foster a cohesive and interactive group.
Ideal candidates come from home institutions seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the Institute subject, 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 from their participation in the Institute is equally important. Ideal candidates will have little or no prior experience living in or visiting the United States.
Candidates must be willing to respectfully engage with fellow participants representing different backgrounds and points of view.

Ineligibility Criteria