FY2024 Study of The U.S. Institutes for Scholars
Program Overview:
Study of the US Institutes (SUSIs) is an intensive post-graduate level academic program. Its purpose 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 2024 (Program date normally will take place in late May or early June. The confirmed date for each institute will be different. AIT will notify the selected candidate in April 2024.). Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency and up to two weeks for an integrated study tour in another region of the United States.
Please be aware that SUSI is not a research program.
The 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.
Qualifications
- Must demonstrate English language fluency. (This will be tested.)
- Ages of 30-50, mid-career.
- Experienced scholars and professionals from institutions of higher education or research-focused organizations (not-for-profits, think tanks, etc.) and secondary school educators and administrators.
- Graduate degrees or above and substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute or a related field.
- No or little US experience.
- Not a U.S. citizen and permanent resident.
- SUSI for Scholars
For highly motivated, and experienced scholars and professionals of higher education or research-focused organization (non-for-profits, think tanks, etc.).
6 weeks: beginning of June 2024 (program date TBC)
6 themes & hosting Institutes:
(1) American Politics and Political Thought at University of Massachusetts
The Institute will explore the shaping of American identity and the interaction 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.
(2) Contemporary American Literature at University of Montana
The Institute will examine how major contemporary writers, schools, and movements reflect the traditional, and evolving, 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 texts and suggest how the themes explored reflect larger currents within contemporary U.S. society and culture.
(3) Journalism and Media at Arizona State University
The Institute will examine the role of journalists in recognizing, pointing out 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. The program will also highlight the impact of technology in journalism, including the influence of the digital economy, globalization of the news media, shifting business and funding models, and other changes that are transforming the profession.
(4) U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society at Seattle University
The Institute will examine the economic, ethnic, gender, political, racial, religious, and social 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 provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of American culture and society.
(5) U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development
Jointed host: Institute for Training and Development (ITD), in conjunction with Suffolk University, will jointly host the Institute in Amherst and Boston, Massachusetts.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the program will explore various topics of socioeconomics such as 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.
(6) U.S. Foreign Policy at University of Delaware
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.
- SUSI for Secondary Educators (teachers & administrators)
For highly motivated, experienced secondary school teachers and administrators (including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, and textbook writers) whose students are approximately 14-18 years of age.
5 weeks: beginning in late May or June 2024 (program date TBC)
(1) For teachers:
- University of Montana, Montana (Focus: U.S. studies through the lens of democracy and citizenship)
- Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst (Focus: individual rights and social obligations through American history)
(2) For administrators:
California State University at Chico (for experienced administrators can include teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, Ministry of Education officials, and others.)
How to apply?
Please submit your SUSI24 application form before November 24, 2023 to leeahw@mail.ait.org.tw. If qualified, AIT will invite you for an English interview through an email and a phone call before December 1, 2023.
Please do not contact us directly.
When you send the email, please follow the instruction below:
1. Email your application form in word file. File name: SUSI24 appl _ your full name in English + Chinese
2. Email title: SUSI24 _ your full name in English + Chinese
Other Details:
Funding
USG will pay your program related international flight and travel allowances, US domestic travel, and US domestic 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.
Housing and Meal Arrangements
When possible, each participant will have a private room with a shared bathroom during the residency portion (four weeks) of the Institute. However, private room accommodations are not guaranteed.
During the study tour (up to two weeks), participants will likely share a hotel room with another participant of the same gender. During the residency, housing will typically be in college- or university-owned housing.
Grounds for Program Dismissal
Violations of program rules, host institution rules, or local, state, or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program. If selected, candidates are required to sign the SUSI Terms and Conditions.
*Click here to download SUSI 2024 Application Form.