Press Releases / Cultural Exchange Programs
Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship
January 26, 2009
The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Yemen is pleased to announce the opening of the competition for the Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship (CELF) program starting in August 2009.
CELF is a 5 month fellowship opportunity for university teachers and scholars from the MENA region. The objectives of the program are to:
1) Promote democracy and international standards in social science education in MENA countries striving to develop their civil society capacity on the university policy level;
2) Enhance the quality of education through improved curricula development and delivery, increased institutional capacity, and expanded student and faculty engagement; and
3) Fully develop the critical thinking and analytic capabilities of educators to enhance their ability to disseminate critical civic education material to their students.
The ideal candidate for the CELF program:
o has at least five years of experience working in social science disciplines, including political science, public administration, law, media, journalism, and communications;
o has a minimum of three years, but not more than twelve years, experience working in an accredited institution of higher education;
o has completed or is working through a Ph.D. While this is preferred, the minimum requirement for the candidates is a completed Masters degree in one of these fields: social science disciplines, including political science, public administration, law, media, journalism, and communications;
o has demonstrated a commitment and desire to remain working in this field for the foreseeable future, and an equal commitment to improving the quality and capacity of educational institutions in their field of study.
o has exhibited long-time leadership skills and the capacity to apply opportunities presented in this program in a way that would benefit education institutions, organizations, sectors, and/or communities.
o has a level of English language fluency to function successfully in a high-level academic and professional environment; successful applicants will be requested to submit TOEFL scores at a later date;
o has not already completed a similar academic degree or residency in the United States, and is not subject to J-visa restrictions.
o has letters of support from the institution that will allow the applicant to study in the United States.
Interested applicants need only to submit an updated resume and two essays of no more than 500 words each, written in English, which answers the following questions:
Essay 1: What has influenced your thinking about civic engagement? What are the prospects for greater civic engagement in solving social problems and fostering participatory democracy in your country and how do you see the connection between your field of study and improving the prospects for civic engagement in your country?
Essay 2: What hopes and plans do you have about improving the quality and capacity of your educational institution in your field of study. How do you see yourself leading this change?
Applications will be accepted via fax (303-183), email: al-hakimiaa@state.gov , or hard copies can be dropped off at the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a.
Application Deadline: February 10, 2009
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