Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship Available for Iraqi Scholars

Deadline for Submitting Applications: April 19, 2012

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is pleased to announce the Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship opportunity for Iraqi academics in the social sciences. The fellowship provides an opportunity for university teachers and scholars in social science disciplines from across the Middle East and North Africa to engage in four-month residencies at the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in the United States. The program includes both group seminars and individually-tailored projects for each participant. The Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship program, like all U.S. Embassy academic exchange programs, supports the goals of the U.S.–Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement by fostering long-term academic and cultural cooperation between Americans and Iraqis.

The objectives of the Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship program are to:

promote democracy and international standards in social science education;
develop civil society capacity in the university policy field;
enhance the quality of education through improved curriculum development and delivery, increased institutional capacity, and expanded student and faculty engagement;
develop critical thinking and analytical capabilities on civic education issues.

The fellowship will cover all international and domestic travel, health insurance, housing in shared apartments, and a moderate living stipend in the United States for all fellows participating in the project. The fellowship will cover the individual only and does not include family members.

Syracuse University will match fellows with faculty members on campus who will serve as mentors and contacts, and develop individual work plans for the three substantive areas of the project: curriculum development, teaching and research skills development, and professional enhancement and networking activities. The project will work with fellows on their individualized work plans before they arrive in the United States so that they can maximize their productivity while at Syracuse University. While in the United States, fellows will also participate in professional networking initiatives to broaden their contacts with individuals and academic institutions in the United States.

More information on the Fellowship and instructions on how to apply for the program are available on the U.S. Embassy website: http://iraq.usembassy.gov/celf12.html.

The deadline for submitting applications is April 19, 2012. Questions can be sent to IraqMEPI@state.gov.