Deadline: 10 December 2019

The U.S Embassy in Pakistan is seeking applications for its Study of the U.S Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership.

The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership will examine the history and participation of women in public life in the United States. The Institute will focus on two major areas: developing participants’ leadership skills in areas such as critical thinking, communication, decision-making, and managerial abilities; and, placing these abilities in the context of the history and participation of women in U.S. politics, economics, culture, and society.

The program will also examine the historical domestic progress towards women’s equality in the United States, the current domestic successes and challenges to women in a variety of fields, and current challenges in global women’s issues.

The SUSIs on Women’s Leadership will begin with an opening conference in Washington, D.C., tentatively scheduled for late June in 2020. The one-day event will bring together 80 SUSI student leaders and approximately 10 U.S. student ambassadors from the four Institutes. The women will have opportunities to network with one another and meet with inspiring U.S. women leaders.

The 20 participants in this Institute will then travel to the University of Kansas for their academic residency. A study tour to Chicago, Illinois, at the end of the program and a day trip to Topeka, Kansas, will further illuminate the American experience. Throughout the Institute, participants will visit relevant local women’s organizations and connect with an assigned “mentor,” a woman leader from the local community in Lawrence. They will also be challenged to create a “Leadership for Change” follow-on project that they can implement in their home community.

Benefits

• • Program Funding: Program organizers will cover participant costs including program administration; international and domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence.
  • Housing and Meal Arrangements: Housing will be in university housing on campus. Participants may be expected to share a room and bathroom with another student of the same gender. Most meals will be provided at the campus dining hall where Halal food is served. It is important that nominees are aware of these arrangements and that they are comfortable with such accommodations.

• Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.
• Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State’s coverage of $100,000 with a $25 co-pay for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Information on the health benefit program may be found online.
• Program Requirements and Restrictions: Participants are expected to fully participate in the academic program. They should attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. Candidates should be aware that the Institute is very intensive and that there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates applying for this program should:

• • All be females (only);
  • Currently enrolled in a public college/university or studying in a private institution on a scholarship/financial assistance:
    • If applicants are enrolled in a two-year bachelor’s program, you are eligible to apply if you are not in your final year of study. Final year students are not eligible to apply;
    • If applicants are enrolled in a four-year bachelor program they can apply if they have at least one semester of study remaining. Final semester students are not eligible to apply;
    • Participants must be committed to returning home to complete their degrees;
  • Have a strong interest in the topic of Women Leadership;
  • Fluent in English;
  • Be between 18 and 25 years of age;
  • Demonstrate strong leadership qualities;
  • Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
  • Have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;

• Have demonstrated commitment to community and extracurricular university activities;
• Have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of home country;
• Be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
• Be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel;
• Be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of home country.

Eligible Country: Pakistan

For more information, visit https://pk.usembassy.gov/education-culture/susi-women-leaders-2020/