Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders

Civic Engagement

Host Institution: TBD
Program Dates: TBD
Countries Hosted: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Russia

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Belarus, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ukraine

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Winter 2020
Countries Hosted: Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Civic Engagement provide participants with an overview of how citizens have shaped U.S. history, government, and society both as individuals and groups. The academic program will define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, political leadership, and volunteerism. In order to enhance the academic experience, to the Institute may focus on a specific theme or sub-themes such as civil rights and protections, public health, education, entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership, or media. To the extent possible, academic sessions will be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above. The Institute will encourage participants to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities. The academic and workshop sessions are complemented by educational travel that allows participants to broaden their understanding of citizen engagement across the United States.

Comparative Public Policymaking

Hosted by: University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Pakistan

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Comparative Public Policymaking participants brings together 30 Pakistani undergraduate students with up to 15 U.S. students to address issues of public policy and democracy in the United States and comparing U.S. policy with that of Pakistan. Entitled Getting Things Done: The Context of Public Policy, the Institute examines questions such as: How do problems get on the public agenda? Who has the power to define a problem and how? Where do policy options come from? How are forces mobilized for and against this or that solution? How are responses actually formulated, implemented, and evaluated? Participants will explore the institute theme through hands-on activities including case studies, simulations, presentations, leadership activities, community service, visits with elected officials, and discussions with the local community. These activities coupled with lectures on policymaking at the federal, state, and local levels of government, the role of the private sector in policymaking, and various other policy topics, will weave together a strong understanding of American institutions, and how they function in practicality on a day-to-day basis. The participants will also travel to New York City, Boston, Charlottesville, VA and Washington, D.C. during a two-week study tour component.

Entrepreneurship and Economic Development

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Cameroon, Ghana, Mail, Nigeria, Senegal

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom

The Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Entrepreneurship and Economic Development will provide participants with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches by reviewing the development, history, challenges, and successes of U.S. entrepreneurial enterprises, including social enterprises, business leadership and women’s economic empowerment, in the United States and globally. Topics may include, but are not limited to, trade, investment, financial literacy, banking, microfinance, organizational development and management, innovation, emerging markets and risk analysis, strategic business planning, corporate social responsibility, and minorities in entrepreneurship. To the extent possible, academic sessions will be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above. The academic and workshop sessions are complemented by educational travel that allows participants to broaden their understanding of entrepreneurship and economic development across the United States.

Journalism and Media

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: TBD
Countries Hosted: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media will provide participants with a deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a free press in U.S. society. Institute will emphasize examining the role of journalists in preventing disinformation and explore strategies for media literacy such as critical thinking to counter disinformation. Academic sessions will examine First Amendment rights, technology’s impact on journalism, editorial independence, journalistic ethics, legal constraints, civic journalism, digital and social media. Finally, the Institute will include the basics of journalism tradecraft: researching, reporting, writing, and editing.

Public Policymaking

Hosted by: Institute for Training and Development
Administered by: Institute for Training and Development
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Public Policymaking provides participants from indigenous and underserved communities in the Western Hemisphere with an overview of the U.S. Federalist system of government as well as the role of non-governmental institutions such as civic organizations, the media, and the private sector in the creation of U.S. public policy and supporting effective democracies. Discussions will explore the responsibilities of local and state government, as well as the three branches of the U.S. government, the system of checks and balances, and the role of local and state governments in leading and innovating in various policy areas. Topics such as public finance, rule of law and democratic governance, education, public health, citizen security, and foreign policy will be included.

Religious Freedom and Pluralism

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Egypt, Iraq, India, Indonesia, Lebanon

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Freedom and Pluralism explores U.S. history, society, and institutions within the context of religious freedom, pluralism, and interfaith dialogue. Topics will include, but are not limited to, early religious traditions in the United States, freedom of religion as a fundamental human right and source of stability, the introduction of new religions in the United States, protection and representation of minority groups and religions, the separation of church and state, and interfaith dialogue and cooperation in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Participants will have opportunities to meet with U.S. community leaders of different faiths who advocate for collaboration and tolerance among religious groups. Participants will also examine the leadership role that religious officials play in their own societies and develop ideas for how they can work with leaders, of similar or different faiths, on shared goals for their societies. The academic and workshop sessions are complemented by educational travel that allows participants to broaden their understanding of religious freedom and pluralism across the United States.

Social Entrepreneurship

Host Institution: Miami University of Ohio
Program Dates: June 14 – July 19, 2018
Countries Hosted: Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal

Host Institution: Miami University of Ohio
Administered by: Institute for Training and Development
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela

Host Institution: Institute for Training and Development
Administered by: Institute for Training and Development
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Social Entrepreneurship provides participants with an overview of how entrepreneurial skills can address social issues. The Institute reviews the development, history, challenges, and successes of social enterprises and community leaders in the United States and globally. The Institute gives participants a foundation of how to employ business techniques and entrepreneurial skills to address social issues and provides opportunities to meet with American local community leaders. The Institute addresses topics such as microfinance; organizational development and management; grant writing; innovation; emerging markets and risk analysis; strategic business planning; corporate social responsibility; and women and minorities in entrepreneurship. The academic and workshop sessions are complemented by educational travel that allows participants to broaden their understanding of social entrepreneurship across the United States.

Women's Leadership

Host Institution: University of Arizona, Tucson
Administered by: Institute for Training and Development
Program Dates: January 12 - February 16, 2019 and Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru (Institute is designed for indigenous and Afro-Latina women)

Host Institution: Green River College
Administered by: University of Kansas
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Host Institution: University of Kansas
Administered by: University of Kansas
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan

Host Institution: Saint Mary's College
Administered by: University of Kansas
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia

Host Institution: University of Delaware
Administered by: University of Kansas
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Uganda

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Women's Leadership examines the history and participation of women in public life in the United States. The Institutes focus on two major areas: (1) Developing participants’ leadership skills in areas such as critical thinking, communication, decision-making and managerial abilities; and (2) Placing these abilities in the context of the history and participation of women in U.S. politics, economics, culture and society. The programs also examine women’s historical domestic progress toward 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. Community service, mentorship, engaging with U.S. peers, and public policy discussions are also included in the Institutes. Participants in the Institutes administered by the University of Kansas come together for a one-day Women’s Leadership conference, cultural festival, and networking opportunities in Washington, D.C. before heading to their respective academic institutions.

Youth, Education, and Closing the Skills Gap

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Tunisia, Nigeria

Host Institution: TBD
Administered by: TBD
Program Dates: Summer 2019
Countries Hosted: Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom

The Study of the U.S. Institute on Youth, Education, and Closing the Skills Gap will explore how advances in technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics are shaping how we work, where we work, and the skills and education required to work. The Institute will expose participants to global issues in the context of the future of work by examining educational, social and economic trends. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the academic program will examine the role of U.S. educational institutions, particularly community colleges, in preparing Americans with the skills needed to succeed in multiple industries and sectors including business, technology, science, higher education, the creative arts and other fields. Topics may include, but are not limited to, communication, entrepreneurship and the gig economy, globalization and urbanization, innovation and technology, organizational development and management, skills development, and reskilling and retraining. The Institute will also provide opportunities for participants to engage with educational and industry leaders, policy makers, trade associations and other key actors. The academic and workshop sessions are complemented by educational travel that allows participants to broaden their understanding of the United States.