Program Overview
The Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Scholars are intensive post-graduate level academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions. The ultimate goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States at academic institutions abroad. Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and up to two weeks of an integrated study tour to another region of the United States. http://exchanges.state.gov/susi.
Institute Themes
The Institute on American Politics and Political Thought will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced American political institutions and American democracy. The Institute will explore the shaping of American identity and the chemistry 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. The University of Montana in Missoula, will administer this program; the University of Massachusetts in Amherst will host the Institute.
The Institute on Contemporary American Literature will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of contemporary American literature. The Institute will examine how major contemporary writers, schools, and movements reflect the 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 writing and suggest how the themes explored reflect larger currents within contemporary U.S. society and culture. The University of Montana in Missoula will administer and host this Institute.
The Institute on Journalism and Media will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign journalism instructors and other related specialists with a deeper understanding of the role that journalism and the media play in U.S. society. The Institute will examine the role of journalists in recognizing 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. In addition, the Institute will examine pedagogical strategies for teaching students of journalism the basics of the tradecraft: researching, critical thinking, reporting, interviewing, writing, and editing. The program will also highlight the impact of technology in journalism, including the influence of the Internet, globalization of the news media, and other changes that are transforming the profession. The University of Montana in Missoula will oversee and administer this program; Arizona State University in Tempe, will conduct and host the Institute.
The Institute on U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and other specialists with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions through the lens of diversity and national unity. The Institute will examine the ethnic, racial, social, economic, political, and religious 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 itself provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of American culture and society. The University of Montana in Missoula will administer this program while Seattle University in Washington will host the Institute.
The Institute on U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with a deeper understanding of key components and structures of the U.S. economy. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the program will explore various topics of socioeconomics; 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. The University of Montana in Missoula will administer this program; the Institute for Training and Development (ITD), in conjunction with Suffolk University, will host the Institute in Amherst and Boston, Massachusetts.
The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of new approaches to U.S. foreign policy and how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented. The Institute will include a historical review of significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have shaped U.S. foreign policy. The Institute 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 program will also examine the current U.S. foreign policymaking landscape and recent trends that are shaping policy. The University of Montana in Missoula will oversee and administer this program; the University of Delaware will conduct and host the Institute in Newark, Delaware.
Candidate description and qualifications
The Candidates should:
- Be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly motivated, experienced scholars and professionals generally from institutions of higher education or research focused organizations (not-for-profits, think tanks, etc.)
- Should have graduate degrees and have substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute or a related field
- Have firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component
- Have no prior or limited experience in the United States
- Come from a home institution seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the subject of the Institute, to enhance and update existing courses on the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies areas related to the program theme
- Demonstrate English language fluency
Not Eligible
Individuals in the following circumstances are not eligible for SUSI Programs:
- U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States
- Individuals currently studying, residing, or working outside of their home country
- Local employees of the U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID and their immediate family members.)
Program requirements and restrictions
All participants are expected to participate fully in an intensive program. The Institute is not a research program. Participants must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends may not accompany participants on any part of the program. Please note that Institute curriculum will not formally address teaching methodology and pedagogical methods.
Program Funding: All participant costs are covered by the SUSI program.
Selection process: The U.S. Embassy in Tirana will review the applications, interview leading candidates, and can nominate ONE candidate for each institute. However, the nominees will participate in the program only if selected as a finalist by the selection committee in Washington DC.
Program Start date: During or after June 2024
Application guidelines
Please fill in the application (Word Document 24 KB) with all the required information. Applications should be emailed to CultureandEducationTirana@state.gov as one Word document.
Host University: The SUSI programs take place at different accredited universities in the United States. Specific host institutions will be determined at a later stage, unless specified in the Institute description above. However, the applicant cannot choose the host institution.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 25, 2023
For further information, contact: Public Affairs Office, U.S. Embassy Tirana via e-mail at CultureandEducationTirana@state.gov