American Studies Program for Scholars

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy Hanoi is seeking qualified candidates to nominate for the 2010 Study of the United States Program for Scholars and Teachers/Educators.University lecturers and researchers on the United States, teachers/general education specialists (from Quang Tri to the North) who wish to register to participate in these research programs, please fill out the form below and submit it online by Monday, January 25, 2010. Nomination results will be announced in early April 2010. Candidates from the South (from Thua Thien - Hue to the South) should contact the Cultural - Information Office, U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City for more details.

Program Overview

The Study of the United States Programs are advanced graduate-level study programs combined with field trips designed to provide university faculty, U.S. researchers, and secondary education teachers/professionals with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and institutions. Upon return home, the knowledge and experience gained from the program is expected to strengthen the training programs and improve the quality of teaching about the United States in the students' schools and agencies. Each program includes 18 participants from different countries around the world (except the program for Secondary Education Teachers/Professors) and lasts six weeks, beginning approximately in mid-June 2010. All costs of participation in the program, including: program administration, domestic and international travel, housing, study materials, and other living expenses, are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Summary of US Study Programs

1. American Culture and Society Studies ProgramThe American Culture and Society Program will provide 18 undergraduate and graduate students with a deeper understanding of American society, culture, values, and institutions. The program examines the ethnic, racial, economic, political, and religious contexts that have shaped American cultures and how those cultures have influenced social movements and historical periods throughout American history. The program will take a multidisciplinary approach and will provide a model for the teaching of American culture and society that universities abroad should adopt. The location of the program in the United States will be announced later.2. Program for American Political Studies and Political ThoughtHosted at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the American Political Thought and Politics Program provides 18 university faculty members with a deeper understanding of American political institutions and major currents in political thought. The program provides students with a thorough understanding of the currents of thought and politics that have influenced contemporary American political institutions, including an overview of founding political thought (the foundations of the Constitution), the development and current activities of the President, Congress, and the Federal Judiciary. The study of political institutions will address the electoral system, political parties and interest groups, the civil service, the media and think tanks, and the welfare/administrative state. The program also addresses contemporary American cultural and political issues (including civil rights, women's rights, immigration, etc.), and the significance of public participation in the public policy process.3. Religious Diversity Studies Program in the United StatesHosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Program in Religious Diversity in the United States provides 18 undergraduate and graduate students with a deeper understanding of American culture and society, past and present, through research on religious diversity in the United States and its interactions with American democracy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on history, political science, sociology, anthropology, law, and other relevant disciplines, the program examines the historical and contemporary relationship between church and state in the United States. Students will also examine the following features of religious diversity in the United States: the ways in which religious thought and practice have influenced, and been influenced by, the development of American democracy; the intersections between religion and American politics in areas such as elections, public policy, and foreign policy; The sociology and demography of religion in the United States today, including an examination of contemporary religious diversity and its implications for American politics.4. Program for Teachers/General Education ProfessionalsOrganized into two classes of 30 students each, the Research Program for Secondary Education Teachers/Educators will help students (teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, textbook writers, educational specialists, etc.) gain a deeper understanding of American culture, society, and education, past and present. The program will focus on the central theme of American civilization and devote a section to contemporary issues. Combining traditional, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, the program will examine the history and evolution of American educational values ​​and institutions. The program will also explain contemporary American political, economic, and social debates. The first class will be held at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The location of the second class will be announced later. Candidate Criteria Applicants for the American Studies programs must meet the following qualifications: - For Programs 1-3: Age 30 - 50; - For Program 4: Age 25 - 50 - For Programs 1-3: Lecturers or researchers on American studies who love their profession and have extensive experience, with priority given to candidates with a Master's degree or higher and a deep understanding of the subject matter of the program; - For Program 4: General education teachers, pedagogical lecturers, curriculum developers, textbook developers, education specialists, or other specialists related to general education who love their profession and want to incorporate American studies into their curriculum; - Familiar with school life, willing and able to fully participate in a busy postgraduate research and study tour program; - Good English. The Office of Culture and Information particularly encourages applicants who meet the following conditions to apply for the program: - Experienced young faculty or researchers who have rarely visited the United States; - The applicant's institution is planning to introduce American studies into its curriculum, develop new courses related to the topics of the research program for which the applicant is applying, innovate and update existing courses on the United States, or organize seminars/workshops for colleagues in areas related to the topics of the research program.

Sign up

Qualified candidates are requested to complete the application form in English and submit it online here before 17:00 on Monday, January 25, 2010. Copies of the completed application form and supporting documents should be sent to the following address before the deadline:American Studies Program for ScholarsCultural Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, ​​7 Lang Ha, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Tel: (84) 4 3850 5000/ext. 6034 E-mail: pas.culture@gmail.com Applications submitted after the above deadline will not be considered.