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/Education Professionals.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 application 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/specialists with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and institutions. Upon returning 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 students from different countries around the world (except the program for Secondary Education Teachers/Specialists) and lasts for six weeks, beginning approximately in mid-June 2010. All costs of participation in the program, including: program administration, domestic and international travel, housing, course materials, and other living expenses, will be sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Summary of US Research 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 shaped American cultures and how those cultures influenced social movements and historical periods throughout American history. The program will take a multidisciplinary approach and will offer a model for the teaching of American culture and society that universities abroad should adopt. The U.S. location for the program 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 ideological and political currents that influence 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 state/administration. The program also addresses contemporary American cultural and political issues (including civil rights, women's rights, immigration, etc.), and the importance of public participation in public policymaking.3. Program on Religious Diversity in the United StatesHosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Program in Religious Diversity in America 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 fields, the program will examine 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 demographics of religion in the United States today, including an examination of contemporary religious diversity and its impact on American politics.4. Program for Teachers/General Education ProfessionalsOrganized into two classes of 30 students each, the Research Program for Secondary Education Teachers/Educators provides students (teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, textbook writers, education specialists, etc.) with 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. It will also examine contemporary American political, economic, and social debates. The first class will be held at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The second class will be held at a later date. 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 program's subject matter; - For Program 4: High school 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 at 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 traveled to the United States; - The applicant's institution is planning to incorporate 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 topic 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 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 Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Tel: (84) 4 3850 5000/ext. 6034 Email: pas.culture@gmail.com Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.