Deadline: December 14, 2017
The U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program seeks nominations from Tunisia for potential participants in the MEPI Student Leaders Program scheduled to take place in summer 2018. The Student Leaders program is an intensive 5-week training program in four U.S.-based universities for about 60 undergraduate and graduate students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Students learn about leadership, civil society, and government processes and how they may apply these skills in their home countries.
Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) will serve as the prime implementer in consortium with Montana State University, the University of Delaware, and Portland State University. Each host university will design its own course materials, schedule, and program activities.
All academic programs will address common themes including: a comparative analysis of leadership styles; consensus-building, conflict resolution, individual and collective problem-solving, and group dynamics; the role of civil society; public speaking; and job-seeking skills. The program will include coursework/trainings as well as field visits to complement and reinforce the concepts explored in the trainings. Students will live amongst their peers and interact with Americans in local communities.
Eligibility
While nominees may be undergraduate or graduate students in any field of academic specialization, it is critical that they exhibit a serious interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in their home countries and demonstrate a desire to deepen their civic engagement. They seek a gender-balanced pool of candidates and the inclusion of those from traditionally underserved regions. Ideal candidates for the MEPI Student Leaders Program:
- Are 20 to 24 years of age as of the program start date of June 25, 2018 and end date of August 4, 2018 (birthdates falling between August 4, 1994 and June 25, 1998);
- Demonstrate strong English language skills needed to participate in a U.S. academic program;
- Are committed to returning to their home country/community following completion of the program;
- Exhibit strong leadership potential;
- Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
- Are not a third country national of the nominating country;
- Have a sustained high level of academic achievement and are currently attending an undergraduate or graduate program; have graduated from an undergraduate program within 6 months or less from the program start date of June 25, 2018; or will commence graduate studies in the fall 2018 semester in their home country; and will not be commencing study in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the USA during the fall 2018 USA academic semester;
- Demonstrate a commitment to civic engagement;
- Have no prior travel experience in the United States or Canada and limited study or travel experience outside their home country;
- Are willing and able to participate fully in intensive academic, community service, and educational travel activities;
- Are comfortable with campus life, sharing living accommodations while traveling with a multinational group of participants from the Middle East and North Africa region and with U.S. citizens, and making adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries/communities; and
- Are comfortable living with another program participant of the same sex in a shared room as well as traveling to the USA and participating in the program without friends or family.
Application
All applicants must complete the online application which includes the following information:
- Candidate’s complete contact information, including mailing address, email, and phone number;
- Candidate’s updated resume highlighting civic engagement, leadership and/or work experience, extracurricular activities, and academic honors;
- A copy of the photo page of candidate’s passport;
- Name of candidate’s college/university;
- Candidate’s field of study;
- Evidence of high academic achievement;
- Details of any previous travel or study outside of home country, including dates.
- Candidate’s response, in 500 words or less, to each of the following questions:
- The Student Leaders program offers outstanding students leadership training to expand their understanding of and potential contribution to civic and economic engagements. How are you a leader? True leaders constantly evolve. Provide us with 1-3 concrete examples of how you built and strengthened your advocacy capacity and skills in dealing with a challenge. Did you use your leadership skills to cope with a problem, enact change, or help and inspire others? What did you learn from this experience? How has your leadership style improved as a result? What was the impact of this change on you and the people around you?
- Tell us about a public figure whose moral convictions you most aspire to emulate. Which key characteristics of that person do you see within yourself, and in which ways are you dissimilar? Discuss how these characteristics sometimes prove to be negative. Be creative: this person can be from any era. We strongly encourage that you select someone the selection committee would recognize by avoiding relatives or teachers.
- Imagine that you win a $50,000 grant to engage in an activity within your reach. The project must be concrete and be done within one year and benefit your community (cannot include bringing peace to your country or solving world hunger). The endeavor you choose should promote self-growth as a leader and significantly impact your community. Please provide details of how you would spend your year, why are you motivated to do this, and what are the benefits that this endeavor would bring to yourself and to your community.
Important Dates
- The recruitment process for the 2018 program is now open.
- The program will take place June 25 – August 4, 2018.
- Deadline for accepting applications is December 14, 2017 by 5pm.
- For any questions, please e-mail: [email protected].
For more information, visit MEPI Student Leaders Program.
