PRESS RELEASE
Public Affairs Section
United States Embassy
Rabat, Morocco
2, Avenue Mohamed El Fassi – Rabat
Tel: 037 66 82 66 – Fax: 037 66 82 84
Web: http://rabat.usembassy.gov
Rabat, December 12, 2008
The U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is pleased to solicit applications for a new program called the Civic Education and Leadership Fellowship (CELF) program. During the next three years the CELF program will provide up to 60 academics from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region an opportunity to participate in individually-tailored programs program that will run from approximately August 18th – December 31st, 2009 at the Maxwell School for Public Affairs at Syracuse University (http://www.maxwell.syr.edu) in upstate New York.
The objectives of the program are to: 1) promote democracy and international standards in policy education in MENA countries striving to develop their civil society capacity on the university level; 2) enhance the quality of education through improved curricula development and delivery, increased institutional capacity, and expanded student and faculty engagement; and 3) fully develop the critical thinking and analytic capabilities of educators to enhance their ability to disseminate critical civic education material to their students.
The ideal candidate for the CELF program:
-- has at least five years of experience working in social science disciplines, including political science, public administration, law, media, journalism, and communications;
-- has a minimum of three years, but not more than twelve years, of experience working in an accredited institution of higher education;
-- has completed or is working through a Ph.D. While this is preferred, the minimum requirement for the candidates is a completed Masters degree in a social science discipline, including political science, public administration, law, media, journalism, and communications;
-- has demonstrated a commitment and desire to remain working in this field for the foreseeable future, and an equal commitment to improving the quality and capacity of educational institutions in their field of study;
-- has exhibited long-time leadership and the capacity to apply skills acquired in this program in a way that would benefit education institutions, organizations, sectors, and/or communities;
-- has a level of English language fluency sufficient to function successfully in a high-level academic and professional environment; successful applicants will be requested to submit TOEFL scores at a later date;
-- has not already completed a similar academic degree or residency in the United States, and is not subject to J-visa restrictions; and
-- has letters of support from their home institution that will allow the applicant to study in the United States.
All Fellows will participate in curriculum development, teaching skills and civic engagement seminars, as well as professional networking initiatives to broaden their contacts with individuals and academic institutions in the United States.
MEPI, through its implementer, Syracuse University, will cover all international and domestic travel, health insurance, housing, and a moderate living stipend in the United States for all Fellows participating in the program. All Fellows will travel to the United States in unaccompanied status.
The program is extremely competitive, and only a very few candidates will be selected from any one country. Final selection of candidates will be made jointly by Department of State MEPI offices and Syracuse University.
Applicants must submit an updated resume and two essays of no more than 500 words each, written in English, which answer the following questions:
-- Essay 1: What has influenced your thinking about civic engagement? What are the prospects for greater civic engagement in solving social problems and fostering participatory democracy in your country and how do you see the connection between your field of study and improving the prospects for civic engagement in your country?
-- Essay 2: What hopes and plans do you have about improving the quality and capacity of your educational institution in your field of study. How do you see yourself leading this change?
Candidates in Morocco should e-mail the resume and two essays to CohnMA@state.gov by 5:00 p.m. local time on January 23, 2009. Application materials may also be faxed to 037-66-8299, or mailed to Mitchell A. Cohn, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, 2 Avenue Mohamed El Fassi (ex-Marrakech), Rabat.
Those who are employed by the U.S. Government or who are the spouse or child of a U.S. Government employee cannot be considered for this program.
