Thursday, September 29, 2011

Study Abroad Opportunity in Vietnam

Established in 2003, the Vo Xuan Trang Memorial Scholarship is awarded each term to a student participating on a CET Vietnam program. In Spring 2012, two of these scholarships ($1500 each) will be available.

Students may submit scholarship applications concurrently with their online program application. Applications are evaluated with respect to academic achievement, strength of essay and recommendations letters, and financial need.

CET Vietnam is for challenge-loving students who seek something different from a term abroad. Students conduct service-learning projects at philanthropic organizations in Ho Chi Minh City. They tackle Vietnamese language in the classroom (8 hours per week) and explore their environs with a Vietnamese roommate. The program accepts students of all majors and language levels—from beginners to heritage learners.

CET Academic Programs is a study abroad organization based in Washington, DC that has been designing and administering innovative educational programs abroad since 1982. Originally “China Educational Tours,” CET began operations in Beijing, later expanding to other cities in China and then to other countries around the world. Today, CET offers semester and summer study abroad programs in China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Syria and Vietnam, as well as short-term, customized programs worldwide. CET is known for high academic standards, innovative approaches to teaching and careful student management. CET programs integrate students into their overseas communities and lead them to create lasting relationships with their local hosts. CET is the only US provider to house its students with local roommates in each of its locations. As an environmentally conscientious organization, CET adopts locally appropriate measures in its centers worldwide to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to sustainable practices wherever possible. Staffed by over 40 full-time employees in the United States and abroad, CET currently sends around 1000 US students abroad annually.

For more information, visit http://cetacademicprograms.com/programs/vietnam/vietnamese-studies-vietnam/.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Exciting Winter 2012 Trip to Thai-Burma Border!

Winter 2012 Student Exposure Trip to Thai-Burma Border

Date of Trip: January 2, 2012 – January 12, 2012

WHY GO TO THE THAILAND-BURMA BORDER?
Have you been hearing/reading/thinking about Burma but want to go and see for yourself what is happening? Every year US Campaign for Burma brings a group of young activists to the Thai-Burma border to help them build a stronger personal relationship with the struggle for freedom and human rights in Burma. Those who participate will visit Dr. Cynthia’s well-regarded Mae Tao Clinic, refugee camps, as well as meet a variety of individuals who risk their lives to help their country.

If you have been interested or involved in Burma’s epic freedom struggle, this trip will provide you with the knowledge and legitimacy beneficial to elevating your efforts to help the people of Burma at an effective level. You will leave Thailand with unique knowledge and experience of the crisis and ways to assist the people of Burma. This is more than just an exposure tour where you learn about what is happening; by the end of this trip, you are expected to take the knowledge and be a strong leader in pushing for Burma action in your local area.

HOW DOES THIS TRIP WORK?
The group (consisting of 8-10 people) will meet up in Bangkok, Thailand and then travel to other key sites on the Thai-Burma border for 10 days. An experienced USCB staff member will lead the trip.

CAN I APPLY?
In order to apply to participate in this trip, you must be in good medical condition and be able to pay for the costs of your own travel and trip coordination. The cost will be between $1400-1500 for the 10-day trip, but will vary for each individual participant. All trip participants must arrange their own roundtrip travel to Bangkok, Thailand on January 2nd.

Trip itineraries will remain confidential because of the sensitive nature of the organizations’ work. While every precaution will be taken by the trip coordinator to ensure complete safety of the group, all trip participants will need to sign a waiver in order to participate.

Applications are due on October 31, 2011 . If interested, please contact Thelma Young at thelma@uscampaignforburma.org. Download the application by clicking here.

For more information, please go to:  http://uscampaignforburma.org/winter-2012-student-exposure-trip-to-thai-burma-border

Attention Graduate Students: Check Out These Three New Job Openings at the US-India Business Council at the US Chamber of Commerce!


Director, Policy Advocacy for Aerospace, Defense and Infrastructure   
United States-India Business Council (USIBC)

POSITION OVERVIEW:
Support the committee management, policy advocacy, member services, and member retention work for the U.S. India Business Council’s aerospace portfolio and the defense and infrastructure portfolio.
Remain current on policy developments in assigned portfolios; identify key issues facing members; assist in convening member companies for input; organize conference calls, events, and meeting; maintain content for the members-only websites; sustain and update databases; develop regular, sector-specific updates; and help Directors in preparing news articles, press releases, and event invitations.

REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s and 1-5 years’ work experience in aerospace and defense, international trade and economics, and /or infrastructure development; experience with conference or meeting planning, database and website management, drafting reports, public speaking, and policy advocacy; proven knowledge of the growing strategic relationship between the U.S. and India and policy issues relate to export controls and trade barriers; strong written communication skills; and the ability to work effectively in a team. Graduate degree preferred.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Apply online at www.uschamber.com/careers.

We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our recruitment and employment policies are inclusive. We respect both the spirit and letter of the laws of equal employment opportunity. 

Manager, Legal and Professional Services and Life Sciences
United States-India Business Council (USIBC)


POSITION OVERVIEW:

Support the work of multiple Executive Committee portfolios through communications, research, event planning, and customer service.  
Responsibilities:
Develop expertise and remain current on policy developments within each portfolio; help plan and organize council events; produce sector-specific updates; create and update content for the website and maintain databases; draft background briefs, fliers, and other materials; initiate correspondence and respond to inquiries; coordinate logistics and help draft timelines and benchmarks for programs; schedule and organize conference calls; and research and arrange meetings with prospective members.

REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s degree and 2-5 years’ related work experience in either the life sciences or legal and professional service sectors; experience planning conferences or meetings, managing databases and websites, and drafting reports and briefings; knowledge of international relations; strong written communications  and customer service skills; and the ability to work on a team. Master’s degree and experience and familiarity with India preferred.  

Salary commensurate with experience.

Apply online at www.uschamber.com/careers.
We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our recruitment and employment policies are inclusive. We respect both the spirit and letter of the laws of equal employment opportunity.

Director, Policy Advocacy, Energy
United States-India Business Council (USIBC)

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The director will manage a broad energy policy portfolio for the U. S.-India Business Council, an advocacy organization of America’s and India’s top-tier companies whose aim is to deepen two-way trade and strengthen commercial ties.

Remain current on policy developments as they relate to the business community operating internationally; identify key issues affecting USIBC member-companies’ operations; plan and organize council events and activities; regularly convene members of the Energy, Environment and Enterprise (EEE) Committee to conceive and generate the advocacy agenda; work closely with members on issues affecting their ability to succeed at doing business; grow membership; produce sector-specific updates to keep members informed on USIBC activities; develop and maintain a committee contact database and USIBC members-only website; and oversee the preparation of news articles, press releases, and fliers.

REQUIREMENTS:
Master’s degree or Juris Doctorate in related field and 5-9 years’ work experience in the relevant policy area; knowledge of and exposure to India culture; familiarity with the U.S. Congress and the broader Washington policy environment; experience coordinating conferences and meetings, managing databases and websites, and drafting reports and briefings; excellent public speaking skills; strong written and verbal communications skills; ability to build effective internal and external networks; and flexibility to travel to India.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Apply online at www.uschamber.com/careers.

We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our recruitment and employment policies are inclusive. We respect both the spirit and letter of the laws of equal employment opportunity.





Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Hatchet Article Highlights Unique Public Health Study Abroad Program in India

Sustainable Aid

GW public health study abroad program sends students to India to examine the impact of social entrepreneurship.

September 26, 2011
By Jennifer Eder

Nitasha Chaudhary thought she knew India. A first-generation Indian American, the GW School of Public Health and Health Services graduate student spent summers in India with family throughout her childhood. But a recent visit as part of a new GW short-term study abroad program opened her eyes to the poverty she had never seen before.

Ms. Chaudhary, M.P.H. ’08, was one of 16 GW students who spent two weeks traveling throughout India, shadowing a handful of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Their travels took them to poor areas of New Delhi and Mumbai, under the sponsorship of GW’s Office of Study Abroad and the SPHHS.

“I was really in shock that I drove on so many of the same streets and never realized what was happening behind these tree barriers,” said Ms. Chaudhary, who is earning a graduate certificate in community-based program management. “It’s poverty everywhere.”

The study abroad trip was part of a six-week summer course called Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship: A Case Study of India. Led by Amita Vyas, director of the Maternal and Child Health Program in SPHHS, and Blaine Parrish, assistant professor of health policy and prevention and community health, the first four weeks of the course were spent on GW’s campus in the classroom. Students learned the difference between a nonprofit and social entrepreneurship – the development of ideas that lead to new approaches to social issues in a community.

“Nonprofit organizations tend to take donations and then turn around and provide services,” said Dr. Parrish. “Social entrepreneurs actually establish an organization that empowers the people to do their own fundraising or their own sustainable programming.”

The last two weeks of the course were spent in India, which is home to 1.2 billion people and an estimated 3.3 million NGOs.

What the group quickly realized is that many of India’s existing NGOs aren’t sustainable.

“The difference nonprofits make is the immediate difference. They don’t make a long-term difference. They deal with the immediate needs that the people have for housing, clothing, health care and immunizations,” said Dr. Parrish. “But where are they as people need work and some kind of basic infrastructure around them?”

This was the first SPHHS study abroad program, and it has already gained national recognition. Last week, the course was awarded the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health’s Innovative Curriculum Award.

SPHHS also has launched a new two-credit, 12-day health care study abroad program to Israel. The program, which is called Health Services Delivery in Israel and is housed in the Department of Health Services Management and Leadership, will begin in December.

On the India trip, students visited organizations such as ACORN India to learn about waste management in Mumbai’s Dhavari slum, the largest in Asia.

“Within five minutes of getting there, they were almost speechless because they didn’t even know how to respond to what they were seeing – over a million people living in one square mile without any real sanitation and living on heaps of garbage,” said Dr. Vyas.

Ms. Chaudhary, who received her master’s in maternal and child health in 2008 and came back to GW to get a graduate certificate in community-based program management, said the poverty in India is on an entirely different scale than what exists in the U.S.

“India has so many people that there’s not just pockets that are struck by poverty. There’s a beautiful mansion, and then right next door, there can be a huge slum,” she said.

As the students saw how widespread the poverty was despite the number of NGOs, they began to get frustrated and question what solutions could actually be effective.

“They kept saying, ‘I took this class because I want to make a difference. I want to save the world. I want to save lives. But I don’t know how I can really do anything. I don’t see how I can make a dent because it is so intense and so overwhelming,’” said Dr. Vyas. “Students have great ideas in the classroom, but it’s not until they get out into the field and see whether their idea is actually feasible that they can start doubting their good ideas.”

Part of the problem, Ms. Chaudhary said, is a weak infrastructure to support the NGOs, and that’s why NGOs need to have a sustainable business plan.

“In the end, just offering social services isn’t sustainable,” said Kelly Healy, a graduate student in the Department of Global Health. “But if you give them a small loan, for example, and help them start a business, they can provide for their family or community. It goes much further than a handout. You need to try to get to the root of the problem.”

Cara Hayes, a graduate student studying international development in the Elliott School of International Affairs, took the course because she’s interested in social enterprise, private-sector poverty solutions and global corporate responsibility.

Having little public health experience, Ms. Hayes asked very different questions than the other students on the trip.

“I would never think to ask how many babies are delivered here each month, or what are the main nutritional deficiencies,” she said. “Instead, I would ask, ‘What’s your five-year plan for growth?’”

Ms. Hayes’s favorite organization that the group visited in India was Population Services International, which offers lifesaving products, clinical services and behavior change communications in 67 countries, with a focus on malaria, child survival, HIV and reproductive health. In India, the organization is working on a campaign to promote the use of intrauterine devices as a form of contraception.

The students were required to write daily blog posts and reflect on their experiences. And after returning to the U.S., they created business plans for a social enterprise. Courtnay Oddman, an undergraduate student in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences studying communications, developed a business plan that would create a school for autistic children in India.
“The school would teach them different business and communication skills, and then the students can eventually take over the business when they graduate and become the teachers themselves,” said Ms. Oddman.

In the end, the trip was an “emotional, physical and intellectual journey,” Dr. Vyas said. “And they’ll carry this experience with them through the rest of their education and into their careers.”

For Ms. Chaudhary, the lasting impression from the trip was the importance of creating a sustainable impact, one community at a time.

“At the end of a day, when you’re working with a billion people, even if you are only making a difference in 10 people’s lives, they will make a difference in other people’s lives and therefore it’s a cyclical effect. This idea of social entrepreneurship can really make a difference. It’s communities teaching communities,” said Ms. Chaudhary.



Check out the link to this Hatchet article for a photo: http://gwtoday.gwu.edu/theworld/sustainableaid?utm_source=gwtodayemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=gwtodayemail092611

Elliott School Graduate Open House

Are you considering graduate study at the Elliott School? You are cordially invited to attend Open House events for prospective students.

Attendees will hear from faculty and staff about Elliott School graduate programs, study abroad opportunities, and career development. Reception to follow.

Please click on one of the dates below to RSVP.

Tuesday, October 4, 20116:00-8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 1, 20116:00-8:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the admissions office at esiagrad@gwu.edu or 202-994-7050.

Information about these and other recruiting events is posted on the admissions website.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Watch the Speech Given by Hirokazu Nakaima, the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan


September 19th, 2011 Event: The Okinawa Question: Regional Security, the US-Japan Alliance, and Futenma



Governor Hirokazu Nakaima of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, discusses Futenma Marine Airbase and U.S.-Japan relations.
Watch the video of Governor Nakaima's speech here:
Event highlights included:
  • welcoming remarks by Mike Mochizuki & Akikazu Hashimoto
  • Luncheon keynote: the Governor of Okinawa
  • Two panel discussions: U.S.-Japan-China Strategic Triangle and How to Solve the Futenma Air Corps Marine Station Issues
Sponsored by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies and The Nansei Shoto Industrial Advancement Center

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam Explores Partnerships with GW

GW President Steven Knapp welcomed His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, The Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei Darussalam, to campus Sept. 18.

The Crown Prince of Brunei and President Knapp met in Duquès Hall to discuss potential partnerships with George Washington for faculty research and student exchanges.


The meeting also included His Royal Highness Pengiran Muda Abdul Qawi; The Honorable Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II; His Excellency Dato Paduka Haji Yusoff Haji Abd Hami, the Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the United States of America, and Muhammad Lutfi bin Abdullah, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office.


With GW's new state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall in progress, GW officials are hopeful that one of the outcomes of this historic meeting will be student exchanges with Brunei in engineering and sciences.


Brunei Darussalam is a Southeast Asian nation on the island of Borneo, and its constitutional sultanate has its roots in the 14th century. The geography of Brunei is known for its dense forests and swamps, and perhaps with a future partnership, GW can work with this nation to preserve its rich biodiversity and natural lands.

Blakemore Language Grants for Advanced Study of Asian Languages

Below please find a language study opportunity that might be of interest to graduate students who are pursuing study of a modern Asian language (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer or Burmese).

Blakemore Language Grants for Advanced Study of Asian Languages
The Blakemore Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2012 Blakemore Freeman Fellowships and Blakemore Refresher Grants.

Blakemore language grants are awarded to individuals pursuing academic, business or other professional careers (e.g. science, medicine, law, engineering, journalism, the fine arts, public service) who would benefit from improved fluency in an East or Southeast Asian language.

Blakemore Freeman Fellowships fund a year of advanced language study at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama (IUC), the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing (IUP), the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University in Taipei (ICLP), and similar programs in other countries of East and SE Asia. Where there is no structured advanced-level language program at an educational institution in the country, the grant may provide for the financing of private tutorials under terms set forth in the application instructions.

Blakemore Refresher Grants are shorter-term language grants restricted to former Blakemore Fellows, college professors, post-doctoral professionals and graduates of the academic year programs at the IUC, the IUP and the ICLP.

The grants cover tuition and a stipend for related educational expenses, basic living costs and transportation, but do not include dependent expenses.

For application forms and further information see http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/.

Eligibility




  • Pursuing academic, professional or business career that involves the regular use of a modern Asian language
  • Have a college undergraduate degree
  • At or near an advanced level in the language as defined in the Grant Guidelines
  • Able to devote oneself exclusively to the language study during the term of the grant; grants are not intended for part-time study or research
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States


Selection Criteria
Grants are highly competitive. Last year we were able to offer funding to less than 9% of applicants. Applicants will be judged on having:




  • focused, well-defined career objective involving Asia in which use of the language is an important aspect
  • potential to make a significant contribution to a field of study or area of
  • professional or business activity in an Asian country
  • prior experience in the country or involvement or participation in activities related to the country
  • good academic, professional or business background, appropriate to the career program


Deadline for Applications Grants Awarded
Postmarked by December 30, 2011 · Late March/early April 2012

Blakemore Foundation
1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4800, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206.359.8778
blakemorefoundation@gmail.com or blakemore@perkinscoie.com
http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2012 Applications Now Open for the National Science Foundation’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students

The National Science Foundation (NSF) East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI) is a flagship international fellowship program for developing the next generation of globally engaged U.S. scientists and engineers knowledgeable about the Asian and Pacific regions. The Summer Institutes are hosted by foreign counterparts committed to increasing opportunities for young U.S. researchers to work in research facilities and with host mentors abroad. Fellows are supported to participate in eight-week research experiences at host laboratories in Australia, China, Japan (10 weeks), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from June to August. The program provides a $5,000 summer stipend, round-trip airfare to the host location, living expenses abroad, and an introduction to the society, culture, language, and research environment of the host location.

The 2012 application is now open and will close at 5:00 pm proposer's local time on November 9, 2011.
Application instructions are available online at www.nsfsi.org. For further information concerning benefits, eligibility, and tips on applying, applicants are encouraged to visit www.nsf.gov/eapsi or www.nsfsi.org.

Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) Graduate Student Fellowship with the East West Center

The East-West Center is pleased to invite applications for the Asia Pacific Leadership Program Fellowship (APLP) for the 2012 – 2013 year. The APLP is the center of excellence for leadership education in the Asia Pacific region and a signature program of the East West Center.

Currently celebrating its 11th anniversary, the APLP has created a network of 400 dynamic leaders in 53 countries who are helping to build a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific community. Upon acceptance, all participants receive a fellowship valued at approximately $15,000 USD to cover the majority of the program costs.

For more information, visit the APLP webpage at: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/education/aplp

For questions and more specific information, contact Jacob Dowd at dowd.jacob@gmail.com

Attention Undergraduate Students: Learn about the Myriad GW-Approved Study Abroad Programs in Asia at Today's Study Abroad Fair!


Fall 2011 Study Abroad Fair
Wednesday, September 21
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Marvin Center Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor

Come to the fall 2011 Study Abroad Fair to learn about the hundreds of programs available to you each semester! Learn more about the Focus on Fall Abroad Community, scholarship opportunities, and GW programs and exchanges. Representatives from many of our approved programs and providers will be in attendance. This is an excellent opportunity for all GW students to get information, from those just starting to think about study abroad to those applying for next semester.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Opportunity for Undergraduate Students to be Published in Peer-Reviewed Journal

The Michigan Journal of Asian Studies is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to provide undergraduate students around the world with a venue for submissions of original research and/or analytical papers on Asian Studies. We accept work from all disciplines relating to South, Southeast, and East Asia. Our deadline for submissions is October 10th, 2011. All submissions must meet the following guidelines:

--Your subject line and document title should fit the following format: [author name] [paper title] [region (south/southeast/east)]

--Submissions have a lower limit of approximately 5000 words.

--All submissions must include a coversheet. The coversheet should include an abstract, your full name, academic institution, and e-mail address.

--Authors must provide a complete bibliography with their submissions, including page citations. Authors should follow the Chicago Manual of Style format for references and endnotes.

The author must supply any additional figures and pictures as separate files in the highest resolution possible. It must be noted in the document as to where the figure belongs. (e.g. [Picture001 belongs here])


Please send all comments and questions to michiganjournalofasianstudies@umich.edu

Monday, September 19, 2011

Learn How to Apply for Fellowships: Applying for Academic and Professional Fellowships Workshop

Hello Students, Alumni, and Colleagues,
The Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research will be hosting a fellowship workshop session entitled Applying for Academic and Professional Fellowships this Thursday!
Date: Thursday, September 22nd
Location: the University Honors Program basement (714 21stStreet NW)
Time: 5-6pm
Victoria Johnson from ProFellow (www.Profellow.com ) will offer application tips, advice on how to apply for graduate level fellowships, and strategies for working abroad after college.
Besides her work at ProFellow, Ms. Johnson has extensive experience from having successfully applied to the following awards:
  • NYC Urban Fellows Program (2001-2, the "9/11 class")
  • German Chancellor Fellowship (2003-4)
  • Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship in Washington, DC (2005)
  • Ian Axford Fellowship in Public Policy in New Zealand (present, administered by Fulbright)
In addition to her fellowship work, Ms. Johnson also brings a wealth of experience in the field of emergency management and policy studies.
Please RSVP at fellcent@gwu.edu if you are interested in attending this session.

CAORC's Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program for Advanced Multi-Country Research

The Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program is a wonderful opportunity for U.S. doctoral candidates and scholars who have already earned their Ph.D. to do advanced regional or trans-regional research in humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences abroad. Approximately nine awards of up to $12,000 each will be given in the doctoral candidate/post-doctoral scholar competition hosted by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) . The CAORC is a private not-for-proft federation of independent overseas research centers that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with the focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies.

The deadline for application submission is Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

Eligibility Guidelines:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen. Proof of citizenship (photocopy of passport) must be shown upon award notification.
  • Must have a Ph.D. or be a doctoral candidate who has completed all Ph.D. requirements with the exception of the dissertation.
  • Must be engaged in the study of and research in the humanities, social sciences, and allied natural sciences.
  • Must wish to conduct research of regional or trans-regional significance in two or more countries outside the United States, one of which must host a participating American overseas research center (ORC). These include:
  • American Center for Mongolian Studies
  • American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies
  • American Institute of Bangladesh Studies
  • American Institute of Indian Studies
  • American Institute of Pakistan Studies
  • Center for Khmer Studies
Preference will be given to candidates examining comparative and/or cross-regional research. Applicants are eligible to apply as individuals or in teams.


Please note that fellowships for Master's level students will not be available for the 2011-2012 cycle.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Volunteers for The Okinawa Question

Interested in U.S.-Japan relations and regional security? Volunteer for The Okinawa Question: Regional Security, The U.S.-Japan Alliance, and Futenma Conference!

We are looking for at least two volunteers for the conference (morning or afternoon). If you are interested, please contact Josie Keller at (202) 994-5874 or jhkeller@gwu.edu as soon as possible.

Internship: International Religious Freedom - Washington, DC

Freedom House supports the spread of freedom and democracy throughout the world through research, effective advocacy and programs directly supporting frontline activists. We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World. With 13 field offices and two U.S. offices, we are supporting the right of every individual to be free.

Description

The Intern will support international programming and advocacy to defend and advance freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. Freedom House will help the Intern complete any required class certification or position funding applications developed by the Intern. This internship position reports to the Senior Program Manager and requires a minimum commitment of 25 hours per week.

Duties and Responsibilities
  • Assist in country research on issues relating to religious freedom in the Near East and Southeast Asia
  • Assist in research and outreach to religious scholars, civil society, and civil society support programs in selected countries in the Near East and Southeast Asia
  • Assist in drafting advocacy statements, congressional testimony, and press releases
  • Assist in identifying, recruiting and maintaining relationships with experts on religious freedom, freedom of expression, and other experts associated with the program initiative
  • Assist in drafting narrative reports
  • Provide support to the project staff by assisting with program development and daily administrative duties, as needed
  • Attend events related to Religious Freedom and prepare reports as needed
  • Other related duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in a related area or current college or graduate student
  • Strong ability to communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing
  • Proficiency with MS Office Suite
  • Demonstrated knowledge and interest in religious freedom, international human rights law, and international relations
  • Excellent research, analytical, writing, and organizational skills
  • Knowledge of general office management concepts and tasks
  • Knowledge of the Near East and/or Southeast Asia regions preferred
  • Academic background in religious studies, divinity studies preferred
Please apply here.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Winter Short-Term Study Abroad Course in China

Take a short-term study abroad course in China with the George Washington School of Business! GWSB is offering Economic and Financial Issues in Global Financial Markets (IBUS 6290) & Globalization and China's Business Environment (IBUS 6297) [6 credits]. The program is from December 27, 2011 to January 10, 2012. GWSB is accepting applications through THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH.

This 6 credit program consists of IBUS 6290 Economic and Financial Issues in Global Financial Markets and IBUS 6297 Globalization and China's Business Environment. Following on-campus coursework students will depart for China for 2 weeks. While in China students will travel to Shanghai, Beijing and a third city near Beijing or Shanghai where they will engage in lectures, seminars, field visits, conduct business and participate in cultural visits.

IBUS 6290 Economic and Financial Issues in Global Financial Markets

This course will help students understand current issues in international economics and finance. It covers topics such as the subprime mortgage crisis, securitization, financial institutions risk management, global trade issues, balance of payment issues, non-performing loans, and the global stock markets.

IBUS 6297 Globalization and China's Business Environment

This course will help participants understand the Chinese economy, China's relationship with the World Trade Organization, and China's role in globalization of the world economy. Through lectures and guest lectures, seminars, and field visits, participants will learn China's business environment, multinational firms' business strategies and practices in China, the reform of state-owned enterprises, and the development of non-state-owned enterprises in China. Participants will travel to Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing where they will conduct business and cultural visits.

Visit this page for more information.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Increase in International Students from Asia at GW Emphasizes Importance of the Sigur Center

A recent GW Hatchet article highlighted the increased numbers of international students from Asia at GW this academic year: http://www.gwhatchet.com/2011/09/01/china-leads-foreign-enrollment-bump.

According to the article, "This year, China, the Republic of Korea and India have the largest foreign populations on campus with 568, 256 and 244 students respectively." These increased numbers of students from Asia highlight the importance of the research and mission of the Sigur Center. The fact that these students chose to come to the US and GW for advanced study reflects an important aspect of American soft power--the attractiveness of American universities in international education. The teaching and research by Sigur Center faculty and staff not only helps to contribute to the overall study of US-Asian relations, it also equips American students with the knowledge of Asian countries so that they can engage in meaningful conversations with their Asian peers .