New Grant Opportunities for Graduate Internships in Asia

New Grant Funding to Support Student Internships in Asia

Elliott School graduate students looking to gain foreign work experience now have the unique opportunity to receive funding to pursue an internship in Asia, starting as early as summer 2013.

This fall, the Elliott School's Graduate Student Career Development (GSCD) office was awarded a $100,000 grant to support graduate student internships in Asia. The grant, awarded by the Freeman Foundation, will provide individual students with fellowships of $4,000 each to defray the cost of pursuing 8-10 week internships in East Asia and Southeast Asia.

"This generous award offers ample opportunity for our students to engage with international organizations across Asia — from Burma to the Philippines to China — in career-enhancing positions," said Angella Griffin, director of GSCD. "Students focusing on Asian Studies, as well as any student looking to gain international experience, should consider applying for an award."

The Freeman Foundation awards $50 million annually to academic institutions across the United States. Its aim is to increase international understanding between the United States and Asian nations through education and travel.

According to Marcus King, associate director of research and the principal investigator for the project, "These grants will expose students to the region while strengthening ties to employers and alumni mentors in Asia. They are an enormous contribution to a core of the Elliott School's mission."

Foreign experience can be immensely helpful to students during their search for employment. In a GSCD-administered survey given to 275 employers, international work experience was the third most important qualification desired by employers of graduate students focusing on Asian Studies. Foreign language skills and cross cultural and communications skills were also ranked highly.

Link: http://elliott.gwu.edu/news/briefing/nov12/gscd.cfm

New Course Announcement: REL 3390:12 Hinduism in Modern World

Hinduism in Modern World 

Offered: Spring 2013 TF 2:20-3:35pm
Taught by: Professor Prabha Reddy

Description:
Hinduism in Modern World has three overarching goals. First, we explore the Colonial period and the constructions and reforms of Hinduism by Indian thinkers and European intellectuals. We then turn to the modern period to examine what forms of Hinduism were practiced, what traditions survived, and the ways in which Hinduism met the burgeoning challenges of a modernized India. finally, our focus shifts to Diaspora Hinduism and the transmission and transformation of Hindu traditions in modern Europe and America. The course provides students with many ways of engaging with diversity of Hinduism in relations to Indian society and culture as well as Hindu understandings of religious experience and gender relations.

Freeman Foundation Fellowship for Internships in East Asia & Southeast Asia

The Graduate Student Career Development is pleased to offer competitive grants for up to $4,000 to help defray the cost of pursuing an internship in East Asia or Southeast Asia.

Not sure if an internship or work experience will make a difference to employers?

Employers surveyed by GSCD for the Employment Qualifications and Skills Report rated the following qualifications as very important when making hiring decisions:

1)  International experience and contacts

2)  Foreign language skills

3)  Cross cultural competencies and communication skills

Where have previous Elliott School students interned in Asia?

Below are a few examples of the countries/organizations past Elliott School students have interned in Asia:

• The Clinton Foundation-China

• US Department of State – Japan, Vietnam, and China

• UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office-Thailand

• US Commerce Department Foreign Commercial Services-Singapore

• Development Alternatives, Inc.-Cambodia

Please log into Elliott School Career Connection (ESCC) and click the Document Library for more information on the Freeman Foundation Fellowship Grant for Internships in Asia.   Also, please contact Angella Griffin, Director, at 202-994-3788  or AGRIFFIN@gwu.edu if you have additional questions.

SPRING 2013 INTERNSHIP - FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVE (FPI)

The Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), a D.C.-based think tank, is seeking rising college seniors and graduate students of the highest caliber with interest in the fields of, but not limited to, international studies, defense, national security, democracy and human rights, political science, and foreign affairs. FPI interns are given substantial work in current events research, policy communication, and think tank operations. Interns are encouraged to attend stimulating discussions around the local D.C. area and to interact closely with FPI's in-house experts. Though the FPI internship program is unpaid, participants gain valuable skills, a broader understanding of the policy world, invaluable experience, and networking opportunities.

More information about the FPI 2013 Spring Internship Program and how to apply can be found here: http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/Employment.

For further questions, please e-mail interns@foreignpolicyi.org

OAS Conversations with Scholars: "Knowledge Mobilization in Asia"

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

12:15 PM - 1:45 PM

1957 E St., NW, Chung-wen Shih Conference Room, Suite 503

The Conversations with Scholars series provides students with the opportunity to engage GW professors on contemporary Asia-related topics. These special luncheons are held exclusively for GW students. Be sure to RSVP early!

Linda J. Yarr, Director of Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA) will share personal reflections on a career devoted to expanding intellectual exchange with Asian thought leaders; promoting curricular and pedagogical innovation in international affairs education; and fostering leadership development for policy dialogue on emerging global issues.

***Lunch will be provided***

*OPEN ONLY TO GW STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF

Please RSVP at: http://go.gwu.edu/knowledgeasia

Summer 2013 Short-Term GW Study Abroad Course in Japan!

Japanese Education and Society in a Global Era

EDUC 6630 – International Experiences

Study Dates: June 2-16, 2013 – Summer I

Information Session: November 29, 6 PM - 8 PM
Marvin Center, Room G08
Sushi and other snacks will be served!

This short-term study abroad will provide students with an intensive look at education in Japanese society at the beginning of the 21^st century.  Naturally beautiful but resource-poor, Japan has developed economically through wise utilization of its people and human resources. Japan was the first non-Western nation to do so, breaking the conventional wisdom that held Westernization as a pre-condition of industrial development.  It did this by importing ideas and grafting them to local social, political and economic institutions.  The result was often a curious trans-cultural hybrid, predating the globalization of recent years.

Japan continues to break conventional wisdom, in education and other fields.  Its students perform consistently well on international assessments (though not as well as many Japanese would like), but the Japanese school system does not employ many of the policies proposed by current US reform discourse.  Scholars have argued that Japan’s educational policies, in combination with other national policies, fostered development of a broad and prosperous middle class. Family SES explains less of the variance in student performance than in most Western countries.

The class includes a Foggy Bottom-based component of pre- and post-departure classes/orientations, debriefings, and presentations and a two-week visit to Japan.  Two weeks allows for a week of cultural and educational site visits (and to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and the mountains of Nagano, and then a week in Tokyo for students to pursue individual or group research projects through individualized site visits and interviews arranged in advance.  . Advance classes will provide orientation to the program, lectures, time to schedule site visits and plan research projects, and a smattering of survival Japanese.

As a group, we will tour Tokyo and Kyoto; visit the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima; a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Inland Sea; and hopefully the mountains of central Japan. There will be optional tours of popular culture, “poor people’s Tokyo, and a hot spring (onsen). Students can organize visits to cultural, artistic, historical and social interest.  Studying education directly, we plan to visit: a university known for its education programs and international activities, a rural high school, a cram school, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Municipal Office of Education for Tokyo, and training and human resource directors of a large international corporation.  Depending on interests, students can arrange visits to other universities; primary, junior high schools and early childhood centers; policy research centers; other education offices; centers for community and lifelong learning; other corporations; sites for training in traditional arts and folk crafts; museums; development agencies; NGOs; social welfare offices; advocates for minorities (Koreans, burakumin, Ainu, women, glbtq people, the poor).

The instructor has spent almost 12 years living in Japan.  He has broad contacts in universities, government, and a good understand of Japanese culture.  Additionally, we hope to involve some local university students as authentic local cultural and educational informants. This class is appropriate for graduate students in international education and development, education policy, international exchange, comparative higher education, sociology of education, human resource development and comparative human and organizational learning, museum education, international development studies, the arts, even education in emergencies.

The class would be particularly meaningful if preceded by the Spring class taught by Iris Rotberg and Jim Williams, Comparative Solutions to Common Educational Problems.

For questions or details about either class, please contact the Jim Williams at jhw@gwu.edu.  Registration will be first-come, first served.  Please let Prof Williams know if you want to be added to the list to enroll.   

Liz Mamo - Alumna Working Hard in China

 Liz on the weekends

 Alleyway on the way home (Nanjing)

Liz Representing USA!

Name: Liz Mamo
Major/Graduated: International Affairs concentration in Asia/May 2012
Where in China do you work: Nanjing
Describe your job and position: I am a college counseling intern at Nanjing Foreign Language School and Jinling High School. I work for an education service company called Dipont Education.

How did you get the position:

I found this job on GWork, which was surprising to me since they do not post many job positions in China asides from teaching English. I have many connections to China (my grandmother is Chinese, I lived in Shanghai 2006-2008, I studied some Mandarin while at GW), so I thought it would be exciting to return after graduation. The interview process was over Skype, and usually late at night to accommodate the 12 hour time difference. After Dipont gave me an offer, I immediately accepted. I did not want to take just any job that would land me in China; I was eager to start a job specifically involving international education. I have always been interested in cultural exchange and study abroad programs, so helping Chinese high school students apply to American colleges seemed like a good fit for me.

What do you exactly do as a "college counseling intern" and how do you like it:

As a Dipont fellow, along with my colleague Kristina, I am responsible for helping the Chinese college counselors at the two high schools in Nanjing that I am assigned to. I help advise students about which colleges and universities in the US are a good ‘fit’ for them, and guide them through the application process. Sometimes I will make presentations and hold workshops about American university-related topics such as the U.S. education system, how to approach college admissions essays, and college life in America. I also help them with their application essays, which I have found really interesting since they are all ESL (English as a Second Language) students. I could not imagine taking the SAT equivalent and writing essays in a language other than my native tongue. For this reason, I really admire my students and their bravery in applying to university abroad. I like the one-on-one counseling aspect to my job, and will hopefully find it rewarding in March when students will begin to hear back from the universities they applied to.

What is it like to live and work in Nanjing, China?

I love living and working in Nanjing. It is obviously a much smaller city than Beijing and Shanghai, but it still has all of the necessities, which to me include good foreign food options when you are tired of Chinese food, clothing markets, and a place to play tennis. Because of its smaller size (it is still about 7 million people), living downtown makes it convenient to go pretty much anywhere in the city. I am walking distance to most places of everyday importance to me, such as the schools where I work, the Nanjing equivalent of McFaddens, and Shanghai Road (“Foreigner” street) where most of my friends live.

What do you do on your free time?

After work, I am usually at my dance class (which is interesting because it is conducted entirely in Chinese), playing tennis, or meeting with my Chinese tutor. I also like to explore alleys around my neighborhood, and I try new food. I enjoy being outside, so I appreciate how Nanjing has plenty of parks, lakes and small mountains to explore. Nanjing is also a great location for weekend trips, and the bullet trains make it possible to go to seemingly far away places in a short amount of time.

What has been a memorable moment in China?

Everyday is a memorable moment in China, for one reason or another. Things that I consider very weird happen everyday here, and that is why I enjoy living here. However, the first thing that comes to mind is a moment from my recent week off where I went to a Chinese music festival. I had never been to a music festival before, and so it was interesting to camp and attend a 3-day music festival on an island in the Yangtze River. By the end of the trip I was exhausted, and wanted to go home (I call Nanjing home now ) the same night the festival was over in order to sleep in my own bed. I went back with my Chinese friend, and we boarded a train just after midnight. Unfortunately it was a slow train, and we only had ‘standing’ tickets, but we blocked out the situation with our headphones on and awaited our stop. By doing this, we incidentally missed our stop for Nanjing, so we had no choice but to get off at a random city, where once arriving, we had to pay a penalty fee for missing our stop. Unfortunately, neither my friend nor I had any available cash, so I had to wait in the police station while he went out to find an ATM. It was 3:30am by this time, and my friend had work in Nanjing the next morning. The only fast train (bullet train) would be 9am the next morning from a different train station in the random city where we got off. I slept in a KFC play area that night on my camping mat. At that moment, I realized how useful it is to carry around camping gear. I was also grateful of how often Chinese people nap, and how it was somewhat acceptable for me to be sleeping in KFC underneath a plastic slide.

How did GW help in reaching where you are now?

Well, GW directly helped me be where I am now since I found my current job off of GWork! But asides from the actual job posting, my participation in GCC and going to the OAS movie nights definitely helped keep up my interest in China.

Any last words?

There are big cultural differences between China and the U.S. One thing in particular is napping. It is normal for my colleagues to be passed out on their desks after lunch for a quick power nap.

Student Story of Study Abroad and Asian Studies in the Sigur Center

There were times during the nine months I spent studying in China for my senior year of high school that made me feel I had made a grave mistake in leaving home. Although living in China initially seemed like a dream come true for someone deeply interested in Chinese history and culture like me, the incessant staring and gawking by Chinese people at my 6’ 8” frame made me feel insecure and unwelcome. This insecurity was exacerbated by my unsympathetic AP calculus teacher who, when I came to seek his help one day, yelled: “I am not going to help you anymore because you are not going to understand it!” This day was the lowest of many low points during my time in China. I returned to the US at the end of my senior year with the conviction that my future no longer involved Asia. This was a shame because I had gone to China with the idea that I would pursue a career as a US Foreign Service officer in Asia, and maybe one day become the US ambassador to China. I therefore entered GWU in the fall of 2009 at a loss about what to study and what career path to pursue. The disaster of my China experience also made me hesitate to even think about studying abroad again. During my sophomore year of college, I managed to get a part-time job at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies largely because of my background in Asia. Initially, I did not expect to get much out of this job besides needed cash. At the time, I never would have imagined that I would end up working at the Sigur Center for more than two years, or that my passion for Asia would be revived through it. Supportive Asian studies faculty such as Professor McCord encouraged me to not waste my hard-earned Chinese language skills and to deepen my understanding of China and Asia through courses offered at GWU. As I began to take these courses during my junior year, I realized that my passion was for the international politics of Asia, and that I had to follow my heart in choosing my career in this field despite the fact that I was apprehensive it could force me to live in Asia again. From my work at the Sigur Center, I learned that Sigur Center fellowships were available for GWU students wanting to study Chinese in Taiwan over the summer. Although the Center’s Taiwanese visiting scholars reassured me that Taiwan was a very welcoming place where a tall, yet low-profile American like me could fit in somewhat more inconspicuously than in China, I still vacillated about applying. However, as my interest in Taiwan picked up steam through research papers on Taiwanese politics and cross-Strait relations in Professor Robert Sutter’s US-Asia relations course, I convinced myself that I could at least handle living in Taiwan for six weeks over the summer.I went to Taiwan this past summer and absolutely loved it. This positive experience not only shattered my fear of living in Asia again, it has also motivated me to become a “Taiwan hand” for the US government in the future. As my college years come to close, I realize that I have much to thank the Sigur Center for: a job, a language fellowship to Taiwan, and a vision for my future career. I cannot thank the Sigur Center’s faculty members and staff for an amazing undergraduate experience!

By: Kyle Churchman

Internship for Vietnamese Speakers in DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) is currently looking for interns who can speak Vietnamese. OAPIA is an agency in the DC government that organizes public programs for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and acts as a connection between AAPI members and the DC government. If any student have any interest in this internship position, feel free to apply for it.

Qualifications:

Applicants should be undergraduate or graduate students who possess strong written and oral communication skills as well as organizational abilities. They must be flexible and willing to take initiative. Strong computer and research skills are also desired. The intern should be able to work a minimum of 10 weeks for at least 15 hours per week. Most importantly, applicants must be able to work with diverse populations.

For more information, please see our website http://apia.dc.gov/DC/APIA/Community+Engagement/Internships+and+Volunteering

To apply, please email a resume, cover letter detailing your suitability for the position, and contact information to:

Dian Herrman, Public Information Officer/Outreach Specialist

Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

441 4th Street, NW, 721 North, Washington, DC 20001

Tel: (202) 727-3120 / Fax: (202) 727-9655

dian.herrman@dc.gov

Asia Society Internship for Winter 2013

Asia Society Internship Opportunity
Location: Washington, DC
Position:  Global Policy Programs Internship, Winter 2013
Posted:  11/02/2012

Description:
The Asia Society’s Washington, D.C. office is seeking an exceptional intern
with a demonstrated interest in the social, political, and economic challenges
facing the United States and countries in Asia. The selected intern will support
the Asia Society’s policy research, outreach and administrative work in
Washington.  We are currently seeking an intern with strong research/writing
skills and interest in at least one of the following areas:

1. Building bridges between the United States and countries in Asia with
which it has traditionally had the most difficult relations, including Iran,
Burma, Pakistan and North Korea.
2. The dynamics in the relationships among the United States, China and
India, and the effects of the changes in those relationships on other AsiaPacific countries.
3. Domestic education policy efforts to increase American students’ global
competence.


Responsibilities:
Tracking and researching current developments in Asia and on Capitol Hill
related to the issue areas above; assisting with administrative and logistical
duties; writing, editing, and proofreading reports, event/meeting summaries, and
content for Asia Society's website; providing conference/event coordinating
support; and attending and reporting on meetings at embassies, Capitol Hill, and
various NGOs in Washington, DC.


Requirements:
Previous internship or work experience preferred; familiarity with Capitol Hill,
global issues, and/or Asia through academic study and/or work experience;
initiative and drive to work independently on research projects; strong research,
writing, and editing skills; excellent attention to detail; reliable and able to work
under tight deadlines; proficiency with Microsoft Office, and knowledge of
Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, and design software a plus (Adobe CS); and
flexibility with handling diverse tasks.


Schedule:
Internships are unpaid positions. Please note that we do not provide visa support.
Candidates are required to commit to a minimum of 12 weeks, and at least three
days per week, or the equivalent of 24 hours per week. Full-time commitments
are generally preferred. Evening availability once or twice a month for events
may be requested.

How to apply:
E-mail:
 1) a cover letter, indicating your interest in the position and the days and
hours you are available to work; 2) a resume; and 3) a writing sample (3–5
double-spaced pages) in Word or PDF format with the subject line "Global
Policy Programs Internship, DC, Winter 2012." Incomplete applications will
not be considered. Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are
only able to contact those candidates selected for an interview. No phone calls,
please. Position is open until filled.

Asia Society Washington Office
Whittemore House
1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
E-mail: washingtonjobs@asiasociety.org
The Asia Society is an equal-opportunity employer.

A Japanese American's Reflection of the 2012 Boston Career Forum

The Boston Career Forum is a big career fair held in Boston every year in October/November for Japanese-English bilingual speakers looking for entry-level jobs in Japan (some were hiring for their subsidiaries in China and Southeast Asia). Many of the companies were in the fields of finance, accounting, and consulting, but all sectors were adequately represented. This year it was held from October 19-21, 2012, and 190 well-known companies were represented at this event. With approximately 9000 students coming from all over the United States and abroad, competition was fierce to say the least. The stress and anxiety of the properly-dressed students were definitely palpable and even stifling within the enormous convention space.

How much Japanese do you need to know?

Honestly, most companies are looking for NATIVE LEVEL Japanese and business level English. This means that the ideal candidate speaks and reads impeccable Japanese, and consequently, many at the fair were Japanese students currently studying abroad in the United States. One fellow I befriended was a grad student from Keio University who had come all the way from France where he was doing a short-term study abroad session. I grew up speaking Japanese at home but have limited formal training in the language, so I found the interviews to be a challenge and would not have done as well if I hadn't prepared in advance. For one consulting firm, I was asked to take a quantitative analysis test which was half in English and half in Japanese. 

Pre-fair Preparations

Like I said before, my Japanese reading and writing is pretty terrible, and my speaking may sound natural but is severely limited in vocabulary and formality. Knowing this, I did not go to Boston with high expectations, so for me personally, I found this experience to be fulfilling, and I was forced to familiarize myself with business-level Japanese by preparing for and participating in the 3-day career fair. In general, the bare minimum preparation consists of making an account on the BCF website (careerforum.net) where there will be a big list of participating companies, templates to build a Japanese and English resume, and online applications. As the date gets closer, about 8 weeks prior, companies will open up their online applications where you can submit your resume and responses to several short essay questions. If you're lucky, you will hear back from some of these companies requesting you to reserve an interview slot. 

Even if you do not hear back, do not be discouraged. Many booths allow you to sign up for a "pre-interview," which if you pass, grants you an actual interview slot. Every big company receives hundreds if not thousands of applications, so the right mindset is to be aggressive and approach all booths you find interesting.

On a final note, I personally did not find it necessary to make a traditional Japanese resume - rirekisho - but for the more traditional firms - the ultra competitive banking firms for example - preparing one may be a good idea.

For me, the more booths I approached and the more interviews I conducted, the more confident I became, and by day three, I was not too nervous to walk-up to company representatives and express my interest in the firms.

At the fair

The 3-day-event is very fast-paced, and you'll be busy the whole weekend. Don't bother making plans for sightseeing unless you decide to give up and leave the convention early :( 

By Sunday 1pm, you will most likely be free to meet your friends in Boston, go eat JP Licks' ice cream in Harvard Square, and do whatever else you desire.

If you take advantage of this stressful opportunity, you can easily have 2-3 interviews lined up even without securing any reservations beforehand, but getting past it is the real challenge. If successful at each step, your job hunt should break down in the following progression: visit the booth, pre-interview screening, interview#1, take a test and/or interview#2, receive dinner invitation, interview#3, and job offer. Of course, the scenarios vary, but make sure to KEEP YOUR PHONE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES (bring your charger to the fair!) because this will be the main way for companies to reach you during the fair. Usually, the final interview is conducted after the fair is over - be warned - this often occurs in Japan.

Final Thoughts

I do not think I could have done as well or could have enjoyed the 3 days if I had not gone with my very good friend. It is always good to have a friend's support, even if both of you are competing for the same jobs. On the first day of the fair, as drained as we were, we explored Chinatown and ate greasy Chinese food, which helped melt away the first day's tensions.

In regards to preparation, I spent almost every Friday and/or Saturday since early September to get ready for the fair (translating my English resume into Japanese, writing responses to the short essay questions, creating "scripts" for potential interview questions, and practicing how to properly introduce myself). Procrastination is not recommended.

Also, although the career forum advertises that it seeks "global chanllengers," the companies are seeking students who will be able to easily acclimate to the Japanese work culture and hold a proper conversation in Japanese...with that being said, I am not sure if this is really aimed at students who are simply "Japanese Language and Culture" majors. You really have to be a decent Japanese speaker to get anywhere.

Learn more here:

http://www.careerforum.net/?lang=E

CLS Critical Language Scholarship Program - Deadline Extension to November 20th

Due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy, the deadline to apply for the 2013 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program has been extended to 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, November 20. The application is available online athttp://www.clscholarship.org.

CLS is a program of the U.S. Department of State and provides fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students. Languages offered: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.  

Prior to preparing their application, interested students should review the full eligibility and application information on the CLS Program website: www.clscholarship.org/applicants. Please note that Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Russian, and Japanese institutes have language prerequisites, which can also be found at this link.

Students from all academic disciplines, including business, engineering, law, medicine, sciences, and humanities are encouraged to apply. While there is no service requirement attached to CLS Program awards, participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their professional careers.

The CLS Program is planning outreach events at universities across the U.S. in fall 2012. Check out the CLS webpage or our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CLScholarship for updates!

For more information about the CLS Program, please visit the CLS website: http://www.clscholarship.org.

Spring 2013 Asia-Related Courses

Dear Students,

As you all know, the registration period for the Spring 2013 semester starts next Monday, November 5.   As you plan your academic schedule, you may find it helpful to have a look at the spreadsheet we have put together that lists all Asia-related courses being offered next semester. The document is divided into three tabs: Asian languages, Undergraduate, and Graduate.

You may access this document here: http://go.gwu.edu/s13asianstudies   

Please note that you should consult the Office of the Registrar's website for the most up-to-date information regarding all courses.

Internship Opening: U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission (USCC)

The U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission (USCC) has ongoing openings for Research 

Interns, and is dedicated to maintaining a diverse workforce with a wide variety of backgrounds and 

expertise. 

ABOUT THE COMMISSION:

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) was created by the United States 

Congress in October 2000 with the legislative mandate to monitor, investigate, and submit to Congress an 

annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between 

the United States and the People’s Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, 

to Congress for legislative and administrative action.

The U.S.-China Commission shall investigate and report exclusively on each of the following areas:

1. Proliferation Practices 5.   Regional Economic and Security Impacts

2. Economic Transfers 6.   U.S.-China Bilateral Programs

3. Energy 7.   WTO Organization Compliance

4. Access to U.S. Capital Markets 8.   Freedom of Expression

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Research, monitor, and conduct analysis on developments primarily in China, Taiwan, and the 

western Pacific Region.  

2. Work with USCC staff on the planning and preparation for the Commission’s public hearings, 

report editing sessions, and other meetings.

3. Attend seminars, meetings, and events on behalf of the USCC, and write memorandum to 

Commissioners and staff members.

4. Monitor and report on current events and emerging topics-of-interest relating to the Commission’s 

mandate through research and fact-checking.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Must be a U.S. citizen, or have applied for U.S. citizenship and naturalization.

2. Must be current college junior or senior, or a recent graduate of an undergrad program.

3. Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at the current or last institution 

attended.

4. Must have coursework in one or more of the following areas:

a. Economics & Trade: coursework with a focus on Chinese and/or broader Asian business, 

economics, and trade.

b. General Research: coursework with a focus on Chinese and/ or broader Asian culture, 

society, and language.

c. Military & Security: coursework with a focus on Chinese and/or broader Asian international 

relations, foreign affairs, and security studies.

5. Chinese language skills – reading, writing, and/or speaking – are highly desirable.

USCC Internships are intellectually challenging and require individual initiative and an ability to monitor and 

report on current events and issues.  Strong research and communications skills – writing and oral – are 

essential.

APPLICATION DATES & DEADLINES

2013 SESSIONS APPLICATION DEADLINE

Spring 2013

(January – May)

November 4, 2012

Summer 2013

(June – August)

April 7, 2013

Fall 2013

(September – December)

July 21, 2013

The US-China Economic & Security Review Commission is an EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or age, and is dedicated to maintaining a diverse workforce with a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise.

HOW TO APPLY

A complete application package containing ALL required documents below must be sent via email to 

internships@uscc.gov.  Please send all your documents in PDF format.  Incomplete packages will not be 

considered.

Your application package must include a:

1) COVER LETTER THAT INCLUDES:

Please list in the following order in bullet format.

 Your basic contact information

 Email address

 Phone number (whatever is most applicable)

 Permanent address  

 Session for which you are applying

 Spring 2013; Summer 2013; or, Fall 2013

 Availability

 Full-Time or Part-Time (include tentative work schedule & hours per week) 

 Brief statement outlining your interest in the USCC and our Internship program. 

 Brief statement addressing your research skills, knowledge and effective utilization of electronic and 

print information, especially sources regarding China, Taiwan, and the Asia-Pacific region. 

 If you are interested in completing this internship for-credit with your academic institution, please 

answer the following:

a. Name of the program, or class, and the affiliated academic institution

b. Contact information for a program administrator

c. Start/End dates of registration

d. Any other applicable information

 Provide concise, point-by-point responses to the following questions: 

1. Are you a United States Citizen, or have you applied for U.S. citizenship and naturalization?

If you have recently applied for U.S. citizenship and naturalization, please include: (a) date of 

citizenship if naturalized; and (b) if you have or have ever had a Federal security clearance 

identify the level and dates held. 

2. Are you proficient with using Microsoft Office Suite software applications, preferably Office 

2007 versions of MSWord, Excel, and Outlook? Updated 9/19/12

3. What is your primary area of interest? (a) Economics & Trade; (b) Military, Security & 

Foreign Affairs; or, (c) General Research.

4. Are you able to read and/or speak Mandarin Chinese? If yes, please indicate which and at 

what level: (a) beginner, (b) intermediate, (c) advanced, (d) native fluency. 

5. Have you ever travelled, lived or worked in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, or 

Hong Kong? If yes, please elaborate on where, when and the circumstances. 

6. How/where did you hear about this position? 

2) PROFESSIONAL RESUME:

 Be sure to include all applicable work history, educational achievements, completed coursework, 

special honors/awards, and anything else that you feel will help in our evaluation.

3) WRITING PROMPT:

Discuss the three most important issues in U.S.-China relations today that relate to the 

Commission’s legislative mandate as outlined at: http://www.uscc.gov/about/charter.php.

Your submission must be your own work, not more than 3 pages, double spaced, 12-point font, and 

include footnotes and sources. 

4) 2 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:
Please instruct your recommenders to email their letters directly to internships@uscc.gov.  

Recommendations will be attached to the respective application upon submission.

5) COPY OF ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS:

Unofficial academic transcripts are acceptable.  Please include the academic transcript from your 

current institution, and for recent graduates, the transcript from the school last attended.  

NOTE: ALL THE INFORMATION REQUESTED ABOVE MUST BE RECEIVED BY 

MIDNIGHT EST ON THE ‘APPLICATION DEADLINE’ DATE OR YOUR APPLICATION 

WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING:

After submitting your application package for this position you will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of 

your application materials.  Applications will be reviewed as received on a rolling basis or after the closing 

date. You will be contacted via phone and/or email if we wish to schedule a telephonic interview.

Applicants not selected for further consideration will be notified via email when the selection process for 

the current session has been completed.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Research Interns are paid $10.00 per hour. Applicants/selectees who are receiving credit for their 

Internship through an accredited academic program are not eligible for hourly compensation. The “Smart 

Benefits” transit subsidy program is available to all Interns, but no other benefits are authorized or available. 

Please send any questions regarding the program or application process to: internships@uscc.gov.

Any interested applicantsshould visit the job opportunities webpage at http://www.uscc.gov/jobopportunities.php  to learn more about the internship and how to apply.

The application deadline is November 4, 2012.