Funded Fellowship in Cultural Exchange from ICWA

The Institute of Current World Affairs is offering the ICWA Fellowship Program to advance deep knowledge of foreign countries and cultures by supporting fellows for two-year immersive programs of self-designed, independent research and writing abroad. 

Eligibility:-

• ICWA is looking for promise, curiosity and enthusiasm in candidates, and considers whether they are ready for the rapid personal growth the fellowship makes possible. 
• Fellowships are aimed at developing local knowledge and writing skills, not necessarily awarding research or reporting opportunities to those who already possess them. Strong candidates propose compelling fellowship topics.
• Extensive professional experience in a proposed area is not always necessary.
• Candidates must be under 36 years of age at the time of the due date for the initial letter of interest.
• US citizenship is not a requirement but candidates must show strong and credible ties to US society.
• Applicants must have excellent written and spoken English-language skills and must have completed the current phase of their formal education. (ICWA does not accept applications from currently enrolled undergraduate students.)
• ICWA expects candidates to have the necessary language skills to allow them to carry out their proposed projects. That means enough language proficiency for them to be able to function in the local language within a few months of arriving in the country.

Conditions:-

• A proposed fellowship must hold the promise of enriching public life in the United States by advancing the understanding of foreign countries, cultures and trends. 

• Public service, social activism or contribution to wider knowledge in the United States is the ultimate purpose, from a belief the public benefits from the wisdom and experience fellows acquire.

• Fellowships are not scholarships. ICWA doesn’t not support degree programs at universities, the writing of books or research projects aimed at answering specific questions in a particular academic discipline.

• While ICWA expects candidates to design projects of topical interest, fellowships are not aimed at covering news events. 

Fellowship Topics:-

ICWA weighs all proposals with no restrictions on topics or regions. However, 2020 applicants are especially encouraged to propose examining any of the following topics:

• Threats to peace and security.
• Rights and lives of marginalized people and societies.
• Environment, climate change, sustainability and conservation.
• Culture and society (literature, art, film, etc.).
• Post-conflict societies.
• The effects of technology and innovation on society.
• Youth and activism.

Responsibilities:-

• Fellows are required to produce monthly dispatches made available on ICWA website and email to institute supporters and other interested parties, including family, friends and professional associates of the fellows. 
• Fellows work closely with the executive director, who serves as writing coach, editor and mentor.
• While many fellows go on to pursue political or social causes at home and abroad, the purpose of a fellowship is to learn about other societies, not to change them. Fellows are not permitted to engage in overtly political activities during their fellowships. 
• The institute does not accept any government funds. Fellows must preserve that independence in letter and in spirit.
• Fellows should not expect to return to the United States during the two years of their fellowships. 

Benefits:-

• ICWA provides full financial support for its fellows and their immediate accompanying families.
• Fellows do not receive salaries; the institute gives them sufficient funding to cover their expenses, enabling them to fulfill the purposes of the fellowship and allowing them and their families (if accompanying the fellowship) to live in good health and reasonable comfort.
•  “Full financial support” does not mean unlimited financial support; fellows are expected to live and spend modestly. 

About ICWA:-

The Institute of Current World Affairs advances American understanding of foreign affairs by sending outstanding young professionals abroad to study countries, regions and globally important issues. They have become some of USA’s foremost foreign affairs experts, including leading journalists, scholars, diplomats, activists and businesspeople. ICWA searches for critical thinkers who develop insight, vision and new ways of perceiving, navigating and improving its highly globalized world. The institute frees them from the routine of their professional lives through a unique two-year cultural immersion fellowship.

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