ANNOUNCEMENT THE 2025 YOUNG SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS INITIATIVE (YSEALI) ACADEMIC FELLOWSHIP

PROGRAM OVERVIEW The U.S. Mission to Vietnam is seeking candidates for the 2025 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship on critical themes identified by youth in the region:

• Civic Engagement
• Sustainability and Environment
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment
• Society and Governance

This application period is for both the Spring and Fall cohorts of the 2025 YSEALI Academic Fellows Program. Please note that there will not be a later application for the Fall 2025 cohort. Spring dates are expected to be April 17 to May 22, 2025. Fall dates are expected to be September 25 to October 30, 2025.

YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature public diplomacy program to provide skills training in the United States to youth in Southeast Asia. YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues.

Vietnamese citizens between the ages of 18 and 25, full-time undergraduate students or those who have graduated from college, demonstrate strong leadership qualities, have an interest in community service and volunteerism, and proficiency in English are invited to apply for the program. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Thursday, October 3, 2024 (Vietnam Time).

The YSEALI Academic Fellowship is an intensive short-term academic program whose purpose is to provide groups of young leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States and a particular theme, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. The five-week programs will consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities within the local community. During the academic residency, participants will also have opportunities to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom. If conditions allow, the Fellowship will include an educational study tour to other areas of the United States where they will meet with local, state, private, and nonprofit organizations working in the field.

Applications are being accepted for the following four YSEALI Academic Fellowship Programs:

1.The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement will provide participants with an overview of how citizens, both as individuals and in groups, have shaped U.S. history, government, and society. The program defines civic engagement, examines its development in the United States, and explores topics such as active citizenship, community-building, economic development, grassroots activism, gender equity, political leadership, volunteerism, voting, and the ways in which traditional and social media can be leveraged to advance civic causes. Academic sessions are complemented by hands-on sessions and workshops designed to build skills and encourage participants to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Portland State University and Northern Arizona University will each conduct and host the Fellowship.

2.The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Sustainability and Environmental will explore the role that environmental issues and policies have played in the economic, political, and social development of the United States. The program uses experiential learning techniques to expose participants to topics including climate change, climate resilience, ocean protection, renewable energy, pollution, public health and safety, emergency and disaster management, land use, sustainable development, conservation, sustainable agricultural practices, food security, illegal and unreported fishing, ecotourism, and water access, management and treatment. These topics are explored from numerous angles, including local grassroots activism and civic initiatives, impacts on underserved communities, global multilateral efforts, the private sector, and government policies and regulations. The University of Montana, the East-West Center and the California State University, Chico will each conduct and host the Fellowship.

3.The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment will provide participants with an overview of U.S. entrepreneurial strategies and critical emerging technologies that are employed to address social issues. Participants will review the development, history, challenges, and successes of social enterprises and community leaders in the United States and globally, with specific relevance to Southeast Asia. Topics include economic and social justice initiatives, investment, social capital development, strategies for sustainable economic development, financial literacy, microfinance, organizational development and management, innovation, emerging technology, risk analysis, strategic business planning, corporate social responsibility, and underrepresented communities in entrepreneurship. The University of Connecticut, the University of Kansas and the University of Nevada at Reno will each conduct and host the Fellowship.

4.The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Society and Governance will offer an overview of governance in the United States, exploring policymaking and public management practices at both the local and national level. The program explores a variety of subtopics such as democracy and rule of law, judicial reform, public administration and management, fiscal management in public and non-profit organizations, public health and human services, public-private partnerships, public safety, transportation and urban planning, civil liberties, anti-corruption, and transparency and accountability. James Madison University, Syracuse University and Western Washington University will each conduct and host the Fellowship.

All participant costs, including program administration, international and domestic travel, ground transportation, books, cultural activity fees, mailing and incidental costs as well as housing and subsistence expenses will be funded by the U.S. Department of State.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS & SELECTION CRITERIA

Ứng viên tham gia chương trình cần:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application;;

• Be a Vietnamese citizen;
• Be a resident of one of the following countries: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Vietnam;
• Be a full-time undergraduate student or have graduated in the past four years from college, university, or other institutions of higher learning;
• Be proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English;
• Not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
• Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university, place of work, and/or community;
• Demonstrate interest, knowledge, or professional experience in civic engagement sustainability and environment, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, society and governance;
• Demonstrate a commitment or interest in community service, volunteerism, or mentorship;
• Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States and ASEAN as a region;
• Be willing to actively participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and study tour;
• Have a commitment to return to their home country to apply leadership skills and training to benefit their community, country, or the ASEAN region;
• Have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online here: https://www.ysealiafp.org/

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Thursday, October 3, 2024 (Vietnam Time). Late applications will not be accepted.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES CAN SEND ANY QUESTIONS TO:

U.S. Mission to Vietnam

Public Diplomacy Section

YSEALI Academic Fellowship

YSEALIVietnam@state.gov