|
The Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) capacity-building initiatives are designed to provide minority serving institutions (MSIs) with the information, assistance, and financial support needed to enhance campus internationalization efforts and develop Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) and area studies curricula. These initiatives include training and professional development opportunities, online resources, grants, institutional mentorship, and curriculum development assistance as described below
- Full-time or adjunct faculty status.
- Employment at an accredited MSI (Historically Black College or University, Hispanic Serving Institution, High Hispanic Enrollment Institution, Tribal College or University, Alaska Native-Serving Institution, Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution, Predominantly Black Institution, or Other Minority Institution) as classified by the United States Department of Education.
- Instructor of international relations, foreign policy, foreign languages [especially Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs)], political science, sociology, economics, statistics, journalism, world geography, or other relevant discipline.
- Willingness to develop resources for distribution throughout the higher education community
NOT AVAILABLE YET
 Even though she already speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic and some Italian, Vi Nhan's, '08, day at the office is spent in a classroom learning Japanese for six hours a day, plus homework. As a new Foreign Service officer, Vi will be stationed in Osaka, Japan, in 2011 so she joins other Foreign Service officers learning additional languages on a Washington, D.C., campus and diligently prepares for her service abroad.
When Vi entered the University of Washington, she knew study abroad would be part of her undergraduate experience. Her first study abroad experience came the summer after her freshman year and was the first time Vi traveled without her family. Studying in Morocco was also "one of those experiences where I came to realize that I'm an American but I'm also a Chinese American." Vi was the first non-Caucasian American most Moroccans she met had encountered, which dislodged some pre-conceived notions of what it means to be American. "By explaining exactly what 'I am,' I learned a lot about Moroccan culture but a lot about my culture as well."
These experiences laid the foundation for Vi's belief that cultural commonalities are easier to uncover than points of division.
As a sophomore, Vi was selected to be an Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) fellow. As one of 20 IIPP fellows nationwide, Vi would spend the next few years preparing for international service through intensive summer institutes, study abroad to South Africa, and graduate school preparation in addition to completing dual majors in political science and international studies. The opportunities afforded to IIPP fellows over a five-year period could reach $100,000 in value.
In addition to the IIPP fellowship, Vi spent a summer in Hong Kong learning Mandarin on a Critical Language Scholarship. Vi spent the first 12 years of her life in Vietnam speaking Cantonese at home. Being in Hong Kong, where Cantonese is spoken, "was the first time in my life where I lived in an area where my mother tongue was spoken. It was amazing to hear all these people speaking my language."
After her summer in Hong Kong, Vi returned to the UW to complete her Honors thesis on media freedom in China. As she graduated, she was one of 20 students nationwide selected for the Rangel fellowship, which supported her graduate study at Johns Hopkins where Vi earned her master's degree in international relations and international economics. Part of the Rangel fellowship entails a three-year commitment to the Foreign Service, a career to which she already aspired.
Millions of Americans live abroad and hundreds of thousands travel internationally each year. According to the State Department, on any given workday in 2009, nearly 52,000 Americans were issued a passport and more than 22,000 people received a non-immigrant visa to visit the United States. Consular officers around the world serve these and other needs as well as represent the United States. After completing her Japanese training, Vi will move to Osaka, Japan, to serve as a consular officer. So, if you lose your passport between 2011-13 near Osaka, Japan, you may be helped by a fellow Husky.
"I want to keep representing the United States and keep explaining to people what America is," says Vi of her future goals. "It's really bringing it back full circle to my experience in Morocco. I'm looking forward to building relations with local citizens. In some cases, we are the first Americans they'll see, so that's a pretty big impact on their lives." When she completes her tour in Japan, Vi will move to another country on another tour. Every few tours will be in Washington, D.C. While she will be living in places far from the Northwest, Vi notes the connections she made with UW faculty and staff as well as her family in Seattle, and says "no matter where I am in the world, I'm rooted in Seattle."
This article was published in the University of Washington's Alumni Association October 2010 eNews.
http://www.washington.edu/alumni/partnerships/undergrad/201010/international.html
Program Components:
The inclusion of MSI faculty in IIPP institutes and activities will allow institutions to access leading-edge curricula, learn strategies for engaging students in the classroom, expand professional networks, learn of funding opportunities, and participate in other development opportunities. The IIPP Sophomore Summer Institute (SSPI) and Junior Summer Institute(JSPI) are unique programs where leaders and experts in international affairs, LCTLs, and area studies from the public and private sector convene to discuss world regions, culture, current events, policy, and their implications for national security. The coursework and classroom activities used to engage the students are models that can be replicated at MSIs. The Faculty Fellows Program consists of joint sessions with the Fellows (e.g., policy debate sessions at the JSPI) and separate, specialized discussion sessions centered around curricula development and implementation with instructors, other experts, and guests. In SSPI, where the focus will be on the professional and cultural applications of LCTLs, faculty participate in the Language Exploration Program. This enables faculty to experience how LCTL instruction in combination with cultural activities develops a broad understanding of language as the key to cultural exchange. The JSPI focuses on area studies, with MSI faculty observing and participating in coursework, debates, and policy development.
Faculty Fellows also travel to Middlebury College Language Schools to observe the immersion model and gain curricula development and integration strategies from foreign language experts. Middlebury administrators and faculty engage MSI faculty to ascertain the needs of their campuses and provide strategies and instructional models.
 The IIPP Fellowship completes the education experience by providing matching funds to support each Fellow's pursuit of an internationally focused advanced degree. This portion of the IIPP fellowship is jointly funded by IIPP and participating graduate schools. The IIPP provides up to $15,000 in matching funds to Fellows attending an Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) graduate school. As partners in the IIPP effort, APSIA institutions provide matching fellowship support as it is available. Click here to visit the APSIA website. Eligiblity for graduate school funding by the IIPP program is dependent upon a fellow completing all five components of the fellowship program leading up to the graduate school component.
|
