Call for Applications: Central Asia – Azerbaijan Fellowship Program Spring 2017 in USA, Deadline: September 16, 2016

Call for Applications: Central Asia – Azerbaijan Fellowship Program Spring 2017 in USA, Deadline: September 16, 2016

The George Washington University – Elliott School of International Affairs’ Central Asia Program (CAP) welcomes applications for its Central Asia – Azerbaijan Fellowship Program.

The Central Asia-Azerbaijan Fellowship Program (CAAFP) is intended for young professionals – scholars, government officials, policy experts, human rights and political activists – who want to enhance their research and analytical skills and seek to become public policy leaders in their respective countries. More generally, the fellowship program seeks to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and to build lasting intellectual networks among the Central Asian, Azerbaijani, and U.S. scholarly and policy communities.

CAAFP fellows will spend five months in residence at GW, where they will participate in tailor-made programs and will be introduced to U.S. policy and expert communities in both Washington, DC and New York. Fellows are required to attend seminars, workshops and training sessions, to write one policy brief on a predetermined theme, and to present their research at two public seminars. Throughout their fellowship, fellows will be mentored by program faculty affiliates.

Three fellows will be selected for Spring 2017. Fellows will be awarded a monthly stipend of $3,000 (subject to taxes). Travel to and from Central Asia to Washington, DC will also be covered.

Theme: Socio-Cultural Transformations in Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

How have the societies of Central Asia and Azerbaijan evolved during the past 25 years? How important are the changes in terms of national identification, religion and moral values, cultural practices, and interactions with a globalized world?

Applicants are free to focus on one country or consider several countries in the region.

In their proposal for the policy paper, applicants need to:

1. Explain why the selected topic is among the most important in the transformation of the society.
2. Analyze the problems that this particular transformation poses.
3. Provide policy recommendations.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be between 25 and 40 years of age.
• Applicants must be a citizen of any of the following six countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,Tajikistan, or Turkmenistan AND currently reside in one of the six countries.
• Applicants must have a background in government, policy, academia, human rights, or democracy.
• Academic candidates must possess a Master’s degree and have experience in policy-oriented activities. For non-academics an equivalent degree of professional achievement is expected.
• Applicants must be fluent in both written and spoken English.

Selection Process:

Fellows will be selected by the Central Asia Fellowship Advisory Board. The decision of the jury is final and no appeal is possible. All candidates are informed of the outcome of their applications by e-mail.

Application Process:

• BEGIN ONLINE APPLICATION NOW
• Applications for the Spring Session (January 15 – June 15, 2017) should be received no later than Friday, September 16, 2016. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified by email by mid-October 2016.

Cost: The Fellowship is funded by the Open Society Foundations – NY.