The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and the American Councils for International Education are pleased to announce the open competition for the Faculty Enrichment Program (FEP) for the 2020 Spring semester (January – May 2020).
FEP offers university instructors from Uzbekistan the opportunity to enhance their pedagogical skills and professional disciplinary expertise through a four-month U.S. academic enrichment program. Eligible fields from which faculty may apply include: STEM (Engineering, Energy and Renewable Energy, Health Care, Computer Science, Informatics, Mathematics, and Sciences [Biology, Biotechnology, Agricultural Science, Chemistry, Physics, etc.]); Business (E-Commerce, Business Analytics, Quantitative Modeling and Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, Accounting); Social Sciences (Economics, Political Science/International Relations, Education, Psychology, Anthropology, etc.); and the Humanities (Languages, Area Studies, History, Theology). While on the FEP, fellows will engage in curriculum development, explore alternative teaching methodologies, expand their knowledge in their fields of study, and gather new teaching materials and resources. Throughout their stay in the United States, fellows observe courses, attend academic conferences, and work closely with faculty mentors from U.S. host universities. Fellows may be invited to present a lecture or co-teach classes at a U.S. university. Through structured opportunities to engage with students and faculty both in and outside the classroom, fellows will significantly enhance their understanding of the U.S. higher education system.
As part of their applications, fellows are asked to identify and describe an Academic Inquiry Project to be completed during their stay in the U.S. Intended to broaden and augment fellows’ overall learning on the program, the project offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of topics related to U.S. higher education, including but not limited to curriculum development, student-centered pedagogy, faculty promotion, anti-corruption safeguards in the U.S. university system, Title IX policies and gender equality, faculty and student government, classroom materials and technology, syllabi, faculty peer mentoring, and cross-cultural learning. Fellows select a topic they feel has particular relevance to their home institution and explore it throughout their time in the U.S. through reading, research, and discussions with students, administrators, and faculty members. At the end of the semester, fellows present their observations both at their host university and home institution.
FEP participants are encouraged to forge relationships with U.S. host institutions and their home institutions in order to support ongoing contact and collaboration. While on the program, Fellows will also as serve as cultural resources, sharing information about their home countries with U.S. faculty, students, and community members. By fostering sustained and substantive contact between Uzbek faculty and their U.S. counterparts, the FEP aims to contribute to mutual understanding, deepen educational ties, and foster professional networks between the United States and Uzbekistan.
Fellows do not earn academic degrees through the FEP and must return home upon completion of the program. Fellows will be subject to a two-year home residency requirement per J-1 visa regulations.
Each FEP Fellow will spend a total of four (4) months (January – May 2020) in the United States. American Councils will match 10 Fellows with academic programs at U.S. host universities appropriate to their field of expertise. Host universities will provide fellows with faculty advisors to guide FEP faculty members in their selection of appropriate courses, identification of conferences and seminars, development of academic inquiry projects, familiarization with their host campus, and the development of professional contacts in their respective fields of study.
For additional information and application please visit https://fep.americancouncils.org/
