Розпочато прийом заявок на програму «Відкритий Cвіт» 2015

Програма «Відкритий Світ» покликана зміцнювати взаєморозуміння й співробітництво між Україною та Сполученими Штатами шляхом надання можливості українським лідерам у різних галузях діяльності зустрітися зі своїми американськими колегами й обмінятися досвідом та ідеями з найбільш важливих для обох сторін питань.

Програма «Відкритий Cвіт» призначена для молодих громадських лідерів, а саме для тих, хто впливає на політичну ситуацію й суспільну думку в країні - представників різних рівнів державної влади, академічного співтовариства, некомерційних організацій й інших структур, що займаються громадськими питаннями та, незважаючи на свій відносно молодий вік, уже виявили себе як професіонали своєї справи, а також зацікавлені в побудові демократії, ринкової економіки й верховенства права.

У 2015 році програма проводиться за наступними темами:

• управління місцевими громадами;
• верховенство права;
• розвиток НУО;
• освіта.

Application Deadline: April 15, 2015

Please submit your application by April 15 to be considered for the Fall 2015 program. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for the spring program.

About the Program

The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine PFP is administered with legislative focus and administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.

The Professional Fellows Program affords promising young professionals the opportunity to gain practical experience in, and exposure to, United States government. The fellows will be part of the larger cohort of the Professional Fellows Program, joining fellows from Russia and Turkey. The knowledge and interest of these young Eurasian professionals in American political processes will be expanded through short-term fellowships in state legislatures and city halls across the United States, as well as on Capitol Hill and in non-profit organizations that address policy issues.

Program Goals

• Strengthen understanding of the U.S. legislative process;
• Enhance appreciation of the role civil society plays in shaping public policy and holding the government accountable;
• Create partnerships between institutions in the U.S. and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine ; and
• Establish a common language to develop practical solutions for shared problems and concerns.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for PFP, applicants must:

• Be a citizen of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine and currently reside in your country of citizenship. Applicants living outside of their country of citizenship or on a long term program outside of their country of citizenship will not be considered eligible to apply.
• Be 25 to 35 years of age at the time of application;
• Be a college graduate (equivalent of a Bachelor's degree or higher);
• Be proficient in English. If you are selected as a semi-finalist we will give you an institutional TOEFL exam, unless you have a valid TOEFL score over 500 (paper test) or over 60 (iBT test) or its equivalent (for example, valid IELTS band 6 or higher);
• Have relevant experience in and commitment to a career in the public sector and/or nonprofit sector (e.g., legislative, executive, and NGOs that address policy issues); and
• Have demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills (you can elaborate on your leadership and collaborative activities in essays in the end of application, and submit/upload any certificates/diplomas/materials that can prove your leadership skills).

Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible to apply to participate as Fellows in the Professional Fellows Program:

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States
• Individuals currently participating in academic, training, research programs, or who are currently working in the United States
• Individuals who have already been recipients of and participated in the LEAP/LFP/PFP
• Individuals who are not citizens, qualified to hold a passport from one of the participating countries
• Individuals currently residing or working outside their country of citizenship
• Individuals who have participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. government (e.g., Public Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies or other U.S. government agency) and who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time of the application
• Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years
• Persons arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime as further detailed by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Program Dates

The program for Fall 2015 is tentatively scheduled for October – November 2015.

Examples of Past Placements

During past years' programs, participants have been placed in the following venues:

• State legislative offices
• Executive branches (e.g., Illinois governor's office)
• Other sites include NGOs focused on lobbying, "think tanks," and election reform organizations

If you have any questions:

FIRST, please visit the program web site at professionalfellows.americancouncils.org, where most of your questions will be answered.

SECOND, if you can not find your answer there, please contact us:

Oksana Semenyshyn, PFP Coordinator (lfp.ukraine@gmail.com)

Online applications for the program are placed at https://ais.americancouncils.org/pfp