Description
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposals to design and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellowship. The program aims to develop a network of emerging leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states who share America’s founding principles of liberty, opportunity, and self-reliance. The program will provide professional fellowships and reciprocal exchanges to advance U.S. leadership by strengthening commercial ties, promoting regional stability, and supporting peace and security across the Indo-Pacific. Key aspects of the program include:
• Two cohorts of approximately 144 Fellows from Southeast Asia will travel to the United States for five to six weeks of professional and leadership development.
• Participants will be placed with U.S. public, private, and nonprofit institutions for customized fellowships aligned with four strategic themes central to U.S. foreign policy: Economic Prosperity, Strategic Energy and Minerals, Liberty and Freedom, and Peace and Security.
• The exchange will culminate in a YSEALI Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., where participants will share lessons learned and explore future collaboration.
• Following each U.S. fellowship, approximately 72 American professionals will travel to Southeast Asia on Reciprocal Exchanges to extend engagement, transfer expertise, and strengthen bilateral partnerships.