Call for Applications: Deadline September 30, 2019

The above program will take place from January 4 to February 8, 2020.  Zimbabwean students leaders have been participating in the SUSI together with student leaders from Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa since 2014 and have consistently set the bar high – congratulations to you all! This is a testament of the caliber students at your institutions.  

Program Dates and Application Deadline

The 2020 SUSI will take place from January 4 to February 8, 2020.  The application deadline for candidates is COB September 30, 2019. 

About Study of the U.S. Institutes:

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders are intensive short-term academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.  The five-week Institutes consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures.  The coursework and classroom activities are complemented by educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities within the local community.  The institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour to another region of the United States.  During the academic residency, participants also have the opportunity to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom.  

The Institute will provide participants with an overview of how citizens have shaped U.S. history, government, and society both as individuals and groups.  The academic program will define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, political leadership, and volunteerism.  Academic sessions will be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above.  The Institute will encourage participants to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities.  Before the academic residency in Seattle, The Institute will conduct an educational tour to Washington, DC, and New Orleans, Louisiana, where participants will meet with local, state, private, and not-for-profit organizations working in the field. 

Funding and Logistics:

All participant costs, including: program administration; international and domestic travel and ground transportation; visa travel; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence. 

Housing will be in university dorms or a full service hotel.  Participants may be expected to share a room and bathroom with another student of the same gender.  

Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own.  Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.  

All participants will receive the Department of State’s coverage of $100,000 with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program.  Pre-existing conditions are not covered. 

Participant Description & Qualifications:

The participants are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.  Their fields of study will be varied and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields.  Emphasis should be made on recruiting participants from non-elite backgrounds, from both rural and urban areas, and with little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country.  In addition, recruitment of participants should include the underserved, indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities.

Candidates for this program are expected to:

• be proficient in English;
• be interested in the topic of civic engagement;
• be between 18 and 25 years of age;
• have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and therefore be committed to return to their home universities following completion of the program;
• demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities;
• have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations; 
• demonstrate commitment to community and extracurricular university activities;
• have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country
• be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
• be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel; and,
• be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country.

Application format (see attached). 

Applications should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with subject line Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Civic Engagement by Close of Business (COB) Monday, September 30, 2019. 

 Contact person:

Gladys Thabani Tutisani

Exchange Programs Specialist

U.S. Embassy Harare

Tel: +2638677011522

Mobile: +263772559768