National Fellowships

The Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program is a summer internship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that provides leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia with opportunities to gain real-world experience that will complement and enrich their graduate studies in the United States. A Muskie Intern shows a commitment to developing practical skills and a deeper understanding of American work culture, and a readiness to use this experience for implementing positive changes and making a long-lasting impact in their home countries. Participating host organizations are not only at the forefront of bringing innovative talent to the American workplace, but also play a critical role in fostering mutual understanding.

AT A GLANCE

The Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program invites participants to:

• Create relationships that support professional and personal development, stimulate creativity, challenge ideas, and lead to positive innovations;
• Experience different approaches used in the private, public and non-profit sectors in the U.S. and learn how different U.S. government agencies, NGOs, and businesses work together to address new trends, challenges, and common issues in support of American policy;
• Become a cultural ambassador promoting and encouraging mutual understanding between the U.S. and Eurasia;
• Learn how to advocate for issues that help to foster democratization, transition to market economies, and the establishment of a strong civil society.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

• Three-day orientation in Washington, D.C. (includes team-building exercises, info sessions on community service volunteering, and ways to develop policy briefs and advocacy campaigns)
• Three-month professional internship in the participant's field of study
• Virtual learning: Participants will be invited to join a virtual space that will prepare them to get the most of their internship experience. The interaction will introduce participants to each other, provide an overview of the expectations for program outputs, and introduce concepts of volunteerism and community service. As part of the virtual learning, participants will: take part in professional development; share photos and stories about their community service experience; create and submit advocacy campaign or policy briefing on an issue of importance to them, their studies, and work
• Community Service Activity
• Closing Seminar in August: An opportunity for participants to share their summer work internship experiences and to further support their career development.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must currently be a Fulbright Foreign Students and currently studying in a U.S. college or university.

Applicants must be a citizen of one of the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan.

Applicants must be studying in one of the following academic fields: Business Administration, Economics, Education, Environmental Management, International Affairs, Journalism and Mass Communication, Law, Library and Information Science, Public Administration, Public Health, or Public Policy.

~from Website

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