SUSI (Study of the U.S. Institutes) for Scholars

At-a-Glance

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars are designed to strengthen curricula and improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic institutions overseas. Foreign university faculty, secondary educators and other scholars spend approximately four weeks at host universities where they take part in a series of lectures, seminar discussions and site visits related to each institute’s theme. They learn about American educational philosophies, explore new teaching methods and pursue related research interests.
Participants spend the remaining two weeks on a study tour, which complements the academic program and includes visits to sites of interest in another geographic region of the country. Each institute concludes with several days of meetings and related study in Washington, D.C.

Program Details

Study of the U.S. Institutes

The Institute on American Politics and Political Thought
Hosted by: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
Program Dates: June 14, 2012 – July 27, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on American Politics and Political Thought focuses on the interplay between ideas and institutions in shaping the contemporary American polity. The Institute provides an overview of the country's democratic founding, and discussions of race, religion, immigration, gender, and civil rights weave together a stronger understanding of the development of American political institutions. The academic program consists of discussions with practicing politicians and policy makers as well as lecture and seminar style instruction. Participants also have time to work on an independent research project with the assistance of university faculty.
Participants travel to Boston; New York; Gettysburg, PA; Charlottesville, VA; and Washington, D.C., to experience and examine places relevant to American politics and political thought.
The Institute on Contemporary American Literature
Hosted by: University of Louisville
Program Dates: June 15, 2012 – July 28, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on Contemporary American Literature surveys contemporary American writers and writing in a variety of genres and investigates how the themes explored in those works reflect larger currents within contemporary American society and culture. Seminars, lectures, and discussions address broad themes such as: the transition from modernism to postmodernism; questions of race, history and identity; and cultural scripting and rescripting. In investigating these topics, participants are exposed not only to the present diversity of the American literary landscape but to writers who represent a departure from that tradition and are establishing new directions for American literature.
A study tour takes participants to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM; San Francisco, CA; Cincinnati, OH; and Washington, D.C. where they participate in seminars conducted by a variety of authors, attend a theatrical production, and visit sites related to their assigned readings.
The Institute on Journalism and Media
Hosted by: Ohio University 
Program Dates: July 5, 2012 – August 15, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media examines the unique role that the media plays in American society and government. The Institute includes lectures and discussions on various themes such as media, ethics and society; the legal framework for press freedoms; the roles and responsibilities of journalism in a democracy; and media business models in an era of technological change. The Institute dedicates time on pedagogy and improving journalism curriculum design; such sessions include teaching media ethics, designing a student run newscast, and developing workshops for professional journalists. During the course of their study at Ohio University, participants also observe local media outlets and news organizations in Athens, OH.

The academic program is complemented by a study tour during which participants have the opportunity to visit ABC and CBS affiliates in Cleveland, OH, and a major radio station and production company in Pittsburgh, PA. In Atlanta, GA, participants visit the CNN International Newsroom. The Institute concludes in Washington, D.C., where participants meet with executives from Voice of America and WorldNet as well as visit national monuments and historical landmarks.
The Institute on Religious Pluralism in the United States
Hosted by: The University of California, Santa Barbara
Program Dates: June 23, 2012 – August 5, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Pluralism in the United States examines the intersection between U.S. religious pluralism and democracy. The Institute explores both the historical and contemporary relationship between church and state in the U.S and the ways in which religious thought and practice have influenced, and been influenced by, the development of American-style democracy. Participants have an opportunity to share their perspectives on the study of religion and to investigate the history and sociology of American religion and the many religious majority and minority groups in the country. Participants visit local places of worship and examine films to provide context to classroom discussion. In addition, participants work with university faculty to develop, conduct, and present a related research project.
Participants also travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they visit the Church History Museum and attend a panel discussion on religious minorities in Mormon populated areas. In Atlanta, the participants visit a Jewish Synagogue, Hindu Temple and Islamic Mosque, as well as Georgia State University to discuss Southern religions. The Institute concludes in Washington, D.C., where participants investigate related topics at the Holocaust Museum, the National Cathedral and other related sites.
The Institute for Secondary School Educators
Hosted by: Institute for Training and Development, Amherst, Massachusetts
Program Dates: June 15, 2012 – July 28, 2012 
The Institute for Secondary School Educators
Hosted by: California State University, Chico 
Program Dates: June 7, 2012 – July 20, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute for Secondary School Educators provides two multinational groups of 30 experienced and highly-motivated secondary school educators* with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present in order to enhance the scope and depth of the participants’ own secondary school courses. The Institute examines political, economic, and cultural issues in America as well as current trends in secondary education. Participants also have the opportunity to visit sites relevant to U.S. history and prominent Americans they are teaching about in their home countries. During the Institute, each participant will use their experiences to develop new lesson plans, training materials, or academic articles.

Participants at the Institute hosted by the Institute for Training and Development (ITD) will complement the campus program with a study tour to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to explore American environmental stewardship and to Salt Lake City, Utah to explore pluralism. The participants at the Institute hosted by the California State University, Chico (CSU) will participate in a study tour that explores civic engagement in Midwestern communities in Chicago, IL; Dubuque, IA; and Platteville, WI. Both the ITD and the CSU study tours showcase the rich cultural, geographic, and ethnic diversity of the United States.

*This includes teachers, teacher trainers, textbook writers, curriculum developers and education ministry officials.
The Institute on U.S. Culture and Society
Hosted by: New York University
Program Dates: June 9, 2012 – July 22, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on U.S. Culture and Society provides a group of foreign scholars with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. The Institute examines the ethnic, racial, economic, political, and religious contexts in which various cultures have manifested themselves in U.S. society, and the ways in which these cultures have influenced social movements throughout U.S. history. The program draws from a diverse disciplinary base, and provides a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of U.S. culture and society. It includes more than 60 different speakers and panelists drawn from leading universities, political organizations, the media, labor unions, business and the arts.
            
Participants also travel to New England, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. – three demographically and geographically diverse areas of the country.
The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy
Hosted by: The University of Florida, Gainesville 
Program Dates: June 10, 2012 – July 21, 2012

 The Study of the U.S. Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy examines the intersection of ideas and structures in the development of U.S. foreign policy with an emphasis on the main philosophical traditions behind U.S. foreign policy; the grand strategies and frameworks that have developed as a result; and who shapes these policies from their conceptualization to enactment. The program emphasizes the relationship between U.S. policies and the political, social, and economic forces in the country that constitute the domestic context for debating, formulating, and executing policies. The program also examines the role of U.S. foreign policy within the context of international relations and international institutions.
For additional study and discussions, participants tour three major cities that shape U.S. foreign policy: Miami, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
The Institute on U.S. National Security Policymaking
Hosted by: Institute for Training and Development, Amherst, Massachusetts
 Program Dates: January 27, 2012 – March 10, 2012
The Study of the U.S. Institute on U.S. National Security Policymaking examines the foundations and formulation of U.S. national security policy, with specific emphasis the post-Cold War era and in the context of the ongoing war against terrorism. Participants explore continuity and change in U.S. national security policy, examining how U.S. national security policy has dealt with specific areas of concern over time, for example nuclear proliferation, weapons of mass destruction, and combating international terror networks. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach, the program examines the various historical, geographic, economic, cultural, and political factors involved in setting U.S. national security policy.
Participants deepen their understanding of the topic by taking study tours to San Diego, CA; New York City; Boston and Washington D.C., where they visit sites of historical significance and meet with professionals in the field.


Related info: why must participate in SUSI? 

Source: http://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/study-us-institutes-scholars/details