The Fully Funded Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is a two-way, global exchange program to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, as well as build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders from foreign countries and the United States.  PFP participants undergo an intensive 5-6 week fellowships in non-profit organizations, private sector businesses, and government offices across the United States for an individually tailored professional development experience.

The US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’, Professional Fellows Division sponsors the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) while the American Councils for International Education administers the fellowship.

Fully Funded Professional Fellows Program

The Fully Funded Professional Fellows Program offers several benefits to the participating fellows, which includes:

• Work in a full-time fellowship placement in a US worksite dealing with issues relating to his or her work at home. While their fellows will gain first-hand knowledge about US organizations and institutions and build networks and relationships with US counterparts.
• Participate in a fully-funded program with comprehensive program support. Further, the host covers Travel and living arrangements as well as emergency health insurance, and visa fees on the program.
• Become part of prestigious networks -including YSEALI (for Southeast Asian participants only) and PFP. Alumni will gain access to tremendous resources and an international network of like-minded professionals spanning the globe.

Eligibility for the Professional Fellows Program

In order to participate in the 2020 Professional Fellows Program, the candidates must be:

• Mid-level professionals must be of age between 25 to 35 years old at the time of participation in the program
• Further, the professionals must be a citizen and current resident of either: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus; Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Georgia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Moldova, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand; Timor-Leste, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
• Moreover, the candidates must be proficient in both written and oral English
• The fellows should demonstrate an interest in participating in a reciprocal program for Americans coming to your country.
• Likewise, they are currently employed and have a minimum of two or more years of relevant professional work experience;
• Also, have demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills.
• Be a professional fit for the PFP theme that your country participates in
  • Governance and Society – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey, Ukraine
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Belarus, Russia
  • Economic Empowerment – Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

How to apply for the Professional Fellows Program?

Participants of the fully funded Professional Fellows Program can complete and submit the online application to participate in the program. Along with the application, the candidates must provide a CV, a statement of interest as well as recommendation letters.

Deadline

The application for the fully funded Professional Fellows Program in the United States is open until 1 November 2019. Applications arriving after the deadline are not eligible for the fellowship.