Call for Applications Colombia is home to the third largest Afro-descendent population in the African Diaspora after the United States and Brazil. However, while there has been a long history of academic exchange between Brazil and the United States, little scholarly attention has been paid to the links between the United States and Colombia. To address this gap, the Pontifica Javeriana University, together with the Embassy of the United States in Colombia is pleased to announce a summer fellowship program for graduate students and recent graduates from the United States. Out of a commitment to stimulating dialogue and international exchange amongst minorities who are typically underrepresented in academic study abroad, this particular fellowship is extended to current students and recent graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s).
The fellowship will be carried out by the Pontifica Javeriania University, a leading institution with a long commitment to establishing a just society, the protection of human rights, and the constructive transformation of society. In alignment with these values, the University launched the nation’s first-ever masters program in Afro-Colombian studies. Selected U.S. fellows will have the opportunity to engage in graduate level seminars, conferences, and cultural exchanges with the students and professors from this inaugural cohort. The summer fellowship will take place in the historic city of Cartagena, which in addition to being a vibrant site with unique forms of black cultural, musical, and linguistic expression, grassroots activism and political engagement, occupies a critical role in the formation of the African diaspora in Colombia, and South America more broadly.
Eligibility: Applicants must currently be enrolled in a graduate program at a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), or be a recent graduates from a HBCU. In addition, successful applicants preferably might have intermediate Spanish skills, and be comfortable participating in a graduate-level seminar in Spanish. Applicants must also be available to travel to Colombia for a period of 10 days during the month of April 2020.
Award Specifics: Each fellowship award includes round trip airfare between Colombia and the United States as well as hotel lodging during their stay. The internship will be carried out in the city of Cartagena, where fellows will participate in an academic exchange program with students in the masters program in Afro-Colombian Studies from the Pontifica Javeriana University. Visiting fellows will attend graduate-level seminars, participate in discussion, and explore a research topic relating to Cartagena. This year, seminar discussions and research topics will focus on three specific areas of interest:
1. African-American music and identity
2. Black movement and affirmative action
3. The field of African-American Studies and Africana Studies
Application Requirements: 1. Academic CV (maximum 2 pages)
2. Current enrollment in or recent graduate from a HBCU
3. Certificate of enrollment in a Ph.D. program (or recent degree)
4. A letter of interest explaining interest in the internship and justifying interest in one of the three academic areas outlined above (maximum 800 words)
5. Preferably, intermediate level of Spanish (A certificate is not required, however successful applicants will engage with Spanish speaking, reading and listening to ensure active participation in graduate-level seminars.)
Fellowship Responsibilities: • Deliver a public talk (preferably in Spanish) on a topic of your choice relevant to people in Cartagena
• Organize and lead a workshop with the students of the master’s program
• Participate in a cultural and intellectual exchange with afro-descendent communities and/or academic communities in Cartagena
• Complete a brief report at the conclusion the stay
• Take part in fellowship activities over a duration 10 days
Fellowship Timeline: * Publication of the call for applications: Second week of February
* Deadline to receive applications: March 16 2020 (applications can be sent to Eduardo Restrepo via email, at restrepoe@javeriana.edu.co)
* Announcement of results: 23 of march 2020
* Internship Dates: The internship will be held during the month of April over three successive periods of ten days for each grantee. Specific dates will be coordinated with each grantee individually upon notification of the award in March.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Tuesday, March 3rd 2020 at 7:09PM
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