King's College London Summer Institute

Overview

The Fulbright Commission King’s College London Summer Institute is a three-week cultural and academic programme for US students held at King’s College London in the UK.

The theme for the Institute is Learning, Inventing, and Reinventing: The British City, Past and Present. 

Participants in this programme will get the opportunity to: 

• Experience an exciting academic programme at a top ranked UK University in the vibrant cosmopolitan city of London

• participate in Fulbright Master Classes led by Fulbright academics and professionals

• take part in a range of cultural and social trips around the city of London

• Develop their learning skills, improving presentation, research and communication skills

• Meet people from all over the world, make friends and experience life as a real student in the UK

• Become an ambassador for studying in the United Kingdom, and for the prestigious internationally renowned King’s College, London

• Receive 3-4 US credits that they can transfer to their US University.

• Learn to critically reflect on notions of struggle and tension and to understand the political value of leadership and creativity.

• Embark on a reflective video project to document the journey on the path to leadership and learning about the UK. 

• Take excursions with British King’s students to points of cultural, historical, and international significance.

The King’s College London Summer School offers a diverse range of exciting courses over two three-week sessions each year. Located in the very heart of London the courses have a strong academic focus and are taught by tutors from King’s as well external tutors from other institutions to ensure high quality teaching across all disciplines. Using ‘London as a classroom’, students are exposed to a wealth of history and culture through museums, galleries and tours throughout London. 

As well as a structured academic programme, the Summer School has a lively social element that allows students the option of undertaking trips and activities to popular UK destinations and London exhibitions and events.  In the past this has included day trips to Windsor and Oxford, boat trips down the River Thames and taking in popular West End shows.  These events aim to cater to a variety of student tastes and provides the opportunity for each student to make the most of what London has to offer.  

The Institute will take place from 01 July-19 July 2013

We recommend this three week course to be equivalent to 3 or 4 US credits.

Benefits

The majority of the participant costs will be covered. This includes:

•    round-trip airfare from the US to the UK;
•    tuition and fees at King's;
•    accommodation and social programme;
•    subsistence, e.g. food and drink

Participants are expected to pay for their own travel, health and accident insurance.

Participants are likely to be housed in the en-suite, self-catered Stamford Street Apartments a short walk across Waterloo Bridge from the university’s Strand Campus in central London.

Special Programmes do not preclude participants from applying for a Fulbright Award later in their academic career. The summer institutes are intentionally designed in such a way that allows participants to come back to the UK at postgraduate or postdoctoral level as a Fulbright Student or Scholar.

Selection Criteria

To meet the minimum eligibility for this Institute you need to:

•    be a US citizen (resident anywhere except the UK) and possess a US passport;
•    be at least 18 years old by the start of the programme;
•    be able to participate in the programme in its entirety;
•    have a high level of academic achievement with a minimum GPA of 3.5 (confirmed by academic marks, awards and references);
•    have completed no more than two years of university study, i.e. applicants should currently be a Freshman or Sophomore in college/university;
•    be mature, responsible, independent, and open-minded;
•    be willing and able to fully participate in an academically intensive programme that includes attending all sessions, completing all assignments, contributing to classroom discussions and supporting student ambassador style work as required;
•    have had little or no study or travel experience in the UK or elsewhere outside of the US and; expect to return to the US and continue your education.

Note: The programme is open to students in all courses of study.
 
Those holding permanent residency ‘green cards’ may not apply.

Please read the Terms and Conditions for this award before making an application.

In making these awards the Commission is looking not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, an indication of ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to your home country upon returning.

Candidates will be considered without respect to race, colour, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual preference or gender (including gender reassignment). Individuals from a broad range of ethnic, religious, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Applying

All applications are due March 11, 2013 by 5pm (UK Time)

To apply please download an application form

If you have a query about applying please read the FAQs document before contacting the Commission. Follow us on twitter to receive application tips throughout the application period.

Please note: Applications must arrive at the Commission by email to
UKSummerInstitutes@fulbright.org.uk by 5pm (UK time) on the day of the deadline. 

References should be sent to the Commission by email  to
UKSummerInstitutes@fulbright.org.uk and should come directly from the referee. Students should not submit references on their referees' behalf. References must be received at the Commission by 5pm (UK time) on the day of the deadline or the application will not be considered even if the application itself has been received on time.

Please note that this email address is for applications and references only. Any general enquiries about the programme should be sent to programmes@fulbright.org.uk

Applications and references sent in by post, fax or to any email address other than UKSummerInstitutes@fulbright.org.uk will not be accepted. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Commission staff will not confirm receipt of individual applications or references by email or phone.

Interviews

Applications will be short-listed and successful applicants will be invited to telephone interview sometime between the dates of 15 April–26 April 2013. Interviews will only be held these days and may not be rescheduled.

If you are making an application, please save these dates as an invitation to interview may come within a few days of the interview date.

The selection committee will be comprised of Fulbright Commission staff and on occasion representatives from a relevant field, academics, US Embassy and/or Consulate representatives.

Important note: The US-UK Fulbright Commission is unable to give feedback on individual applications or to provide reasons for their refusal.

Candidates will be considered without respect to race, colour, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual preference or gender (including gender reassignment). Individuals from a broad range of ethnic, religious, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Timeline

December 2012           Competition opens
11 March 2013            Application deadline
early-mid April 2013    Short-listed candidates invited to interview
15-26 April 2013         Telephone Interviews
early May 2013           Notification for successful applicants
May/June 2013           Preparation and Pre-Departure Information
30 June 2013             Departure for UK
1 July 2013                Arrival in the UK
19 July 2013              Return to USA

Additional Information

Programme Outline

The Institute begins with an Introducing the British City event, introducing the themes of the Institute. Students will participate in icebreakers and workshops.

Student will then join other international students from around the world on King's academic Summer School programme. 

For more information on the King's Summer School visit their webpages.

This is a three week creditworthy assessed module (the equivalent of 3-4 US credits) that will look at the British city from a critical lens.  Fulbright students will join other international student from around the world on the academic programme.  

Students at the King’s College London Summer Institute will:

• explore aspects of leadership through the prism of the British city, focusing on London, very much the crossroads of the world (and the host of last summer’s Olympic games), and other important centres such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool.  

• combine daily lectures with workshops as well as a number of hands-on activities such as walking tours, and site visits.  

• use London as a classroom.  

• partake in cultural and social outings around the city. Outings may include a tour of the city of London, a visit to the Museum of London, a Camden canal boat trip and a trip to the city of Manchester. 

• will be joined at a Fulbright master class by an academic from King’s College London, every Friday, who will lead an interactive session with a lecture component about leadership in their field.  

• will produce a three-minute video and will contribute to a blog in which they describe their double journey of becoming more accustomed with Britain and learning about leadership.

Please note that the programme is subject to change.

More programme information is available at these links:

Fulbright Scholars at King's College

Fulbright Summer Institute at King's College 

Support 

Students will be fully supported by a dedicated team of academic and administrative staff. Dedicated Fulbright mentors will also be on hand through the Institute. These will be British King’s students and they will be available to take participants on excursions to local playing field and stadiums, recreation centres, and other points of cultural, historical, and international significance. The student mentors will also introduce students to everyday living in London, invite them home and spend some of their free time together. Students will have other opportunities to meet British and international students socially, for example on a boat trip down the River Thames. Through a friendly mentor system students will have the chance to make lasting friendships with King’s students.