Nottingham Trent University Summer Institute

Overview

The Fulbright Commission Nottingham Trent Summer Institute is a four-week cultural and academic programme for US students held at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

The theme of the institute is Creativity, Culture, History and Heritage.

Participants in this summer school will get the opportunity to:

•    Experience a lively academic programme that examines local culture, history and heritage.
•    Follow a creative course in subjects that include architecture and model making, fine art, graphic design, immersive design, fashion accessories, decorative technology, journalism and broadcasting, museum and exhibition curating, and writing.
•    Gain credit that they can transfer to their home institution
•    Take part in a range of social activities in the culturally vibrant city of Nottingham
•    Volunteer in the local Nottingham community.
•    Develop their learning skills, improving presentation, research and communication skills
•    Take part in a farewell exhibition to show off their new skills and present what they have learnt about Nottingham.
•    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 Nottingham Trent University.

The Institute will take place from 1- 26 July 2013

Did you know?
•  Nottingham is officially one of the UK‟s top 5 creative cities.
•  88% of the UK‟s population live within 2 hours drive of Nottingham.
•  It is the 4th most environmentally friendly city in the UK and has more sporting facilities
per person than any other city in Europe.
•  Nottingham is ranked as one of the UK‟s top shopping spots and has been named Britain‟s culinary capital, with more cafes, restaurants and bars per square mile than anywhere else in the UK.
•  The £20m Nottingham Contemporary Art Centre is one of the largest contemporary arts
spaces in the UK, and Nottingham hosted the first global exhibition of young artists in
2012 as part of the UK cultural Olympiad.

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 Nottingham Trent University

•       accommodation and social programme;

• daily subsistence allowance and a per diem

• a material budget of £150 per student

• Wi-fi access

Housing will be in single-room, self-catering accommodation in the city centre halls of residence.  These are organised in groups with shared facilities.  Fulbright students will be housed together. 

Students will also have access to the Student Services team for any questions or advice regarding living in Nottingham, and regular contact with the programme leader.  All course fees and weekend course-related travel costs are included. 

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

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 at least two years of undergraduate study left to complete, 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.
•    have an interest and contagious enthusiasm for culture, history, heritage and the arts

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

Additional Information

Programme Outline

The Summer Institute is divided into two parts:

Arts, Humanities and Design Programme: Weeks 1 - 3

Students will choose from eight existing Summer Study Abroad programmes.

These are:
Architecture and Model Making
Decorative Technology
Fashion Accessories
Fine Art and the City
Immersive Design
Journalism and Broadcasting
Museums, Heritage and Exhibition Curating
Writing England

Details of these courses can be found at www.ntu.ac.uk/studyabroad

Each course runs Monday to Friday 10:00 – 16:00 (25 hours tuition) for three weeks. Classes will be made up of people aged 18 or above who have enrolled independently, with a forecast of 15-20 students per group. Fulbright students will therefore be working alongside people from across the UK and overseas and meeting local practitioners, professionals and other students, all the time building their global network of fellow artists and designers. Subjects will be delivered by a range of tutors who are active in the local creative community and/or lecturers from NTU.

Students will therefore develop a new perspective to their work based upon their engagement with fellow students, in addition to their new creative and technical skills.

Art and Design Open Workshop and Final Exhibition: Week 4

The last week in Nottingham will be an open, self-directed workshop to allow students to
concentrate on a project and produce work for a final exhibition/presentation. The week will be overseen by an academic member of staff. A project may be set or, if students prefer, they can build upon the work they have already begun in previous classes, and draw additional inspiration from the programme of evening and Saturday lectures and workshops.

The final exhibition will be held in one of NTU‟s dedicated gallery spaces. Invitations will be sent to senior NTU staff, tutors, the team behind the programme plus guests from the local art and design world, civic dignitaries and alumni of NTU. The exhibition will celebrate the students‟ new skills and demonstrate how these skills will impact on their studies back home. The exhibition will therefore be a learning experience for visitors as it will generate questions about the students‟ life back home and what their time in the UK has meant on academic, creative and personal levels.

History and Heritage Programme: Two evenings per week and two Saturday daytimes

From DH Lawrence and lace to medieval castles and caves, Nottingham has a wealth of cultural, social and political history. Fulbright students will attend a scheduled lecture programme (two evenings per week) about Nottingham and its local legends, including the real Robin Hood. These lectures will be interactive and most will take place off-site to aid the orientation to this lively city. There will be visits to museums and galleries of local and national importance, an experience of a mock historic trial based on the city‟s literary heritage, and an exploration of architectural developments that have changed the city skyline.

During two of the three Saturdays there will be a range of academic activities that broaden the students experience of Nottingham and the UK, led by NTU academic staff. One Saturday will be dedicated to an exploration of Nottingham as a global city. From the religious crusades to the New Art Exchange, and its reputation for cuisine and being a shopper‟s paradise, students will see that this city in the heart of England has a place on the world stage. There will be a visit to London to explore this vibrant capital from an art, design and humanities perspective.

A sample schedule is as follows:

Week 1: History
Lecture 1: Nottingham Castle and Museum - The Past in the Present
Lecture 2: The Galleries of Justice: a History of Crime and Punishment
Saturday: A Global Study of Nottingham: Back Home, Over Here and Everywhere

Week 2: Nottingham’s Skyline
Lecture 3: History of Nottingham‟s Architecture: the Lace Market
Lecture 4: Contemporary Architecture: Going for a walk whilst sitting down
Saturday: London visit

Week 3: Heritage
Lecture 5: Nottingham Contemporary Art Centre and the Art Studio Scene
Lecture 6: The Lace Collection and textile history

Week 4: Literature and Law
Lecture 7: DH Lawrence and Byron: Nottingham‟s literary past at Newstead Abbey
Lecture 8: A mock trial of the modern-day Robin Hood

This programme will draw in specialist staff from across NTU. Departments of art, design, built environment, law, humanities and social sciences will be represented.

Social Programme: One evening per week

10% of Nottingham‟s population are students. This means there is a very rich and varied social scene. Organised and paid for events such as a theatre trip to the city‟s Theatre Royal, Playhouse or an independent theatre production, a cinema night at the independent Broadway, a comedy night at a lively venue and water-skiiing at the National Watersports Centre will ensure students experience the culture and entertainment of Nottingham. In all cases the experience will celebrate local and national talents with an emphasis on all things British and, wherever possible, NTU senior staff will use their influence and contacts to add value to each experience, whether it be a behind the scenes look at a theatre or a talk from a local expert. The group will be guided by student ambassadors.

Volunteer Challenge

During the final week a day will be set aside for a volunteer challenge whereby all students will interact with the local community. Arranged and managed by the widening participation team and student union, previous volunteer challenges have included creating social activities for older people at the Radford Care Group, conservation in Bestwood Country Park and a makeover for the Emmanual House homeless centre.

All course content is subject to change. The information is intended to provide an initial scope of the programme and should not be considered final. Content will be updated as details are finalised by Nottingham Trent University.

Support

Students will be fully supported whilst in Nottingham by a dedicated team of Institute and academic staff. Fulbright students will also have a dedicated student ambassador to mentor them and provide support throughout the Institute.