Queen's University Belfast Summer Institute

Overview

The Fulbright Commission Queen’s University Belfast Summer Institute is a four-week cultural and academic programme for US students held at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, UK.

The theme of the institute is Understanding Ireland: Northern Perspectives

Participants in this summer school will get the opportunity to:

•    Develop their knowledge in the academic programme in Irish Studies taught by world leaders in their field and receive credit they can transfer to their US University.
•    Learn about Northern Ireland in terms of its political, economic and cultural relationships within the United Kingdom and in the world
•    Gain academic credit that can be transferred back to their home institution in the US
•    Participate in field trips to various cultural and historical sites in Northern Ireland
•    Participate in a range of social events
•    Interact with a range of people including politicians, police officers, community workers and people involved in conflict resolution
•    Develop their learning skills, improving 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 Queen’s University Belfast.

The institute will take place from 15 July – 10 August 2013

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 the Queen's University Belfast;
•    accommodation and social programme;
•    subsistence e.g. food and drink

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

Participants will be housed in university accommodation close to the university campus.

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 undergraduate 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 

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

14 July 2013          Departure for UK

15 July 2013         Arrival in the UK

11 August 2013     Return to USA

Additional Information

Programme Outline

The four week programme is divided into two parts:

1. Fulbright Week

For the first week, the selected Fulbright participants will be together experiencing an introduction to the University and the city of Belfast. Students receive a day’s induction and orientation to the University followed by a trip around the city. On the following days they will also get specific insight into the complex politics of Northern Ireland particularly looking at British and Irish identities.  Fulbright students will prepare to be group leaders when international students arrive for the next part of the Summer School a week later. Fulbright students will also visit the annual Apprentice Boys parade in Derry at the end of the Summer School.  

2. Queen’s University Belfast Irish Studies Summer School

In weeks 2-4 Fulbright students will be joined by a group of international students to follow a three week academic, social and cultural programme based around the theme ofUnderstanding Ireland: Northern
Perspectives. 

The Summer School introduces students to the broad range of topics in Irish Studies but with particular references to the influence of the north of Ireland on history, culture and politics in Ireland, focussing on the nature of conflict. Students learn about and experience the underlying difficulties in a divided society, along with cultural outworking’s of forms of British and Irish identity. They will also be able to examine Northern Ireland in terms of its relationships, political, economic and cultural, within the United Kingdom and in the world. A key element of this will be to discuss the nature of conflict in a comparative way looking not only at other ethnic conflicts, but also urban experiences in other parts of the world. In the third week of the Summer School there will also be to option to take a specialist option in Irish History.

Students will undertake a series of lectures (around 40 hours total) delivered by specialists in the discipline. There will be four day-long field trips: to the Antrim Coast; Derry/Londonderry; the Centre for Migration Studies Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh; and PSNI Public Order training unit in Antrim. Whilst in Derry/Londonderry students will visit the city Apprentice Boys of Derry and the community organised Free Derry Museum in order to examine different perspectives on the city.  In addition, there will be half-day tours of Belfast and the Titanic quarter of the city and a visit to Stormont where students will meet politicians from all major political parties in Northern Ireland.  Over the course of the Summer School, students will meet at least twenty people from non-academic backgrounds including politicians, police officers, community workers, people involved in conflict resolution including ex-prisoners and leaders of the main churches. 

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 Queen's University.

Support

Students will be fully supported by a dedicated team of Institute staff.