The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP) is a two-way U.S. Department of State exchange program designed to strengthen people-to-people ties between young leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and the United States. Through intensive fellowships designed to broaden their professional expertise and enhance their leadership capabilities, YSEALI PFP provides emerging Southeast Asian leaders with the opportunity to gain first-hand experiences in, and exposure to, U.S. public and private sector offices working on a variety of issues. The 2023 YSEALI PFP is planned as a hybrid program, which will include virtual activities and an in-person U.S.-based Institute.
Eligibility Requirements
Participant must:
- Be citizens and current residents of one of the eleven YSEALI countries;
- Be emerging leaders in government, civil society, or the private sector who have demonstrated expertise pertaining to the respective theme for which they are applying;
- Be 25 to 35 years old at the start of the program, currently employed and have two or more years of relevant professional work experience;
- Be self-directed with demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills and able to work effectively in a cross-cultural setting;
- Be able to identify an objective/project of their own selection that the applicant would like to implement in their home workplace or community;
- Have demonstrated proficiency in written and oral English.
Program Information
The program is administered under four Institute Themes:
1. Civic Engagement
2. Economic Empowerment
3. Governance and Society
4. Sustainable Development and the Environment.
Applicants will be instructed to rank themes in order of preference on their application
The PFP Cycle Information
The YSEALI PFP will be administered in two cycles in 2023. Please note that this call for application is for both cycles. Applicants will only participate in one cycle and can indicate their preferred cycle in their application.
Program Dates:
There will be one application for all four YSEALI PFP themes and two program cycles, with in-person programming tentatively scheduled in 2023: for April-June (cycle 1) and September-October (cycle 2). Applicants will be able to select their preferred theme and program cycle in the application.
Cycle 1: February – April 2023, hybrid program virtual activities take place; April – June, 2023, cycle 1 institutes in the U.S.
Cycle 2: June – August 2023, hybrid program virtual activities take place; September – October 2023, cycle 2 institutes in the U.S.
How Can I Apply?
The application is scheduled to open from June 28 – August 5, 2022. All applicants will receive an automated confirmation email upon submission of the application. The selection team will notify all applicants of their status by email in late-December, whether they have been selected to proceed to the next round of selection or they were not selected.
Visit www.ysealipfp.org to learn more and apply today!
