[CivilSoc] Call for Proposals--University Teacher Training Programs

[Center for Civil Society International]

From: Nurbek Teleshaliyev <nurbek@soros.kg>
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: OSI HESP Summer Schools Program 2002
The Higher Education Support Program (HESP) of the Open Society
Institute (OSI) invites proposals for the HESP Summer Schools Program
2002
PROGRAM OUTLINE
The Higher Education Support Program promotes the advancement of
higher education within the humanities and social sciences,
throughout the region of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe,
the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. HESP supports both institutions
and regional and international initiatives.
The Summer Schools Program is one of HESP supported programs that
promote change in higher education at the classroom level. The goal
of the Summer Schools is to provide young university teachers with
the experience and tools for updating the courses they teach, both in
terms of content and teaching methods. The schools provide teaching
materials, practice and support that will enable the participants to
utilize and share this experience at their home university
departments. By targeting university teachers in their home regions,
often in their own language, the Program encourages the widest access
to new ideas.
Approximately forty grants will be awarded for Summer Schools to be
held in June-September 2002 throughout the region. Each School will
invite between 25-30 junior academics for 2-4 weeks to participate in
a number of courses taught by international teams of resource persons
and engage in a variety of curriculum and teaching methodology
development activities. The Schools are organized by Course
Directors, who work closely with the host institutions and teams of
resource persons on designing and managing the schools' contents,
program, materials and follow-up activities.
PROGRAM PRIORITIES
In line with HESP priorities, the Summer Schools Program supports
projects targeting junior university teachers in the broad area of
Social Sciences and Humanities. HESP supports schools that are held
in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, the former Soviet Union
and Mongolia and focus on developing, training in and dissemination
of innovative teaching methodologies promoting interactive
cooperative learning, discussion and development of critical
thinking.
GOALS OF THE SUMMER SCHOOLS
  - The Summer Schools present courses that can serve as examples of
contents (subject matter, comprehensive treatment of the topic,
representation of various schools of thought, combination of
theoretical and practice-oriented materials, including fundamental
literature and current publications) of teaching in social sciences
and the humanities. By presenting and analyzing the contents of the
taught courses, the schools also aim to aid curriculum and course
development;
  - The Schools demonstrate effective and innovative methods and
techniques of teaching (variety of methods of class work, use of
interactive methods promoting open critical discussion and
stimulating independent learning) and working models of collaborative
approach to teaching through team-teaching, "teaching shadowing", use
of teaching assistants, other forms of cooperation between
experienced and junior academics;
  - The Summer Schools Program seeks to facilitate the creation of a
network of academics of various levels from different countries of
the region and abroad by stimulating a variety of joint activities in
curriculum, methodology and materials development during and after
the school. Schools bring together international groups of
participants from a variety of cultural backgrounds and academic
systems. They are intended as creative group projects, in which each
participant has a value that contributes to the success of the
School. Participants are addressed as university teachers, not
students, which facilitates the dialogue and fosters peer
relationship between the junior and experienced academics;
  - The program aspires to provide the participants with the
experience and tools relevant and applicable to their teaching and
encourages them to share this experience and tools with the
colleagues at their home departments.
FUNDING
Schools are organized on a matching-funding basis, with HESP covering
not more than 50% of the overall costs of the program. The applicants
are expected to submit applications for funding to several sources
simultaneously with submitting the application to HESP.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Detailed Guide for Applicants, containing program, organizational,
budgeting and application guidelines for Course Directors is
available in printed and electronic format from the HESP Summer
Schools Program office, national Soros Foundation offices and the OSI
web site: www.osi.hu/hesp. Proposals for funding the Summer Schools
projects that respond to the goals and priorities of the HESP Summer
Schools Program must be submitted to HESP at the address below by 28
September 2001. Prospective course directors are encouraged to
contact the HESP Summer Schools Program office as early as possible
with advance notice of the proposal and for additional information
for applicants. An international academic selection committee will
review received proposals and make preliminary selection and
recommendations to Course Directors in early November 2001. Final
decisions on HESP funding for Summer Schools of 2002 will be made and
announced to the applicants in mid-December 2001.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For full details, and application forms please contact national Soros
Foundation offices or:
HESP Summer Schools Program
Oleksandr Shtokvych, Program Manager
Open Society Institute, HESP
P.O. Box 519, H-1397 Budapest, Hungary
Tel: (36 1) 327 3862, Fax: (36 1) 327 3864
Email: HESP@osi.hu
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