Part of: Jefferson Fellowships

Program

Theme: Partnerships, Postures and Perils: Assessing East Asia Security and Economic Environments
Dates: December 1-18, 2024
Destinations: Honolulu, Manila, Taipei

The broad purpose of the Jefferson Fellowships is to enhance public understanding through the news media of issues in the United States and the Asia Pacific through a three-week dialogue, study, and travel program that focuses on a particular theme.

This year’s Jefferson Fellowships program will explore growing concern about political and economic stability in the Indo-Pacific region in light of China’s aggressive behavior towards other claimants in the South China Sea and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Straits. For both the Philippines and Taiwan, China is their dominant trade partner, while the United States (US) is their principal security partner. Both countries have new leadership. Intensified Chinese actions have pushed the current Marcos government toward strengthening its security relationships with the US, Japan, Australia, and other partners. Elections in Taiwan reaffirm continuation of a Democratic Progressive Party president, and one the Chinese government regards as particularly committed to seeking formal Taiwan independence despite his stated commitment to stay the course. The Ukraine war and the influence of the U.S. election on American foreign policy add to the complications and uncertainties of the East Asian security and economic environments. US-China economic and technological tensions and the slowdown of the Chinese economy are other important factors, especially for Taiwan, a vital supplier of the world’s most sophisticated chips.

All these considerations promise the 2024 Jefferson Fellows a rich opportunity to explore different perceptions of these interlocking dynamics and issues, and their broader impacts on the regional Indo-Pacific and global orders. The program will provide journalists with a first-hand opportunity to talk with government and political leaders, business and academic specialists, and local journalists for their assessments of future scenarios and policy options. The Fellows will begin their program at the East-West Center in Honolulu for round table discussions with one another and perspectives from countries around the region, as well as meetings with US officials and analysts for views on how the US sees the security picture, its role in maintaining the regional order, its relationships and alliances, and the implications of the November elections. They will then travel to the Philippines and Taiwan for first-hand perspectives on these changing and conflicting security and economic pressures, and the new relationships that are forming as a result of these dynamics, especially in light of US election results. Other perspectives, especially those of China and Japan as resident large powers, will be brought in where possible virtually.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a working print, broadcast, or online journalist from the United States or an eligible Asia Pacific country or territory.
• Possess at least 5 years of professional journalism experience.
• Have the ability to communicate in English in a professional setting.

Preference will be given to journalists who clearly articulate the relevance of the theme to their areas of coverage and how they intend to use the knowledge gained to enhance the perspectives of viewers, readers, and listeners. Journalists are strongly encourage to generate content during and after the program in the form of formal print and broadcast stories, blogs, and social media communications.

Eligible Countries & Territories

• Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu, or Vietnam.

Application

Applicants must submit each of the following documents to be considered:

• The online 2024 Jefferson Fellowships application form.
• A letter of interest (maximum 3 pages, double-spaced). Letter should include: (1) a brief description of your news organization or freelance work, job duties and experience; (2) what you expect to accomplish and what issues you want to explore during the program, including specific story ideas; (3) the relevance of the theme to your audiences and areas of coverage; (4) how participation will benefit your work as journalist. Please also include a proposed topic for the paper and presentation you will share as part of the Fellowship (see Participant Obligations below).
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages).
• An employer's statement of support completed by the applicant's supervisor/employer indicating that the applicant has the support of their media organization to attend the Fellowship. (Does not apply to freelance journalists.)
• Two (2) professional references with letters of recommendation.

For full details and to apply, please visit the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships application portal.

Funding

Funding for the Jefferson Fellowships is provided by the Freeman Foundation, the Mary Morgan Hewett Fund, the East-West Center, and cost-sharing contributions by Fellows and their news organizations. These funds provide for 10-14 full or partial scholarships, including approximately 2-4 for qualified American journalists and 8-10 for Asia Pacific journalists. A full scholarship for the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships includes: 

• Roundtrip airfare to and from participant’s home country and throughout the study tour 
• Lodging in each of the cities 
• Program meals and a modest per diem to cover meals not provided 
• Ground transportation and airport transfers 
• Cultural activities and networking opportunities 
• Interpretation as needed 
• Speaker honoraria, partner organization costs, and meeting rooms 
• Experienced escort and professionally organized program of meetings and visits, often with unique access to speakers and communities. 

All Fellows must pay an USD$800.00 program fee to cover costs not provided by the scholarship funds. Fellows are also responsible for all applicable visa fees and visa-related expenses, health insurance, and baggage fees.  

Given there are few full scholarships available, we strongly encourage media organizations to cost share program expenses and/or airfare. Cost sharing is seen as an indication of the commitment of media organizations to the value of the program and their willingness to invest in the participating journalist. It is an important consideration of the Selection Committee. The “Employer’s Statement of Support” indicating cost sharing is required for all applicants. Journalists also are welcome to offer cost sharing on their own or identify other sponsors to cost share participation, such as local foundations. Please complete a second copy of the Employer Statement of Support form and indicate who is providing the cost sharing. 

Participant Obligations

An essential element of the Jefferson Fellowships is its journalist-to-journalist professional exchange. Each Fellow is required to:

• Prepare and submit a short paper (1,000–1,500 words) several weeks prior to their arrival at the Center. Papers should address the theme and discuss how the journalist’s home country or region/field of coverage – at the government, private sector and/or socio-cultural level – is responding to the issue.
• Prepare an oral presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes) based on the previously submitted paper and participate in discussion of his or her topic. The purpose of the presentations is to leverage the knowledge and experience of participating journalists in ways that are professionally useful to fellow participants as they study, assess, and report on the theme of the fellowship as well as the Asia Pacific region.  

Part of: Jefferson Fellowships

Program

Theme: Partnerships, Postures and Perils: Assessing East Asia Security and Economic Environments
Dates: December 1-18, 2024
Destinations: Honolulu, Manila, Taipei

The broad purpose of the Jefferson Fellowships is to enhance public understanding through the news media of issues in the United States and the Asia Pacific through a three-week dialogue, study, and travel program that focuses on a particular theme.

This year’s Jefferson Fellowships program will explore growing concern about political and economic stability in the Indo-Pacific region in light of China’s aggressive behavior towards other claimants in the South China Sea and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Straits. For both the Philippines and Taiwan, China is their dominant trade partner, while the United States (US) is their principal security partner. Both countries have new leadership. Intensified Chinese actions have pushed the current Marcos government toward strengthening its security relationships with the US, Japan, Australia, and other partners. Elections in Taiwan reaffirm continuation of a Democratic Progressive Party president, and one the Chinese government regards as particularly committed to seeking formal Taiwan independence despite his stated commitment to stay the course. The Ukraine war and the influence of the U.S. election on American foreign policy add to the complications and uncertainties of the East Asian security and economic environments. US-China economic and technological tensions and the slowdown of the Chinese economy are other important factors, especially for Taiwan, a vital supplier of the world’s most sophisticated chips.

All these considerations promise the 2024 Jefferson Fellows a rich opportunity to explore different perceptions of these interlocking dynamics and issues, and their broader impacts on the regional Indo-Pacific and global orders. The program will provide journalists with a first-hand opportunity to talk with government and political leaders, business and academic specialists, and local journalists for their assessments of future scenarios and policy options. The Fellows will begin their program at the East-West Center in Honolulu for round table discussions with one another and perspectives from countries around the region, as well as meetings with US officials and analysts for views on how the US sees the security picture, its role in maintaining the regional order, its relationships and alliances, and the implications of the November elections. They will then travel to the Philippines and Taiwan for first-hand perspectives on these changing and conflicting security and economic pressures, and the new relationships that are forming as a result of these dynamics, especially in light of US election results. Other perspectives, especially those of China and Japan as resident large powers, will be brought in where possible virtually.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a working print, broadcast, or online journalist from the United States or an eligible Asia Pacific country or territory.
• Possess at least 5 years of professional journalism experience.
• Have the ability to communicate in English in a professional setting.

Preference will be given to journalists who clearly articulate the relevance of the theme to their areas of coverage and how they intend to use the knowledge gained to enhance the perspectives of viewers, readers, and listeners. Journalists are strongly encourage to generate content during and after the program in the form of formal print and broadcast stories, blogs, and social media communications.

Eligible Countries & Territories

• Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu, or Vietnam.

Application

Applicants must submit each of the following documents to be considered:

• The online 2024 Jefferson Fellowships application form.
• A letter of interest (maximum 3 pages, double-spaced). Letter should include: (1) a brief description of your news organization or freelance work, job duties and experience; (2) what you expect to accomplish and what issues you want to explore during the program, including specific story ideas; (3) the relevance of the theme to your audiences and areas of coverage; (4) how participation will benefit your work as journalist. Please also include a proposed topic for the paper and presentation you will share as part of the Fellowship (see Participant Obligations below).
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages).
• An employer's statement of support completed by the applicant's supervisor/employer indicating that the applicant has the support of their media organization to attend the Fellowship. (Does not apply to freelance journalists.)
• Two (2) professional references with letters of recommendation.

For full details and to apply, please visit the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships application portal.

Funding

Funding for the Jefferson Fellowships is provided by the Freeman Foundation, the Mary Morgan Hewett Fund, the East-West Center, and cost-sharing contributions by Fellows and their news organizations. These funds provide for 10-14 full or partial scholarships, including approximately 2-4 for qualified American journalists and 8-10 for Asia Pacific journalists. A full scholarship for the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships includes: 

• Roundtrip airfare to and from participant’s home country and throughout the study tour 
• Lodging in each of the cities 
• Program meals and a modest per diem to cover meals not provided 
• Ground transportation and airport transfers 
• Cultural activities and networking opportunities 
• Interpretation as needed 
• Speaker honoraria, partner organization costs, and meeting rooms 
• Experienced escort and professionally organized program of meetings and visits, often with unique access to speakers and communities. 

All Fellows must pay an USD$800.00 program fee to cover costs not provided by the scholarship funds. Fellows are also responsible for all applicable visa fees and visa-related expenses, health insurance, and baggage fees.  

Given there are few full scholarships available, we strongly encourage media organizations to cost share program expenses and/or airfare. Cost sharing is seen as an indication of the commitment of media organizations to the value of the program and their willingness to invest in the participating journalist. It is an important consideration of the Selection Committee. The “Employer’s Statement of Support” indicating cost sharing is required for all applicants. Journalists also are welcome to offer cost sharing on their own or identify other sponsors to cost share participation, such as local foundations. Please complete a second copy of the Employer Statement of Support form and indicate who is providing the cost sharing. 

Participant Obligations

An essential element of the Jefferson Fellowships is its journalist-to-journalist professional exchange. Each Fellow is required to:

• Prepare and submit a short paper (1,000–1,500 words) several weeks prior to their arrival at the Center. Papers should address the theme and discuss how the journalist’s home country or region/field of coverage – at the government, private sector and/or socio-cultural level – is responding to the issue.
• Prepare an oral presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes) based on the previously submitted paper and participate in discussion of his or her topic. The purpose of the presentations is to leverage the knowledge and experience of participating journalists in ways that are professionally useful to fellow participants as they study, assess, and report on the theme of the fellowship as well as the Asia Pacific region.