Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies

Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies

Visiting Fellows Program

About the Center: Established in 1998 as part of the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Studies program, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) focuses on the compelling policy challenges facing the Northeast Asia region and U.S.-Asia relations through three programs: scholarly research; an active series of events on political, economic and security issues; and our Visiting Fellows program, which targets the region’s future political and opinion leaders. Drawing on the Brookings Institution’s long-standing ties to the region, CNAPS is a leading venue for transpacific policy dialogue as well as research and publication devoted to Northeast Asia.

The Center is directed by Dr. Richard Bush, a senior fellow in Brookings’ Foreign Policy Studies program. Dr. Bush has extensive experience in both the executive and legislative branches of the United States government, most recently as chairman of the board and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan under both the Clinton and Bush administrations. He also advised the then-Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Lee Hamilton, on Asian affairs; and has written and lectured extensively on Asian politics and policy. Kevin Scott, CNAPS Assistant Director, has a professional background in Asia exchange programs and has worked in Taiwan. Sarah Thompson is the Center Administrator, and Jiyoung Song is CNAPS’s Research Assistant.

In addition, a number of prominent scholars conduct Asia-related research at Brookings and are affiliated with the Center, including Ambassador Jeffrey Bader, the director of Brookings’ John L. Thornton China Center, Dr. Jing Huang, Dr. Michael O’ Hanlon, Dr. Lael Brainard, Dr. Barry Bosworth, and Dr. Ivo Daalder. A council of Asian and American advisors, headed by Ambassador Stapleton Roy, provides the Center with guidance and advice on policy and programmatic issues.

CNAPS Fellows Program: Each year, the Center hosts up to six Visiting Fellows from the Northeast Asia region. Fellows spend ten months (September-June) at the Center conducting individual research and collaborative activities, interacting with the U.S. policymaking community, and taking part in the rich array of policy seminars, roundtables, and discussions available at Brookings. The Brookings Institution’s location and convening power give Visiting Fellows the opportunity to hear views from and interact with the press, the diplomatic community, the military establishment, and Congressional and administration officials. Visiting Fellows also have the opportunity to meet frequently with experts outside Brookings at nearby policy organizations and the major universities in Washington, D.C.

Fellows are competitively selected, and are drawn from mid- to senior ranks of the government, think tanks, universities, the media and business communities in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan. Following a selection process in the spring, the Fellows take up residence at Brookings in early September. Fellows are eligible for a living stipend of up to $45,000, which is subject to U.S. taxation. Brookings will withhold taxes from Fellows’ stipends according to U.S. tax guidelines.

CNAPS Visiting Fellows Program 2007-2008

APPLICATION

The Brookings Institution’s Northeast Asia Visiting Fellows program is a competitive, ten-month, mid-career residential fellowship that offers promising individuals from Northeast Asia the opportunity to carry out substantive research projects and interact with a wide range of players in the Washington policy community, from U.S. government officials and foreign diplomats to journalists to scholars of U.S.-Asian relations. Fellows usually receive a monthly living allowance and limited reimbursement for moving expenses and transportation to and from the United States.

Applicant Requirements:

Candidates for the program must be citizens of one of the following: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, South Korea, or Taiwan.
A Ph.D. in political science, international relations, economics, or a related discipline is preferred but not required.
Applicants holding a Ph.D. should have 6-8 years of professional experience in one or more of the following fields: think tanks/academia, government, the media, or business, with practical or scholarly exposure to current political, economic, or security trends in the region.
Applicants without a Ph.D. should have 12-14 years of professional experience in one or more of the fields listed above.
Applicants with a professional interest in relations among Northeast Asian nations and in U.S.-Northeast Asian relations are highly desirable.
Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to conduct professional, in-depth research and give oral presentations in English.

Program Requirements:

Fellows must be available for a full-time affiliation with The Brookings Institution for the entire ten-month program (traditionally, the first Wednesday in September through June 30 of the following year; e.g., September 5, 2007-June 30, 2008).

Fellows are required to research and write a working paper (minimum 8000 words) on an approved policy topic. Papers are due in final form at the end of the ten-month program; each Fellow will present his or her paper at a Brookings seminar in June.
Each Fellow is encouraged to develop a topic for a presentation to be given at Brookings in the fall. The topic should be different from the Fellow’s research topic, and can include an earlier paper or presentation.
Each Fellow is expected to be an active participant in Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies and its activities, including but not limited to participating in regularly organized Visiting Fellow discussions and attending CNAPS Roundtables, seminars, presentations, press briefings, and other CNAPS and Brookings events.
Fellows participate in a spring study trip to two or three U.S. cities, including New York. Fellows are expected to give short presentations on their research and engage in roundtable discussions with scholars at major universities and think tanks in each city. A similar but much shorter trip is scheduled each fall.

TO APPLY: The application deadline for the 2007-2008 Brookings Northeast Asia Visiting Fellows Program is February 16, 2007. Applications should consist of five elements:

1. Your resume or curriculum vitae, listing professional and educational experience, and publications (noting publications in English);

2. Two writing samples, in English, on topics related to the areas described above. Writing samples should be at least 2500 words each (roughly five single-spaced pages) and should not have been edited by a third party;

3. Three letters of reference from professional colleagues. Letters can be sent directly to Brookings by the authors or can be included in the application package.

4. Research Proposal: Visiting Fellows are required during their time at Brookings to research and write an original working paper on a policy topic agreed to with the CNAPS Director. The Center particularly welcomes proposals with a U.S. policy component which would allow the Fellow to take fuller advantage of the resources and research opportunities available to him or her in Washington, D.C.

Please submit a detailed working paper proposal with your application. The proposal should be at least 3000 words (roughly six pages) and should include the following:

A preliminary title, a 250-word statement of the topic, and a 500-word background statement.
A description of the paper’s organization and substantive components.
A brief discussion of the analytical framework and research methods you would utilize.
A statement of your goals in researching this topic and publishing this paper.
An assessment of how your paper would contribute to the policy community’s understanding of the issue.
An explanation of the impact that living in Washington, DC would have on your research of this topic.

5. Detailed written responses to the following questions:

How would the CNAPS Visiting Fellows program, and more broadly your tenure at Brookings, advance your career?
How would you use experiences you gain during your tenure at Brookings when you return to Northeast Asia? How would they contribute to your home institution and your work?
Which organizations and individuals would you most like to have contact with during your CNAPS fellowship?

Completed application materials should be mailed or faxed to:

Mr. Kevin Scott, Assistant Director

Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies

The Brookings Institution

1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

Telephone: (1 202) 797-6307/Fax: (1 202) 797-2485

Questions should be forwarded via email to .