The Jefferson Fellowships program was launched in 1967 to enhance public understanding through the news media of cultures, issues and trends in the Asia Pacific region, broadly defined as Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States. The Fellowships provide U.S. and Asia Pacific journalists with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of Asia Pacific issues and build a professional network through one week of dialogue with professional colleagues and experts at the East-West Center, followed by a two-week study tour to cities in Asia or the U.S.

Program Dates: April 17 - May 9, 2010

Study Tour Destinations: Honolulu, Hawaii; Hong Kong SAR; Shanghai, China; Jakarta, Indonesia

Theme: Reporting New Realities: Beyond the Economic Crisis

The shock of the global financial crisis and renewed commitment to addressing climate change pose new realities for countries around the world. Leaders at the APEC Summit in Singapore in November 2009 stated “We cannot go back to ‘growth as usual’ or ‘trade as usual.’ The post-crisis landscape will be different. We need a new growth paradigm. We need a fresh model of economic integration.” But what will such models look like, and how are countries positioned to implement them?

Participants in the Spring 2010 Jefferson Fellowships will explore new realities in the U.S.- Asia Pacific region in the wake of the shock of the global economic crisis and in the face of the growing challenge of climate change. This special Jefferson Fellowships program will begin with one week of dialogue sessions at the East-West Center in Honolulu, followed by an opportunity to attend the East-West Center’s 2^nd International Media Conference in Hong Kong on the theme “Reporting New Realities in the Asia Pacific Region.” The conference will provide on-the-ground updates on news and media issues throughout the world's most dynamic region through keynote speakers, panels of journalists and other professionals, plenary sessions with regional experts, and media workshops.

Participants will then travel to Shanghai and Jakarta to explore some of these new realities. China and Indonesia are countries with huge populations and rising influence in the Asia Pacific region. As members of the G-20, they both have a seat at the new international table to discuss the future of global governance. Yet both are still developing countries that are seeking a model of sustainable economic growth in the face of new global economic realities, regional power balances and climate change. Participants will visit Shanghai in advance of the opening of the World Expo on the theme “Better City, Better Life” to explore the significance of the Expo for China and for Shanghai, the new Chinese-U.S. relationship, and how China is moving forward with its economic recovery and future development. In Jakarta, participants will explore the under-reported "new reality" of democratic and economic transition in the world’s fourth most populous country and the largest Muslim democracy. They will examine the many challenges that lie ahead for the multi-ethnic, multi-lingual country to develop a robust, effective democracy and economic growth in a challenging new global landscape.

Who Can Apply: Working print, broadcast, and online journalists in the United States, the Pacific Islands, and Asia with a minimum of five years of professional experience.  Applicants must have the ability to communicate in English in a professional, multi-cultural environment. 

Application Deadline: Spring 2010 application period is now CLOSED

Funding: The Jefferson Fellowships are supported from a grant from The Freeman Foundation.  The grant funds economy class, roundtrip airfare to and from Honolulu, Hawaii as well as program-related air and ground transportation, lodging, and meals for participating journalists.  A modest per diem is also provided.  Participants are responsible for all applicable visa fees and any additional visa-related expenses. 

News organizations are also asked to support their employees' participation by cost-sharing whenever possible.  An "Employers Statement of Support" is a required part of the application. While financial assistance from the employer is not required, employers are encouraged to provide support to their Jefferson Fellows as a demonstration of their commitment to the program.

Ann Hartman
Seminar Specialist, Seminars
East-West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848-1601
Phone: (808) 944-7619
Fax: (808) 944-7600
Email: jefferson@eastwestcenter.org