U.S. Embassy Exchange Programs for Youth and Professionals
Every year, the Embassy of the United States to Libya offers talented and community-minded Libyans the opportunity to engage in first-hand cultural exchange with their American peers through our diverse educational and cultural exchange programs. These programs are overseen within the U.S. Department of State by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and are managed by the U.S. Embassy and through local partners, including AMIDEAST. These educational and leadership focused exchange programs range from short visit programs not exceeding one week to long-term postgraduate degrees.
Follow us on Facebook for the latest announcements on our Exchanges!
All U.S. government-funded exchange programs are highly competitive. U.S. Exchange Program Committees first screen all applications thoroughly and objectively for technical eligibility based on requirements that are specific to each program. Priority is given to candidates who have no or very little prior study or travel experience in the United States. Candidates are selected based on a variety of criteria that may include (but are not limited to):
- Academic excellence
- Cross-cultural interest
- Personal leadership ability
- English language ability
- Commitment to returning to Libya to share new skills and expertise with others
Accepted applications are then ranked according to criteria established by the U.S. Department of State and top candidates are interviewed by the Exchange Program Committee. The applications of the leading candidates are then evaluated by a panel convened in the United State by the U.S. State Department or its partner organization.
TechWomen
TechWomen brings emerging women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East together with their professional American counterparts for a mentorship and exchange program. TechWomen provides participants access to networks, resources, and knowledge to empower them to reach their full potential. During the five-week program, participants engage in project-based mentorships at leading companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, participate in professional development workshops and networking events, and travel to Washington, D.C. for targeted meetings and special events to conclude the program. TechWomen Emerging Leaders will:
- Challenge themselves with new questions and concepts
- Collaborate with like-minded women in their fields on an innovative project
- Network with influential industry leaders
- Discover their own innovative leadership style
- Create meaningful friendships with women from all over the world
- Explore the diverse communities of the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.
- Inspire the next generation of women and girls in their home countries
The TechWomen experience doesn’t end in California or Washington, DC. After the program, TechWomen have the opportunity to reconnect during delegation trips to program countries in Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Programming focuses on expanding networks of women in the STEM fields, creating and strengthening partnerships, encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers, and ensuring the sustainability of Mentor-Emerging Leader relationships.
TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). TechWomen, launched in 2011, supports the United States’ global commitment toward advancing the rights and participation of women and girls around the world by enabling them to reach their full potential in the tech industry.
Requirements:
- Be women with a minimum of two years full-time professional experience in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) and/or a career requiring significant expertise/knowledge/application of technology
- Have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree/four-year university degree or equivalent.
- Be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Be citizens and permanent residents of Libya
- Have a record of voluntary or public service in their communities
- Have demonstrated entrepreneurialism and commitment to innovation
- Have limited or no prior experience in the United States
For more information, please visit this website, or contact techwomen@iie.org or LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov.
The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES)
The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program provides scholarships to Libyan high school students between the ages of 15 and 17 to spend up to one academic year in the United States. Scholarship recipients live with host families, attend U.S. high schools, and participate in special enrichment activities that include community service, youth leadership training, a civics education program, and other activities that help them develop a comprehensive understanding of American culture and develop leadership skills. Likewise, these students serve as cultural ambassadors for Libya, representing its rich heritage to their American host communities.. (http://www.yesprograms.org/countries/libya)
The program supports students with disabilities and encourages their participation.
Program length: 10 month.
Eligibility Overview:
- Libyan citizenship
- Have a record of high academic achievement
- Limited or no prior experience in the United States
- Demonstrated leadership qualities
- A record of public service in the community
- Meet the minimum English proficiency requirement
For more information, please visit this website or contact Libya@AMIDEAST.org or LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
The U.S. Embassy Libya, in cooperation with AMIDEAST Libya oversees the J. William Fulbright Scholarship Fulbright Foreign Student Program, which enables Libyan students to study for up to two years, towards a Masters degree at select universities in the United States. The scholarship covers expenses incurred for travel to and from the United States, tuition and books, healthcare coverage, and room and board. Learn more about the J. William Fulbright Scholarship Program on this link.
Scholarships are open to Libyan citizens who want to pursue graduate study at the Master’s degree level. All applicants must have excellent academic records, strong English language skills, outstanding character, and a desire to use skills gained in the United States to serve Libya upon completion of studies in the U.S.
- Applicants must be Libyan citizens resident in Libya at the time of the application.
- Applicants must not be U.S. citizens or holders of green cards.
- Applicants must hold a minimum of a BA/BS/B.Sc. degree.
- Applicants must have demonstrated academic excellence within their field of specialization. All fields of study are eligible except for clinical medicine, nursing and dentistry. Public health and nursing administration is eligible.
- Applicants should be able to obtain a minimum English proficiency score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, or a score of 80 on the internet-based (TOEFL iBT), or 6.5 on the IELTS. Candidates will have to take the GRE and TOEFL or IELTS tests after being nominated into the program.
Preference is given to those without recent experience in the United States.
For more information, please visit this website, or contact Libya@AMIDEAST.org or LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov.
Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA)
The Fulbright FLTA Program provides young teachers of English as a Foreign Language the opportunity to refine their teaching skills and broaden their knowledge of American cultures and customs while strengthening the instruction of Arabic at colleges and universities in the United States. The FLTA is a non-degree program that will start in the United States in the summer. All Fulbright FLTA participants receive a monthly stipend, accident and sickness coverage, and travel support. U.S. host institutions provide tuition waivers to support the required coursework.
Program length: Nine months to one Year
Eligibility Overview:
- Be an English teacher or in training to become an English teacher;
- Be between 23 and 35 years of age;
- At minimum possess the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree by June 1, 2018;
- Be a Libyan national and residing in Libya throughout the nomination and selection process;
- Fluency in English; the applicant will have to sit for the TOEFL ITP test to determine their level;
- Ability to travel to Tunisia for the personal interview;
- Ability to travel and participate in the program alone
Preference is given to those without recent experience in the United States.
Currently open for applications until June 15, 2020! For more information, please visit this website.
Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Program
The MEPI Student Leaders program offers outstanding undergraduates from across the MENA region an intensive leadership training course of approximately 5 weeks in the United States. Students are divided up among U.S. academic institutions where they develop leadership skills and expand their understanding of civil society, as well as the democratic process and how both may be applied in their home communities. Participants have the opportunity to meet their American peers, engage in local community service activities, and observe and take part in the governmental process on the local, state, and federal levels. The institutes include academic coursework, as well as site visits to local and regional community organizations in the United States. Upon completion of the U.S.-based programs, host institutes work with participants to implement civic engagement programs in their home communities. Expenses for the U.S. program are fully paid by the U.S. Department of State.
For frequently asked questions regarding the Student Leaders Program and application, please visit MEPI’s website: https://mepi.state.gov/
Program length: 5 weeks.
Eligibility Overview:
- Undergraduate or graduate students with strong leadership skills between the ages of 20 and 24 years old
- Applicants should demonstrate sufficient English-language skills to participate in U.S. university-level classes
- Applicants must be enrolled in and attending a university in their home countries
- Have little or no prior experience in the United States
- Participants cannot hold U.S. citizenship or be a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident.
For more information, please visit MEPI’s website, or contact LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov.