Professional Fellows Program Theme: Economic Empowerment Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Hosted by the University of Oklahoma s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication/Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth (CCEW) in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI). About the Program : Application deadline: December 1, 2014 The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI), is partnering with The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma and the U.S. State Department s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to offer a five-week professional exchange in the United States that includes a professional fellowship placement at an American small business organization. The first Professional Fellows Exchange program will be in May 2015. Another is scheduled for October 2015. This Professional Fellows Program, will inject mid-level emerging leaders in small or start-up business ventures, business administration, government, NGOs, business education, incubation hubs, community training programs or social entrepreneurship into working small businesses in Gujarat and associate them with one of America s leading universities. The program aims to provide professional experience and training that will nurture participants talent and prepare them for more responsible leadership positions in their businesses, communities and society in general. Program Structure : Successful applicants will be placed in professional fellowship placements with Oklahoman small businesses. The first round of placements will be in May/June 2015 and participants will spend four weeks with these businesses. The first week of the program will be spent at both the professional placements and on the University of Oklahoma campus where participants will participate in lectures, discussions and practical sessions focused on the role of entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and small business in society, the importance of budgeting, business plans, strategic communication, leadership and management principles, social media developments, the business/government interface and business ethics. The final week of the program will be spent in Washington, D.C. where participants will visit their respective embassies and tour some of the cultural activities the city has to offer. Participants will also, before leaving for their home countries, participate in a three-day professional fellows conference with participants in professional exchanges programs from around the world.
The complete cost for the participation including travel, lodging & boarding and incidental expenses will be taken care of by the University of Oklahoma under the sponsorship of U.S. Department of State. Benefits to the Participants : Participants selected for the program will be mid-level emerging leaders in small or start-up business ventures, business administration, government, NGOs, business education, incubation hubs, community training programs or social entrepreneurship in India with an interest in shaping the small business, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment landscapes of their countries and beyond. Through this program, participants will specifically: Be exposed to the day-to-day workings of the U.S. business workplace through quality professional experiences of four weeks; Gain exposure to a variety of American business organizations and networks in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.; Get a conceptual and practical background for integrating themselves into the American business environment through conceptual lectures, discussions and exercises to expose them to concepts related to budgeting, business plans, strategic communication, leadership and management principles, social media developments, the business/government interface, intellectual property, contracts and business ethics; Enhance their leadership skills to facilitate positive change in their workplaces and communities as they develop personally and professionally; Participate in weekly face-to-face feedback sessions with University of Oklahoma faculty to reflect on their professional experiences for that week; Be exposed to a variety of business networks in Oklahoma designed to support startup companies and to governmental/media institutions that can influence business; Be exposed to rich cultural experiences that represent Oklahoma s unique environment especially the Native American experience, and exposure to American family life in a variety of settings; Become acquainted with the Indian-American communities in the Oklahoma City metro area; Be exposed to networking opportunities with U.S. placement hosts and partner organizations in an ongoing discussion and exchange of ideas, support and resources; Get connected to a network of alumni from previous professional exchanges programs, professional placement providers and university faculty to facilitate ongoing discussion and exchange through social networking; and Have the opportunity to reconnect with Oklahoma stakeholders who will make reciprocal visits to India. Eligibility : Who can join? Interested applicants must adhere to the following requirements to be eligible to apply: Be emerging leaders in either government, civil society or the private sector in India who have demonstrated expertise in economic empowerment and entrepreneurial/small business development in the respective countries; Have relevant experience and expertise in the small business/entrepreneurship/economic empowerment profession;
Be an Indian citizen; Be interested in experiencing hands-on the activities in a U.S. business or economic empowerment organization; Be committed to the importance of a sustainable and empowering business sector in a democracy; Be proficient in written and spoken English as the entire exchange program and professional placements will be conducted in English; Be computer-literate; Be between the ages of 25 and 40 years. In selecting participants, the we will also give preference to candidates who are: Self-directed; Able to work independently, as well as in a teamwork environment; Able to adjust to changing cultural settings and environments; Considered leaders in their profession and their community; Genuinely interested in developing and/or expanding on an individual project of their own selection in their home workplace or community; and Innovative and open to new ideas. Interested participants may fill out the attached application form. The deadline for submitting the application via email and in a PDF format is December 1, 2014. Applications must be sent to Elanie Steyn at the University of Oklahoma (elanie@ou.edu) AS WELL AS THE IN-COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE (Sanjay Pal at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India [EDI] [sanjaypal@ediindia.org]). The grantee organization and in-country partner will review applications from December 2, 2014 onward and set up in-person interviews with a shortlist of candidates in the respective countries in January 2015. In case of further query, please contact : Dr. Sanjay Pal Sr. Faculty Mobile: +91 9825867445 Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) P.O. Bhat, Via Indira Bridge & Ahmedabad Airport Ahmedabad - 382 428 Dist.: Gandhinagar, Gujarat, INDIA Tel : +91 79 23969153, 23969158 E-mail:sanjaypal@ediindia.org www.ediindia.org