Summer 2022 – Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders from Europe

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Meridian International Center welcomes its first cohort of 60 European undergraduate student leaders to engage with U.S. culture and develop global leadership skills through the Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders from Europe program. The 2022 program begins with a four-week intensive Academic Residency at a partner university. Following the academic residency, participants will convene in Washington, DC to participate in a Study Tour to parallel lessons learned in the academic residency. The DC program concludes with a Closing Conference hosted by Meridian to celebrate the achievements of SUSI students and launch them as official Department of State exchange alumni. Select students will also share their Community Action Projects during the Closing Conference, which were developed throughout their SUSI experience.

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Summer 2022 Academic Institutes

Meridian is excited to welcome students from 33 European nations for four weeks of cross-cultural engagement and immersive learning across three different thematic Institutes:

Civic Engagement – Michigan State University

In this Institute, students will examine civic engagement study and practice in the global context, exploring the many principles that have underwritten historic American social movements. In the process, they will develop research skills to document the context, issues, communities, and personalities and investigation skills to report on local examples of civic engagement in and around Michigan. They will have an opportunity to reflect on a specific social justice cause that motivates them to participate in community organizing.

Environmental Issues – University of Nevada, Reno

Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing the world in this century, and Reno, Nevada is the fastest-warming city in the United States. In this Institute, students will dive deep into how climate change is affecting the city and surrounding communities. They will explore the difficult discussions taking place across Nevada as it faces unprecedented risk of severe drought and strives to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Through dialogue, experiential learning, and engagement with local students, they will learn the importance to the democratic process of communicating truthful information based on scientific facts and see how the first amendment allows Americans to advocate for permanent solutions to major domestic and global challenges.

Journalism & Media – Arizona State University

SUSI Student Leaders will examine the key threats and opportunities for modern journalism. The news media have never been more important in their role as a nonpartisan government watchdog even as decades of declining revenue and pervasive misinformation threaten to further weaken the industry’s ability to keep the public informed of critical current events. Participants will learn innovative storytelling techniques that appeal to audiences across generations, cultures, and geographies. Within that innovation space is the opportunity for journalists to reimagine what news is and how to connect with audiences to keep them informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives.

The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders from Europe program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by Meridian International Center.