Applications are being accepted through Feb. 1 from students interested in participating in a new global leadership study abroad program that will be offered for the first time by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics in summer 2015.
Students selected to participate in the leadership study abroad program will earn six hours of course credit while visiting Stockholm, Sweden, and the surrounding area from May 9 through June 9. To help defray their costs to participate in the program, all students will receive a $1,250 tuition waiver from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and will be considered for additional support through the Stanley Global Leaders scholarship program offered by the Catt Center through a gift from Mary Jo and Richard Stanley of Muscatine, Iowa.
The courses offered as part of the study abroad program – CLPS 322, “Leadership Styles and Strategies in a Diverse Society,” and CLPS 333, “Women and Leadership” – will be taught by leadership lecturers Cameron Beatty and Kelly Winfrey on the campus of Södertörn University in Stockholm. Students who have already earned credit in CLPS 322 or CLPS 333 can enroll in LAS 490G while participating in the study abroad.
“We are really excited about the growing interest in the global leadership study abroad program to Sweden,” Beatty said. “A number of students who attended the information session in December expressed that they had not yet started an application, so I think we will have a good group of students applying before the Feb. 1 deadline.”
“Students I have spoken to are excited about the opportunity to study in Sweden and to learn about the similarities and differences in leadership between Sweden and the United States,” Winfrey added.
According to the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, Sweden is ranked fourth in the world for gender equality whereas the United States is ranked 19th, Winfrey noted. “Sweden has many more women in government and business leadership than does the United States, and students will have a chance to speak to many Swedish women in leadership positions and compare their experiences to those of women in the U.S.”
In addition to participating in course instruction, students in this study abroad will learn about the history, culture and public policies of Sweden by meeting with government officials, including members of the Swedish Parliament and Stockholm Municipal Assembly; executives at private companies with gender, leadership and diversity initiatives; and staff of nonprofit organizations focusing on women’s and diversity issues. Students will also visit museums and other cultural designations pertinent to the study abroad program.
“Sweden will not only be a beautiful backdrop to explore leadership from an international diversity lens, but Stockholm and the surrounding area will be a great classroom to make key connections to our class readings and discussions,” Beatty said. “Students will be able to take in the rich history and culture while also critically exploring national government, local government, the private and public business sectors, and the implications of understanding leadership on a global level.”
Students can apply for the program here. No more than 24 students who are at least sophomores in standing and at least 18 years of age upon departure will be selected to participate in the program on the basis of a short (2-3 page) essay on leadership, academic transcript and resume. Applicants with need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid will be considered for a scholarship through the Stanley Global Leaders program, with awards given on the basis of need, academic performance and a demonstrated interest in leadership.
Questions about the program can be emailed to Beatty at ccbeatty@iastate.edu.