Qualifications & Eligibility
- Open to ALL majors at UCSD.
- Applicants must be nominated by an official of their university or institution who has been designated for this purpose (usually the career placement officer, fellowship advisor or an academic department chairperson). A listing of participating institutions and nominating officials may be found at http://carnegieendowment.org/about/jr-fellows. Applications are accepted only from graduating college seniors or individuals who have graduated within the past academic year. No one will be considered who has started graduate studies (except those who have recently completed a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program).
- Applicants should have completed a significant amount of coursework related to their discipline of interest. Language and other skills may also be required for certain assignments. The selection process for the program is very competitive. Accordingly, applicants should be of high academic quality.
- Qualifications for Gaither Junior Fellows may vary by program. Please review the bulletin for program requirements and more information on what each program is looking for.
Application Requirements
Application packet must be recieved by the International Studies Advising Office
Application Deadline: Applications will need to be received by isp@ucsd.edu
Application Packet: Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program Application Materials
- Application Form
- Essay #1:
- One page or less, double spaced on why you would like to become a junior fellow.
- Resume/CV (preferably 1-2 pages)
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- Can come from anyone the student feels can best speak to their abilities as a potential Gaither Junior Fellow
- Transcript (unofficial transcript accepted)
- Essay #2:
- An essay of no more than three (3) typewritten, double-spaced pages on one of the following topics (see programs below). These topics are intended to test skills in analysis, logic, and written expression. The essays should be analytical thought pieces, not research papers. Students should submit an essay related to their primary research program interests, although the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program may ultimately select an applicant for a program outside of his/her designated primary interest or make an assignment to more than one program
Programs: Applicants must respond to the question pertaining to the program to which they are applying.
- Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. As democracy in the United States and Europe is
experiencing more serious problems, the question of the relationship between those problems and the
issues facing democracy in the rest of the world is gaining attention. Are the problems that democracy is
facing in the United States and Europe largely similar to or fundamentally different from those plaguing
democracy in other regions such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East? - U.S. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy. The Obama Administration looked to re-set relations with
Russia, recast America’s role in the Middle East, and rebalance its posture toward the Asia-Pacific. The
Trump Administration has pursued its own policy pivots in each of these areas. Compare and contrast
the aims and policy records of the Obama and Trump administrations in one of these foreign policy
areas, and draw out lessons from the experience of both administrations that ought to inform American
diplomacy in the years ahead. - Nuclear Policy Program. Which state without nuclear weapons do you believe is at most risk of
acquiring them? - Technology and International Affairs Program (including the Cyber Policy Initiative). (Please
respond to just ONE of the two following questions). What technology issue will have the greatest
impact on international stability in the coming decade, and why? OR What factors explain why the
cybersecurity environment has continued to deteriorate in recent years? - Middle East Program. The Middle East region is going through a huge, agonizing and protracted
transformation characterized by dwindling oil revenues, rising populations, failing governance structures
and government services, rising extremism and sectarianism, and high youth unemployment. The
current situation has enabled regional powers to intervene in each other’s affairs as well as non-state
actors such as the self-proclaimed Islamic State to emerge and spread new toxic ideologies. What do you
see as one of the most difficult threats facing the region today and the underlying drivers of turmoil?
Discuss the impact this has had on two countries in the region and strategies that will help move these
countries toward a better future. - South Asia Program. (Please respond to just ONE of the two following questions). What factors
explain why, in many democracies, poor people continue to receive poor public services, despite
accounting for a large share of the population? OR Under what conditions is a military response an
effective solution to transnational terrorism? - Asia Program (China). Many observers argue that the longstanding US policy of engagement and
hedging toward China has failed. As proof, they point to Beijing’s failure to significantly liberalize
politically, to open up its markets sufficiently to foreign competition, and to promote the norms that the
United States and its democratic partners prefer in its approach to international order. Instead, these
observers argue, China has only become more oppressive domestically, pursuing predatory economic
policies overseas, failing to move on needed economic reforms at home, threatening its neighbors,
establishing competitor international institutions, and trying to undermine the U.S. and push it out of
Asia. Has U.S. policy failed, and what are the right yardsticks for assessing Chinese conduct in
international relations? - Asia Program (Japan). Japan is watching the emerging U.S.-China strategic competition carefully,
clearly supporting its ally on various fronts in order to balance against China and bolster its own standing
as efficiently and effectively as possible. However, as U.S. policy towards China becomes more
aggressive (in terms of protectionist measures, stricter export controls, and trying to form coalitions to
isolate China and its companies), Japan is placed in the uncomfortable position of trying to balance its
own desire to pressure China and promote more open rules-based economic and diplomatic behavior on
the one hand, while on the other hand wanting to maximize economic opportunity for Japanese firms
with China and avoid being dragged into the middle of a more intense U.S.-China competition. Provide
your own brief assessment of what is at stake for Japan amid growing U.S.-China friction and how you
evaluate the steps it is taking to maximize Japan’s national interest. What are the near-term prospects for
Japan and for the U.S.-Japan alliance? - Asia Program (Economics). China’s economic rise has created tensions with the US. America is
accusing China of unfair trade and foreign investment practices. But China sees its actions as necessary
to become more technologically advanced to escape the middle income trap. What are merits of the
respective arguments? - Russia and Eurasia Program. The U.S.-Russia relationship has plummeted to unprecedented postCold War lows. Can this downward trajectory be arrested? What are the key dangers in the current
situation and how might the White House seek to prevent things from getting out of hand? - Africa Program. Narratives about Sub-Saharan Africa’s future often oscillate between unrealistic
optimism and blanket pessimism. Clearly the truth lies in a more nuanced middle. Compare and contrast
the recent trajectories of two African countries—including both their economic and political
dimensions—to help illuminate a nuanced picture of Africa’s current direction.
Nomination: All applications must be forwarded to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace by the International Studies Program.
Nomination & Contact Information
The International Studies Program is the administrative home of the Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program nomination process at UCSD.
ALL applications must be submitted to the International Studies Advising Office by the deadline provided on this page. Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of faculty members from different departments across campus.
If you have any questions, please contact:
- International Studies Program Advisors
- E-mail: isp@ucsd.edu
- Phone: 858-822-5299
- Location: Robinson Building Complex, Building 3
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