TechWomen, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is calling for applications from female leaders with expertise in technology to attend the 2015 TechWomen Program in the United States.
The program which starts in October 2015 aims to connect and support the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The program will support them by providing the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities.
TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.
TechWomen is now calling upon young women who have experience in the STEM fields and desire to further their studies in the field, to put in applications for a fully funded study program in USA. Applicants should be women in professional careers that require significant knowledge of, and skill in technology.
To be eligible for the 2015 TechWomen program, applicants must:
- Be women with, at minimum, two years full-time professional experience in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math)
- 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 Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen, or Zimbabwe at the time of application, and while participating in the program
- Be eligible to obtain a U.S. J-1 exchange visitor visa
- Not have applied for an immigrant visa to the United States, or participated in a visa lottery in the past five years
- Not hold U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. legal permanent resident
Preference will be given to applicants who:
- Have demonstrated themselves as emerging leaders in their chosen professional track
- Have limited or no prior experience in the United States
- Have a record of voluntary or public service in their communities
- Have demonstrated entrepreneurialism and commitment to innovation
TechWomen are selected based on a number of eligibility requirements. Applications are reviewed by independent selection committees composed of industry leaders and regional experts. Semifinalists may be interviewed by United States Embassy personnel in their country of permanent residence.
Some of the costs for the study program are covered by Techwomen program; they include:
- Roundtrip international airfare from participant home country to the United States
- Domestic airfare from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.
- Housing in San Francisco or Mountain View, California during the mentorship
- Meals and incidentals
- Hotel stay in Washington, D.C.
- Ground transportation to the participant’s host company
- Local transportation to group program events in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.
TechWomen participants will be housed in San Francisco or Mountain View, California, depending on the location of the participant’s host company.
For more information, please visit www.techwomen.org
