SHERMAN, TEXAS —Claire Balani of Grapevine, Texas, and a member of the Austin College Class of 2010, is one of 32 students from across the nation selected as Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) Fellows for 2008. Each of the fellows will receive scholarships and services valued at nearly $100,000 over a five-year period, including summer programs, study abroad, and international internship terms.
Balani, an international relations major, is attending the IIPP’s Sophomore Summer Policy Institute at Spelman College. After graduation from Austin College, she plans to work a few years in the non-profit sector with Burmese human rights organizations such as the Thai-Burma Border Consortium in Bangkok, Thailand, before pursuing a Ph.D. in political science. She then hopes for a career with the U.S. State Department as an advisor on human rights in Asia.
“I feel deeply honored to receive the IIPP Fellowship,” Balani said. “IIPP will offer me myriad opportunities that simply are not possible for me without the fellowship; my situation reflects many underrepresented minority students that have goals in mind, but lack the resources to achieve them. I hope to truly represent IIPP and take advantage of every aspect of this program to the fullest.”
Balani said the six components of the fellowship will allow her to gain the skills necessary to create a strong, positive impact in international affairs.
“I will sharpen my quantitative and analytical skills at the sophomore and junior summer policy institutes; gain advanced skill in Mandarin Chinese during my Junior Year Abroad in China and at the IIPP summer language institute; and put theory into practice during my overseas internship. These elements of the IIPP Fellowship are meant to prepare me for graduate school in international affairs.”
Though having completed only two years of college thus far, Balani feels she has begun a solid foundation for her studies.
“My Austin College education has offered me a truly great perspective in a wide variety subjects, from Chinese literature and politics to Tibetan Buddhism,” Balani said. “I also have been trained in subjects integral to international affairs, such as International Relations and Comparative Politics. I feel very prepared to face the academic challenges during the summer policy institutes and my junior year in China. In addition, courses in Leadership Studies with the Posey Leadership Institute has afforded me many practical skills that have already proved useful in classroom and real-life situations.”
The Fellowship Program
The fellowship is a six-component program that includes the Sophomore Summer Policy Institute at Spelman College; Junior Year Study Abroad; Junior Summer Policy Institute at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy; Summer Language Institute; Master’s Degree Program in International Affairs, and the IIPP Internship. The fellowships provide funding for the summer programs and portions of the study abroad and master’s degree programs.
Students began the Fellowship Program in June 2008 with the seven-week Sophomore Summer Policy Institute (SSPI) that introduces fellows to the basics of international policy development, foreign affairs, cultural competence, careers in these fields, and options for graduate study. Students then participate in study missions in Washington, D.C., and New York City with briefings at the Department of Education, the Department of State, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as well as with such organizations as the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations and the World Bank.
Over the next five years, the fellowships include study abroad during the junior year of college, intensive foreign language training, internships in students’ areas of interest, and graduate study.
About the IIPP
The IIPP is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation to provide students from underrepresented minority groups with the education and training necessary for entering and advancing in international affairs. Now in its 14th year, the IIPP has placed more than 300 fellows in more than 50 countries to study foreign affairs and global policy.
About Austin College:
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located approximately 30 minutes north of the greater Dallas metroplex in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies,