Laem Chabang, Thailand (January 27, 2025): Carrier Strike Group One (CSG-1), and its flagship USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), arrived in Laem Chabang for a regular scheduled port visit.

The United States and Thailand share one of the oldest relationships in the Indo-Pacific region, marked by over 190 years of friendly diplomatic ties.  Thailand is one of five U.S. treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific Region and continues to be a longstanding security partner and leader in Southeast Asia.

“We are incredibly grateful to Thailand for hosting our crews,” said Rear Adm. Michael S. Wosje, CSG-1 commander. “Visiting Thailand provides us with an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with our Royal Thai Navy counterparts and reinforce the importance of the committed partnership to Thailand. Over the next few days, we look forward to engaging with our partners here to further deepen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our militaries and the Thai community.”

While the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is docked in port, crewmembers will have the opportunity to explore Thailand and its rich culture. The ship will also be conducting several community service events, and some Thai-American members of USS Vinson’s crew will also have a chance to reconnect with their heritage.

USS Carl Vinson is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier capable of carrying out a wide variety of missions around the globe from humanitarian assistance to disaster relief response to readiness support.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group consists of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), embarked staffs of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) One and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) One, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Two, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS  William P. Lawrence (DDG 110).

CVW-2 is composed of nine squadrons flying the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

For more news from CSG-1 and Carl Vinson visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CSG1, https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN70.

Please note that there will be no public access or tours of the USS Carl Vinson. For any questions regarding the visit, please email PressBKK@state.gov.

Ayutthaya, Thailand (November 15, 2024):  The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department and the World Monuments Fund (WMF), proudly celebrated the successful completion of the Wat Chaiwatthanaram Conservation Project with a closing ceremony at Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province.

The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Wat Chaiwatthanaram Conservation Project, which began in 2012, has been a collaborative effort aimed at restoring the 17th-century temple following the devastating floods of 2011. Over the past 12 years, the project received a total of $1.8 million in funding from the U.S. government, making it one of the largest AFCP projects globally.

The ceremony commenced with the inauguration of the Wat Chaiwatthanaram Pavilion, where U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec; Mr. Phnombootra Chandrajoti, Director-General, Fine Arts Department; and Mr. Jonathan Bell, Vice President of Programs at the World Monuments Fund participated in the culturally significant “Jong Priang” ceremony.  The ceremony derived from an ancient fire-worship ritual dedicated to sacred beings in Buddhism during the Ayutthaya period that was held in the twelfth month of each year, which coincides with the modern Loy Krathong festival.

The official project closing ceremony then followed, with a short documentary showcasing the 12-year U.S.-Thai cooperation to preserve Thai cultural heritage. Ms. Bella Ranee Campen, renowned for her role in the TV series “Love Destiny,” also spoke about the importance of Wat Chaiwatthanaram and preserving Thai cultural heritage.

In his remarks, Ambassador Godec said, “Cultural preservation is one of the enduring threads that binds the two countries together. The purpose of the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund was to show American respect for other cultures around the world, and as a demonstration of our friendship. Here in Thailand, we have awarded grants for 20 projects to help conserve Thailand’s incredible cultural heritage. The largest U.S. Ambassador’s Fund project in Thailand, and one of our largest in the world, is the preservation of this breathtaking 17th-Century temple. The reconstruction that we have helped fund here will ensure that the meru — or towers — and southern flood wall will protect this important site for future generations. Not just for future generations of Thais, but also for the thousands of tourists who come each year to marvel at the grandeur of this ancient capital of Siam.”

The event concluded with special performances of a Thai Contemporary Khon titled “The Magnificent Ramakien: Strengthening U.S.-Thai Relations,” a laser lighting presentation highlighting the restored Merus, a spectacular fireworks display by the Fine Arts Department, and an environmentally-friendly Loy Krathong ceremony on the riverbank.

The Wat Chaiwatthanaram Conservation Project has not only restored the temple to its original state prior to the flood but also increased awareness and community involvement in cultural heritage conservation. The project has promoted conservation-based tourism and strengthened the relationship between the United States and Thailand.

The U.S. Embassy Bangkok extends its sincere gratitude to our esteemed partners, Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture and the World Monuments Fund (WMF), for their unwavering commitment to preserving cultural heritage in Thailand over the course of our 12-year partnership on this conservation project. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy Bangkok expresses its appreciation to Thai Beverage Company Limited for their generous sponsorship of beverages and a photo booth from Chayanitikorn Picture Studio at the closing ceremony.

About the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP):

The AFCP, supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, demonstrates American leadership in the preservation of cultural heritage around the world. Since its inception in 2001, AFCP has helped preserve cultural sites, objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression globally, showing respect for other cultures and their historical contributions.

Learn more about the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation projects in Thailand and download additional press materials here: bit.ly/afcpwatchai.

Online Professional English Network Winter Term 2025 (Starts January 14-March 10, 2025)

Online Professional English Network offers 8-week, online university-level courses in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) developed by U.S. educational institutions.

What courses are available?

• Teaching Grammar Communicatively (TGC) by World Learning
• Teaching English for Critical Intercultural Awareness (TECIA) by World Learning
• Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom (ET) by Iowa State University
• Teaching English Academic Writing to Speakers of Other Languages (TEAWSL) by Iowa State University
• Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) by George Mason University
• Professional Development for Teacher Trainers (PDTT) by Arizona State University
• Creating and Implementing Online Courses (CIOC) by Arizona State University
• TESOL Methodology (TM) by University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
• Fostering Student Motivation and Engagement (FSME) by University of Oregon
• Teaching for Environmental Awareness (TEEA) by Kansas State University

For more details about courses click here : https://openenglishcommunity.org/page/global-online-courses

Candidates must:

• Be an English language professional
• Have strong English language reading and writing skills (minimum 525 TOEFL, 70 iBT, or CEFR B2). Applicants do not need to submit the test scores
• Be a Thai citizen
• Be living in your country for the entire duration (8 weeks) of the OPEN term (Orientation Starts on December 9, 2024-January 3, 2025, and Course Starts on January 14-March 10, 2025
• Have regular and reliable access to high-speed internet connection
• Be able to spend 10 to 12 hours online each week for the duration of the 8-week course
• Be willing to be enrolled in a second or third course, if your primary choice is unavailable

The selected candidates will be contacted for phone interview.

Click here to apply: https://forms.gle/hb9st6tLLdN5jhxx5

Application deadline is Monday, November 4, 2024

Announcement for 2025 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok invites interested scholars to apply to summer 2025 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars. The program will take place over the course of five to six weeks beginning between late-May and early-July 2025.

Applicants can download the application form on the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok’s website via this link: Application Form.

Applications must be received at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok by 12.00 a.m. of Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Please submit your applications to BangkokPD@state.gov with the subject line, stating “Application to 2025 SUSI for Scholars_ Your Full Name.”

Applicants will be selected for an interview based on the criteria below. Candidates will be notified regarding selection or non-selection by April 2025. For inquiries, please email BangkokPD@state.gov.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars are intensive post-graduate level academic programs that provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions.  The program goal is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in academic institutions abroad.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars will take place at various colleges, universities, and academic institutions throughout the United States over the course of five to six weeks in summer 2025.  Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour in the United States.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars comprise the following themes in U.S. Studies: American Politics and Political Thought; Contemporary American Literature; Journalism and Media; U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society; U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development; and U.S. Foreign Policy.

INSTITUTE THEMES:

The Institute on American Politics and Political Thought will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced American political institutions and American democracy.  The Institute will explore the shaping of American identity and the chemistry between that identity and U.S. history, politics, and the democratic process.  The Institute will cover a broad range of American experiences that have influenced and been influenced by American national identity.  The Institute will provide a deeper understanding of major currents in U.S. political thought, from the colonial period to the present, and explore contemporary U.S. political and social debates and public policy, relating them back to U.S. political thought and American identity.  The University of Montana will administer this program while the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, will host this Institute.

The Institute on Contemporary American Literature will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of contemporary American literature.  The Institute will examine how major contemporary writers, schools, and movements reflect the U.S. literary canon.  The Institute will also explore the diverse communities and voices that constitute the American literary landscape and expose participants to writers who are establishing new directions for American literature.  The Institute will cover a variety of contemporary American writers and texts and suggest how the themes explored reflect larger currents within contemporary U.S. society and culture.  The University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, will administer and host this Institute.

The Institute on Journalism and Media will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign journalism instructors and other related specialists with a deeper understanding of the roles that journalism and the media play in U.S. society.  The Institute will examine the role of journalists in recognizing and preventing disinformation and will explore strategies for media and information literacy to counter disinformation.  Additionally, the Institute will examine best practices in journalism by discussing the rights and responsibilities of the media in a democratic society, including editorial independence, journalistic ethics, legal constraints, and international journalism.  The program will also highlight the impact of technology in journalism, including the influence of the digital economy, globalization of the news media, and other changes that are transforming the profession.  The University of Montana will administer this program; Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, will host the Institute.

The Institute on U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and other specialists with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions through the lens of diversity and national unity.  The Institute will examine the ethnic, racial, social, economic, political, and religious contexts in which various cultures have manifested in U.S. society while focusing on the ways in which these cultures have influenced social movements and American identity throughout U.S. history.  The program will draw from a diverse disciplinary base and will provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of American culture and society.  The University of Montana will administer this program; Seattle University in Seattle, Washington, will host the Institute.

The Institute on U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university faculty, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with a deeper understanding of key components and structures of the U.S. economy.  Using a multidisciplinary approach, the program will explore various topics of socioeconomics such as how financial institutions, investors, and businesses interact to support sustainable economic development, innovation, and growth; and increasing diverse and equitable employment through institutional regulation, social inclusion strategies, and private and public policies.  Throughout the Institute, participants will examine the interplay of climate change, U.S. business innovation, corporate regulation, entrepreneurship, and economic theory.  Participants will have opportunities to learn about key institutions and stakeholders in the U.S. economy and meet with a diverse range of business leaders and small business owners, among others.  The University of Montana will administer this program; the Institute for Training and Development (ITD), in conjunction with Suffolk University, will jointly host the Institute in Amherst and Boston, Massachusetts.

The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly motivated foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of new approaches to U.S. foreign policy and how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and implemented.  The Institute will include a historical review of significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have shaped U.S. foreign policy.  The program will explain the role of key influences on U.S. foreign policy including the executive and legislative branches of government, the media, the U.S. public, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral institutions.  The Institute will also examine the current U.S. foreign policymaking landscape and emerging trends that are shaping policy.  The University of Montana will administer this program; the University of Delaware will host the Institute in Newark, Delaware.

OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

Program Funding: Through an award given to the University of Montana (UM), the Department of State will cover all participant costs, including program administration; travel allowances, domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence, as well as arrange and pay for participants’ international and visa travel costs and travel allowances within set limits.

Program Requirements and Restrictions: All participants are expected to participate fully in the program.  Candidates should be made aware that they are applying for an intensive program and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program.  The Institute is not a research program.  Participants must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings.  Family members and/or friends may not accompany participants on any part of the program.  If the program is conducted virtually, the same participation requirements apply.  Note that Institute curriculum will not formally address teaching methodology and pedagogical methods.  Institutes focus on U.S. studies with only a brief focus on the U.S. education system itself.

Housing and Meal Arrangements: When possible, each participant will have a private room with a shared bathroom during the residency portion (four weeks) of the Institute.  However, private room accommodations are not guaranteed.  During the study tour (up to two weeks), participants will likely share a hotel room with another participant of the same gender.  During the residency, housing will typically be in college- or university-owned housing.  Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own. All participants will be expected to respectfully share communal spaces and any necessary responsibilities.

Special Requirements: Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily or weekly worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.  Special accommodations will be made available to the greatest extent possible.  Should a participant need to quarantine due to health and safety concerns, accommodations will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and host institution guidelines.

Travel Arrangements: For all Institutes, the implementing partner (UM) will arrange and pay for international and visa travel for all Institutes.  The host institution will provide each participant with a small travel allowance.  The host institutions will arrange and cover the cost of any program-related travel within the United States.

Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefit during the U.S.-based in-person component, which provides coverage of up to $100,000 with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program.  Pre-existing conditions may be covered up to $100,000 subject to policy exclusions and limitations.  Information on the health benefit program may be found online at https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos.

Grounds for Program Dismissal: Violations of program rules, host institution rules, or local, state, or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.  If selected, candidates are required to sign the SUSI Terms and Conditions.  This document will outline SUSI policies and rules for participation in more detail.

CANDIDATE DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars are highly competitive. Priority will be given to candidates who have firm plans to enhance, update, or develop courses and/or educational materials with U.S. studies focus or component; who have no prior or limited experience in the United States; and who have special interest in the program subject areas as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties.

Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly motivated, experienced scholars and professionals generally from institutions of higher education or research-focused organizations (not-for-profits, think tanks, etc.). While the educational level of participants will likely vary, most should have graduate degrees and have substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute or a related field.

Ideal candidates come from home institutions seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the Institute subject, to enhance and update existing courses on the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies areas related to the program theme.  While the nominee’s scholarly and professional credentials are an important consideration, the potential impact and multiplier effect from their participation in the Institute is equally important.  Ideal candidates will have little or no prior experience living in or visiting the United States.

As noted above, candidates must demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding academic programs conducted entirely in English. Participants will be expected to read and comprehend substantial written materials and assignments in English and to participate in all seminar and panel discussions fully and actively. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute, for participants as individuals and to foster a cohesive and interactive group.

Candidates should be willing and able to fully take part in an intensive post-graduate level academic program, comfortable with campus life and an active program schedule.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible for these programs.

Relatives of U.S. embassy or Fulbright commission employees are not eligible for SUSIs.

Candidates must be willing to respectfully engage with fellow participants representing different backgrounds and points of view.