2025 FACULTY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

A PROGRAM OF THE U.S. Embassy - Tashkent

Program Description and Administration:

The Faculty Enrichment Program (FEP) is a semester-long faculty mentorship and professional development program funded by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and administered by the American Councils for International Education.

The FEP offers university instructors from Uzbekistan the opportunity to enhance their pedagogical skills and professional disciplinary expertise through a four-month U.S. academic enrichment program. While on the FEP, fellows will engage in curriculum development, explore alternative teaching and assessment methodologies, expand their knowledge in their fields of study, and gather new teaching materials and resources. Throughout their stay in the United States, fellows observe courses, attend academic conferences, and work closely with faculty mentors from U.S. host universities. Fellows may be invited to present a lecture or co-teach classes at their U.S. university. Through structured opportunities to engage with students and faculty both in and outside the classroom, fellows will significantly enhance their understanding of the U.S. higher education system. In addition, fellows partake in a series of webinars throughout their time on the program, each focused on a unique aspect of higher education. Webinars topics may include syllabi; student-centered pedagogy; academic integrity; faculty professional development; educational technology; internationalization of curriculum; the credit system; or academic writing. Webinars will be delivered by experts in U.S. higher education and will augment fellows’ on-campus experiences in U.S. higher education.

FEP fellows are encouraged to forge relationships with U.S. host institutions and their home institutions in order to support ongoing contact and collaboration. While on the program, fellows will also as serve as cultural resources, sharing information about their home countries with U.S. faculty, students, and community members. By fostering sustained and substantive contact between Uzbek faculty and their U.S. counterparts, the FEP aims to contribute to mutual understanding, deepen educational ties, and foster professional networks between the United States and Uzbekistan.

Each FEP fellow will spend a total of four months in the United States. American Councils will match fellows with academic programs at U.S. host institutions appropriate to their field of expertise. Host institutions will provide fellows with faculty mentors to guide FEP faculty members in their selection of appropriate courses, identification of conferences and seminars, familiarization with their host campus, and the development of professional contacts in their respective fields of study.

Fellows do not earn academic degrees through the FEP and must return home upon completion of the program. Fellows will be subject to a two-year home residency requirement per J-1 visa regulations.