Fostering leadership development

The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellows Program (YSEALI AFP) is a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana. YSEALI AFP seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the U.S. and Southeast Asia, and foster a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues. 

YSEALI AFP accomplishes these objectives by bringing undergraduate or recent graduates aged 18-25 from 11 countries in Southeast Asia to the U.S. for a fully funded, five-week exchange at a U.S. university or college. Each program includes an academic residency, community service activities, an educational study tour, a closing workshop, and a Reciprocal Exchange component that sends Americans to Southeast Asia. YSEALI Academic Fellows can study one of four YSEALI themes at 12 host institutions across the country.