Call for Proposals: OSI Regional Alumni Conference

In advance of the regional alumni conference, the Open Society Institute Scholarship Programs seeks proposals from alumni from Hungary, Moldova, and Romania for the two following conference activities.

Presentation and Panel Discussion on Social Activism

Scholarship Programs encourages alumni from Hungary, Moldova, and Romania to submit presentation suggestions as well as panel discussion topics on the conference theme, "social activism."

Suggested topics include:

• Roma Issues: integration, role of education, human rights
• Xenophobia in Europe
• Education: challenges of the Bologna Process, gender programs, intercultural education, the integration of the disabled, education and secularization
• Politics: youth involvement in politics and policy, EU integration, good governance and public services, "Europeanization," corruption, promotion of human rights
• Economics: the economic crisis: its impact and consequences in the region
• Culture and Society: building a civil society during the economic crisis, the third sector and sustainability, gender issues, the family, the arts and culture

All successfully chosen presenters and panelists will have the conference fee waived.

Panel Discussion / Roundtable / Workshop on Alumni Issues

The development of alumni networks within the region is a key area of development for both OSI and individual alumni.  Scholarship Programs invites concrete ideas on any of the topics noted below and more which are broadly relevant to all alumni from the three participating countries.

Suggested topics include:

• Connecting the academic experience to the job market
• Enhancing cooperation between alumni
• The future of academic and research networking between Eastern and Western Europe
• How alumni are influencing and transforming the landscape in their countries
• Involvement in local and regional development
• Enhancing communication throughout NSP's alumni network
• Opportunities, challenges, dilemmas, successes and lessons learned
• Volunteering
• Ways to connect local alumni in joint civil society projects
• Alumni impact

Submission Guidelines

Session Length: 60 minutes, including questions

Submissions: 500-word proposal, including name, home country, scholarship title, and year of award

Please submit all entries to Zoë Brogden, program coordinator, at zbrogden@sorosny.org

Deadline

September 15, 2009