156. Telegram From the International Communication Agency to all ICA Principal Posts1
Subject: Humphrey Scholarships.
1. Following message being sent for Action to Ankara, Athens, Nicosia and Valletta. Other EU posts for info only.
2. Pretoria, Canberra, Tokyo, Wellington for info only.
3. On July 31, the President approved the establishment of a Hubert H. Humphrey North-South Scholarship program for outstanding young men and women of modest means from all of the developing countries to study for one year of specialized training in the U.S.2 The scholarships are to be offered to men and women engaged in public service for a one-year enrichment course in fields related directly to their work, not necessarily leading to a degree.
4. The program’s purpose is to help educate a core group of a new generation of developing world leaders. It is designed to provide education and a common experience for a group of future leaders and by so doing provide a compelling symbol of U.S. interest in the developing world. It will seek out talented youth who might otherwise not be able to afford education thereby demonstrating a special American concern for helping the poor and for promoting equality of people. The purpose of the studies will be to enhance the students’ capabilities for public service, in particular to help improve incomes, living standards and employment and enable them to contribute more effectively [Page 455] to the equitable development of their country. The fields of study should include but not be limited to health, social work, rural or urban development.
5. The President has assigned the implementation of the program to the Agency under the authority of Section 102(A)(1) (I)(B) of the MECEA.
6. Scholarships will be made available to men and women from all developing countries with which we have diplomatic relations on a scale weighted by population (3 for countries over 10 million, 2 for those between 1 and 10 million, and 1 for countries with a population of less than 1 million). Placement and supervision in the U.S. will be handled by IIE. The first group of students is expected to come to the U.S. in time for the start of academic year 1979–80. Because funds for the program are being made available to the Agency beginning with fiscal year 1980 (i.e., beginning Oct. 1, 1979), the first group of students will have to have a sufficient knowledge of English not to require language training prior to the start-up of courses. In future years, we hope to be able to offer summer intensive English language courses so that students need not have the same level of English capability as we are asking for the first year. In countries with binational commissions, the opportunities for participation in the program should be publicized in the same way that opportunities are now offered for foreign students and the candidates should be selected in the same manner. In countries where there are no binational commissions, PAO’s should seek to establish jointly with the local government, preferably the Ministry of Education, an adequate screening mechanism. We would expect that such a screening mechanism would provide that in most countries initial screening will be done by local government agencies and a panel of three to five times the number of candidates would be submitted to the PAO for further selection and final approval of the winner(s) by the BFS. If this selection procedure poses problems for you, as it might in some countries, you should urgently advise us of the problems you see and we will seek to develop with you alternate methods of selection. All posts and binational commissions should bear in mind that we seek on an overall basis a roughly equal proportion of men and women and you are therefore encouraged to pay attention to worthy women candidates so that this overall proportion may be met.
7. Selection criteria: The program requires that candidates be outstanding young professionals, age 25–33, working in disciplines related to the public service for at least two and no more than five years, and unable to afford further education. They should be identifiable as potential future leaders; their education in the U.S. should be directly related to their future career development; they must be assured reem [Page 456] ployment in their chosen career on return to their home country; they should be of relatively modest family background by participating country standards, and essentially dependent on their own salary for meeting living costs; they should have completed the equivalent of undergraduate university training.
8. Summer workshop: at the end of the year-long course of formal study, the program will conclude with a summer workshop which will stress North-South development problems and hopefully also increase the participants’ understanding of the U.S. At least part of that workshop will take place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Details about the summer workshop will be supplied later.
9. In transmitting to you in this message the basic outline of the program and the administrative requirements placed on you, we recognize that we have undoubtedly not answered all of your questions. You are invited to forward these to the Agency as they develop. Slug telegrams for ECA/A.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South Pastor Files, Subject Files, Box 56, Humphrey Scholarship Program: 6–12/78. Unclassified. All brackets are in the original. Sent for information only to Geneva for USIO; sent to Brussels with a request to pass to USEC; sent for information only to USNATO. Drafted by Richard Straus on November 1; cleared in draft by Pastor, Bloch, Olason, Nichols, Richmond, Curtiss, and Schneidman; approved by Nalle. The telegram does not have a transmission time or a telegram number.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 145.↩