Blakemore Freeman Fellowships for Advanced Asian Language Study

lakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for one year of advanced level language study in East or Southeast Asia in approved language programs.

For grants to be awarded in spring 2008, study must start between June 2008 and May 2009.

Eligible Languages
Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for study of the principal modern languages of East and Southeast Asia such as:

bullet Chinese
bullet Vietnamese
bullet Tibetan
bullet Japanese
bullet Indonesian
bullet Thai
bullet Korean
bullet Khmer
bullet Burmese
bullet Malaysian

Consideration will be given to other East or Southeast Asian languages on an individual basis. Grants will not be made for the study of Asian languages not in current use.

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a grant, an applicant must:

bullet Be pursuing an academic, professional or business career that involves the regular use of a modern East or Southeast Asian language
bullet Have a college undergraduate degree
bullet Be at or near an advanced level in the language as defined below
bullet Be able to devote oneself exclusively to language study during the term of the grant; grants are not made for part-time study
bullet Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States

“Professional or business career” includes, but is not limited to, careers in computer science, engineering, international business, journalism, law, medicine, NGO work, and teaching.

Please refer to our FAQ page for other answers to common questions about eligibility.

Definition of Advanced Level
An applicant for a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship must have:

bullet A minimum of three academic years of regular language study at the college level (example: completed 3rd year Chinese); or
bullet A minimum of one academic year of full-time intensive language study at the college-level; or
bullet Provide proof of equivalent competency (click here for language evaluation form that can be used to satisfy this requirement)

Note: Applications for languages which are not commonly taught at U.S. universities will be considered on an individual basis

Selection Criteria

bullet A focused, well-defined career objective involving Asia in which regular use of the language is an important aspect
bullet The potential to make a significant contribution to a field of study or area of professional or business activity in an Asian country
bullet Prior experience in the Asian country or involvement or participation in activities related to the country
bullet Good academic, professional or business background, appropriate to the career program

Contact :
The Blakemore Foundation
Attn: Mr. Griffith Way, Trustee
c/o Perkins Coie LLP
1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4800
Seattle, WA 98101-3266
Address inquiries to:
Cathy Scheibner, Administrative Assistant
E-mail blakemore@perkinscoie.com
More info click here