Opportunities for Asian Studies Graduate Students

Job Opening: U.S.-Japan-South Korea Legislative Exchange Program (LEP/TLEP) Program Assistant

The U.S.-Japan-South Korea Legislative Exchange Program (LEP/TLEP) is conducting a search for a new program assistant. The LEP/TLEP is directed by Professor Henry R. Nau and brings together Members of the US Congress, Japanese Diet, and South Korean National Assembly twice a year to discuss issues among the three countries.

The program assistant serves as chief administrative assistant to Professor Nau. Primary responsibilities include inviting and organizing Members of Congress to travel to Tokyo/Seoul for a fall meeting (2012 meeting in Seoul) and hosting Japanese and South Korean delegations for two days of meetings in Washington in the spring. The assistant travels to Asia in the fall for approximately one week. 

Since meetings in both Washington and Tokyo/Seoul are held toward the end of each semester, this position requires a graduate student who has very strong organizational and time management skills necessary to handle all of the details of event coordination while completing his/her own semester-end course requirements. Other skills needed include a strong sense of responsibility, maturity, courtesy, and reliability. English fluency is essential. Preference will be given to those who have a strong interest in US-Japan or US-South Korean relations, are fluent in Japanese or Korean, and are committed to hold the position for a two year period (the usual MA term). Professional references are welcomed.

The position is part-time, averaging 10 hrs/week, and runs through the academic year and summer. The hourly wage is $15/hr.  Work time varies from approximately 5-8 hrs/wk (preferably spread over at least 3 working days) during the first two thirds of each semester to 20-25 hours during the last third of the semester (sometimes more if needed, including weekends). Summer work is more evenly spread out. It is possible to hold another part-time job in the summer if it is located in the DC area.

Send a cover letter stating your interest, qualifications and references, along with a complete resume to nau@gwu.edu or fax to 202-994-5477. 

Submit applications as soon as possible. Deadline for submission is October 15, 2012.    

Elliott School Freeman Foundation Fellowship for internships in Asia

Graduate Student Career Development (GSCD) recently received a grant to help defray the costs for students pursuing internships in Asia.  Please consider adding a work experience in Asia to compliment your academic studies at the Elliott School.

Not sure if an internship or work experience will make a difference to employers?

Employers surveyed by GSCD for the Employment Qualifications and Skills Report rated the following qualifications as very important when making hiring decisions:

1)  International experience and contacts

2)  Foreign language skills

3)  Cross cultural competencies and communication skills

Where have previous Elliott School students interned in Asia?  A few examples of the countries/organizations past Elliott School students have interned in Asia:

* The Clinton Foundation-China

* US Department of State - Japan, Vietnam, and China

* UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office-Thailand

* US Commerce Department Foreign Commercial Services-Singapore

* Development Alternatives, Inc.-Cambodia

Graduate Student Career Development is pleased to offer Freeman Foundation competitive grants for up to $4,000 that are available immediately to students that intern in Asia. 

Please log into Elliott School Career Connection (ESCC) and check the Document Library for more information including the application for the Freeman Foundation Fellowship Grant for Internships in Asia.

If you have any questions, please email Angella Griffin, Director, GSCD at agriffin@gwu.edu

Internship Opportunity: Market Access and Compliance Unit of the International Trade Administration, Office of China and Mongolia

The Market Access and Compliance (MAC) unit helps American companies overcome trade barriers overseas and ensures that trading partners fully meet their obligations under trade agreements signed with the United States. MAC employs about 100 international trade specialists covering all of the countries in the world as well as multilateral organizations. The MAC unit includes the 1) Office of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia; 2) Office of Asia (China, Japan, and Southeast Asia); 3) Office of Europe; 4) Office of the Western Hemisphere; and 5) Trade Agreements and Compliance Office, which includes the a) Office of Multilateral Affairs covering trade-related activities of multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization and OECD, b) Office of Intellectual Property Rights, and c) Trade Compliance Center, which works with large and small businesses to ensure they receive the benefits of over 270 trade agreements that open foreign markets to U.S. goods and services.

To learn more about MAC, please visit their web site: http://trade.gov/mac/index.asp

General Internship Duties: Responsibilities for MAC interns will vary by office but may include: researching and analyzing trade and investment issues in particular countries on particular issue areas (e.g., government procurement, technical barriers to trade, import licensing, customs and trade facilitation for WTO Committee work or WTO/FTA negotiations); accompanying international trade specialists to meetings with other Commerce Department offices, American companies, other U.S. Government agencies, foreign governments, and/or other organizations and providing logistical support for and drafting reports on those meetings; helping prepare briefing papers and speeches; assisting international trade specialists with responding to requests from the business community for information on ways to expand its market access, remove market barriers, and benefit from trade agreements; and working with international trade specialists to develop strategies to address U.S. companies' market access and compliance concerns. 

General Qualifications: Qualifications include strong writing and verbal communication skills and an ability to work well with people. Applicants with foreign language ability are encouraged to apply as well as experience studying and/or traveling to or living in foreign countries.

Specific Qualifications Required:

• Ability to read and speak Chinese
• Knowledge of China and factors underlying trade and commerce
• Ability to gather and perform basic research
• Communication skills sufficient to assemble, organize, and report trade-related information

Please send resume and cover letter to the 

Deputy Director of the Office of China and Mongolia

Scott.Tatlock@trade.gov