Scholarly Study of the United States

Seattle University will host the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Scholars on U.S. Culture, Identity and Society, funded by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for $300,000 per year. 

The SUSIs for Scholars are intensive, six-week post-graduate-level academic exchanges for groups of 18 foreign university faculty and scholars, hosted by different U.S. educational institutions. The program’s goal is to strengthen curricula and enhance the quality of teaching about the U.S in academic institutions abroad. Each institute will include an academic residency and an educational study tour, including time in Washington, D.C.

The institute at SU will bring a multinational group of experienced scholars and university faculty practitioners to campus, providing a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. It will be led by Professor Dr. Charles Tung, with assistance from Professors Susan Meyers and Lucas Southworth, an associate professor at Loyola University Maryland, who taught part time at SU this fall.

“Global engagement is a strategic priority for Seattle University, advancing the university’s mission to create leaders for a just and humane world,” says Dean David V. Powers of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The SUSI program is a remarkable opportunity for both Seattle University and the participating scholars to share knowledge and cultural experiences. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues to the campus this summer and continuing our contributions to the SUSI program.” 

Major themes of the institute will include:

• Commemoration, national history and public spheres
• National formation, power and politics
• Identities, social legibility and citizenship
• Social movements, politics and religion
• Diasporas, immigration and belonging
• America in a transnational frame and in deep time
• Technology, information and democracy
• Cultural expression, media and values in the U.S.  

The institute will include a four-week academic residency at SU and a two-week study tour. 

Seattle University has hosted three multi-year institutes with the SUSI program. In 2017-2019, Dr. Tung led the institute on Contemporary American Literature with Associate Professor of Art History Dr. Ken Allan. In 2021 and 2022, Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies Dr. Beatrice Lawrence led the institute on Religious Freedom and Pluralism. 

The Study of the U.S. Institutes is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government and administered by the University of Montana. Join the conversation on the SUSI for Scholars on Facebook. 

For additional information about the SUSI program at Seattle University, contact Dr. Tung.