- YSEALI Academic Fellowship
- YSEALI Professional Fellow
- YSEALI Seeds for the Future Grants
- YSEALI Regional Workshops

The Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Program is a professional development exchange program for the best and brightest community leaders from Southeast Asia who are working in the fields of civic engagement, NGO management, economic empowerment, governance, legislative process, and environmental sustainability. The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program provides participants with a month-long fellowship at a U.S.-based non-profits, government offices, or legislative bodies. Fellows work with community leaders to enhance their practical expertise, leadership skills, and professional contacts to address issues in their home communities.
The program concludes in Washington, DC, to allow for engagement with policymakers and networking among YSEALI Professional Fellows from across the globe. A select group of Americans who worked with the YSEALI Professional Fellows will then travel overseas to further strengthen relationships, continue to collaborate on issue-based projects, and mentor other YSEALI members.
Who is eligible to apply?
YSEALI members from all 10 ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste who are leading change and innovation in civil society, the public sector, or the private sector. Joining YSEALI is free! Sign up here.
What are the eligibility requirements?
Applicants must be:
- Emerging leaders in government, civil society, or the private sector who have demonstrated expertise pertaining to the respective theme;
- Mid-level professionals, 25 to 35 years old at the time of participation in the program, who, at a minimum, are currently employed and have two or more years of relevant professional work experience;
- Demonstrated proficiency in both written and oral English;
- Self-directed and able to work effectively in a cross-cultural setting; and
- Must be genuinely interested in developing an individual project of their own selection in their home workplace or community
- Be a citizen of, and currently residing in, one of the ten ASEAN member nations and/or Timor-Leste
- Eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa.
What are the selection criteria?
Through the written application and interview, successful applicants for the YSEALI Professional Fellowship:
- Demonstrate a strong track record of leadership or positive impact in their community or workplace;
- Demonstrate knowledge or professional experience in one of the YSEALI themes: civic engagement, environmental sustainability, or economic empowerment, or legislative process and governance;
- Demonstrate a commitment or interest to community service, volunteerism, or mentorship;
- Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States and ASEAN as a region;
- Be willing to actively participate in a professional work environment to develop professional capacities and leadership skills;
- Have a commitment to return to their home country to apply leadership skills and training to benefit their community, country, or the ASEAN region; and preferably have little or no prior work, study, or travel experience in the United States.
How do I apply?
Fill out the application form for the program you are interested in by the deadline. You can access the form at program partner’s websites below – Please only apply to one program; only one application per person will be accepted.
- Civic Engagement
An exchange focused on management of civil society-based organizations for young leaders.
Implementing Partner: University of Montana
Participating Countries: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam
Apply online: http://www.umt.edu/mansfield/internationalprograms/yseali-civic-engagement/default.php
Application Dates: February 1 – March 31, 2020 - Economic Empowerment
An exchange focused on economic empowerment for young professional leaders.
Implementing Partner: American Councils
Participating Countries: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam
Application link: https://ais.americancouncils.org/pfp
Application Dates: February 1 – March 31, 2020 - Governance and Society
An exchange focused on legislative process and governance for young local political and policy leaders.
Implementing Partner: American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL)
Participating Countries: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam
Application link: https://webportalapp.com/appform/login/acypl_yseali_pfp_application_fall_2020
Application Dates: February 1 – March 31, 2020 - Sustainable Development and the Environment
An exchange focused on environmental sustainability for young environmental professionals.
Implementing Partner: International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
Participating Countries: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam
Application link: https://icma.submittable.com/submit/f8822011-7848-4940-8977-513c27133ca1/fall-2020-yseali-professional-fellows-program-sustainable-development-and-the-e
Application Dates: February 1 – March 31, 2020
More about YSEALI Professional Fellows Program.