Study abroad participants will tour the Riksdag — the Swedish Parliament — as part of their visit. The Second Chamber, pictured here, is used for committee hearings and political party meetings.
Applications are being accepted from students interested in participating in a new global leadership study abroad program that will be offered for the first time by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics in summer 2015.
Students selected to participate in the new global leadership study abroad program will earn six hours of leadership course credit while visiting Stockholm, Sweden, and the surrounding area from May 9 through June 9, 2015. To help defray their costs to participate in the program, students also can apply for a Stanley Global Leaders scholarship offered by the Catt Center through a gift from Mary Jo and Richard Stanley of Muscatine, Iowa.
The courses offered as part of the global leadership study abroad program – CLPS 322, “Leadership Styles and Strategies in a Diverse Society,” and CLPS 333, “Women and Leadership” – will be taught by leadership lecturers Cameron Beatty and Kelly Winfrey on the campus of Södertörn University in Stockholm. Students who have already earned credit in CLPS 322 or CLPS 333 can enroll in LAS 490G while participating in the study abroad.
“The goal of this global leadership study abroad program is to provide students with an opportunity to learn about leadership theories and practices in an international setting in which women and men have different societal roles than in the United States,” said Dianne Bystrom, Catt Center director. “Stockholm, Sweden, was selected for the initial site for the global leadership study abroad program because of the high percentages of women in public and private leadership positions in the country as well as its progressive public policies.”
In fall 2014, candidates from several different political parties campaigned for seats in the Swedish Parliament and Stockholm Municipal Assembly.
In addition to participating in course instruction, students in this study abroad will learn about the history, culture and public policies of Sweden by meeting with government officials, including members of the Swedish Parliament and Stockholm Municipal Assembly; executives at private companies with gender, leadership and diversity initiatives; and staff of nonprofit organizations focusing on women’s and diversity issues. Students will also visit museums and other cultural designations pertinent to the study abroad program.
Students can learn more about the global leadership study abroad program to Sweden by attending an information session from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in 302 Catt Hall. Students can apply for the study abroad program here.
The grand stairway of the Riksdag is mainly used today for ceremonial occasions.
Applications for the program are due Feb. 1, 2015. No more than 24 students who are at least sophomores in standing and at least 18 years of age upon departure will be selected to participate in the program on the basis of a short (2-3 page) essay on leadership, academic transcript and resume. Applicants with need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid can apply for support through the Stanley Global Leaders scholarship program, with awards given on the basis of need, academic performance and a demonstrated interest in leadership.
“We are once again grateful to Mary Jo and Dick Stanley for their financial support of another Catt Center program,” said Bystrom, noting that the couple also provides primary funding for the Archives of Women’s Political Communication, the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics, the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics, and the Ready to Run® Iowa Campaign Training for Women. “Mary Jo and Dick are deeply interested in student leadership development as well as in opportunities for learning in international settings. They wish to make such opportunities available to students with financial need through the Stanley Global Leaders scholarships.”