The Fellowship for journalists

The Fellowship brings journalists from Asia to Singapore's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University for three months.

The 2012 Fellowship will run from 27 February to 18 May. The application deadline is 14 October 2011.

 

Key Elements

Professional workshops

Short, intensive workshops will focus on enhancing your professional capabilities. In 2012, you can expect workshops on media management in a changing environment, harnessing social media tools, and other practical topics.

Professional seminars

Informal seminars will allow you to share experiences with other journalists and journalism students.

Visits and Briefings

Opportunities will be arranged for Fellows to engage with leaders and decision makers of Singapore institutions and organisations, ranging from government agencies to business corporations and civil society groups.

Independent Project

Each Fellow picks a research project that is personally meaningful and useful to one’s home country. For example, it could be a long magazine feature or documentary for public consumption, or a policy paper to guide your employer or professional association at home. AJF assigns each Fellow a research advisor to provide guidance.
Some Fellows pick Singapore-related projects while others take advantage of Singapore’s resources as a regional and international hub. Singapore has many outward-looking institutes, organisations, experts and scholars to tap on if you wish to do non-Singapore research. They include the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Asia Research Institute, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and various other centres at NTU and the National University of Singapore.
Your research could also take advantage of Singapore as a global financial, aviation and maritime centre, and a culturally diverse, cosmopolitan city that is increasingly vibrant in fields such as the arts.

Expectations

The Fellowship is a community and not an individual programme. As such, every Fellow is expected to contribute to its success by participating fully in the various events.
You are also expected to share your knowledge and experience in an appropriate way, such as by giving a talk.
Individual projects must be submitted by the end of the programme.

Support

• Funding

  Fellows will be provided a stipend of S$1,500 per month for the duration of the three month programme. Travel to and from Singapore will also be covered. No extra funding is allocated for Fellows who bring their spouse and children.

• Visa

  NTU will apply for Training Employment Passes for the Fellows to come to Singapore. Those who wish to bring their families must handle their own entry permit applications, if any.

• Accommodation

  Free accommodation is provided in service apartments. Two or three Fellows share one apartment, which has a kitchen for you to cook meals. The complex has leisure facilities such as a swimming pool and tennis courts.

• Facilities and Resources

  Fellows will have access to the library, computer, internet and athletic facilities of the NTU campus.

Research projects

Fellows are assigned research advisors to guide them with their individual projects.

Applications for 2012 now open

Deadline: 5pm (Singapore time), Friday 14 October 2011.

Eligibility

Applicants should have at least five years of full-time working experience as journalists (not including as student journalists) and possess potential for leadership and management within the profession or organisation.
Applicants should be residing in Asia. Preference is given to those working for Asian media organisations.
Applicants can be working in any medium — print, radio, television or online.
Journalists working in non-English media are welcome to apply, but must show proficiency in English through a telephone interview, as English is the working language of the programme.
Applications from journalists in full-time positions must be accompanied by a letter of support from employers, stating that the applicant would be released for the full period of the fellowship, from 25 February to 20 May 2012. Freelancers are welcome to apply if they are primarily engaged in news or current affairs journalism.

How to Apply

Deadline for application

All the required documents must reach the Wee Kim Wee School no later than 5pm (Singapore Time), Friday 14th October 2011.

Your application is not complete until we receive all the following:

• Completed application form. (Download Application Form)
• Employer’s letter of support (not required for freelancers). (Download Sample Letter)
• 3 letters of recommendation. (Download instructions for referees)
• 3-5 samples of past work. Read the “Guidance” section on the last page of the Application Form for more details.

Sending your application

By e-mail:

Send to applications@ajf.sg

By mail:

Asia Journalism Fellowship
c/o SiRC
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
Nanyang Technological University
31 Nanyang Link
Singapore 637718

Questions?

E-mail: admin@ajf.sg

Selection Process

The application materials will be reviewed by a panel comprising academics from the Wee Kim Wee School and experienced journalists. Potential applicants may be contacted for a phone interview. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-November 2011. Only successful applicants will be contacted.