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The Luce Scholars Program represents a major effort by the Henry Luce Foundation to provide an awareness of Asia among potential leaders in American society.

Launched in 1974, the Luce Scholars Program is aimed at a group of highly qualified young Americans in a variety of professional fields. It is unique among American-Asian exchanges in that it is intended for young leaders who have had limited experience of Asia and who might not otherwise have an opportunity in the normal course of their careers to come to know Asia. The Program provides stipends, language training and individualized professional placement in Asia for fifteen to eighteen young Americans each year.

Luce Scholar candidates are nominated by over seventy colleges and universities. Applications are submitted by eligible institutions in early November. The Luce Foundation cannot accept individual applications submitted directly to the foundation.

Candidates must be American citizens who, by September 1 of the year they enter the program, will have received at least a bachelor's degree and will not have reached their 30th birthday. Nominees should have a record of high achievement, outstanding leadership ability, and a clearly defined career interest with evidence of potential for professional accomplishment. Those who already have significant experience in Asia or Asian studies are not eligible for the Luce Scholars Program.

After an initial interview conducted by either a member of the foundation's staff or a former Luce Scholar, finalists meet with one of three independent selection committees who make the final selection of each class of Luce Scholars. The program begins in late June and concludes in July the following year.

Luce Scholars have backgrounds in virtually any field other than Asian studies, including but hardly limited to medicine and public health, the arts, law, science, environmental studies, international development, and journalism. Placements can be made in the following countries or regions in East and Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In spite of its name, the Luce Scholars Program is experiential rather than academic in nature. Some Scholars have been attached to Asian universities in teaching or research capacities, but none of the participants is formally enrolled as a student in a college or university and no academic credit is extended.

Professional placements are arranged for each Scholar on the basis of his or her individual interest, background, qualifications, and experience. Each Scholar spends July and August studying the language of the placement country, and the work assignments run for approximately ten months from September until July of the following year. The placements are intended primarily as learning opportunities for the Scholars. Certainly it is hoped that a Scholar will be able to make a professional contribution to the host organization, but equally important is a willingness to learn some of the many things that Asia has to teach.

Specific placements have included an architect’s atelier in Tokyo; a public health program in Banda Aceh; a Gobi regional initiative in Ulaanbaatar; a dance theatre in Kuala Lumpur; an agricultural and environmental center in Hanoi; a human rights commission in Seoul; a pediatric hospital in Bangkok; a TV network in Beijing; a national museum in Siem Reap; an international arbitration centre in Singapore; and English-language newspapers, local governmental agencies and NGOs in diverse fields throughout East and Southeast Asia.

The program is designed as a cultural experience first and foremost. Each Scholar’s placement provides a professional venue and perspective, but the assignments themselves must be viewed as a mechanism through which to gain a broader understanding and appreciation of the culture in which one is living. As a purely professional experience, the year in Asia may not prove as satisfying as a similar assignment at home, often due to differences in management styles, political systems, work environments, and resource limitations. However, the insight gained through the year of cultural immersion and professional enrichment often makes their time in Asia a transformative experience for many Luce Scholars.

In Asia, the program is administered by the Asia Foundation under a cooperative arrangement that dates from the program’s inception. The Asia Foundation, based in San Francisco, is a private not-for-profit agency active in development and education throughout Asia. Its field representatives in Asian capitals assist in identifying appropriate placements for the Scholars and in providing administrative support during the program year. A senior staff member of The Asia Foundation serves as program coordinator, working in close collaboration with the staff of the Luce Foundation.

Program Year

“The Luce Scholar Year” involves a commitment of slightly over twelve months, from late June until mid-July of the following year.

Since none of the Scholars – by definition – has a deep background in Asian affairs, the program year commences with an orientation designed to give an overview of contemporary Asia and address practical concerns about living in Asia that will assist the Scholars in making the most of their placements. The Luce Foundation convenes this orientation program late in June at the Desmond Tutu Center in New York City, where Luce Scholars have an opportunity to meet with some leading scholars and professionals who have made Asia the focus for their careers. After the New York sessions, the Scholars travel as a group to San Francisco where they participate in country-specific orientation at the offices of The Asia Foundation.

The Scholars spend July and August studying the language of the placement country. Since the program is geared to the non-specialists, prior knowledge of an Asian language is not a criterion for selection. However, language study is a program requirement and is supported financially by the Luce Foundation. The level of language proficiency directly impacts the quality of a Scholar’s professional interactions and appreciation of cultural subtleties in the country where the Scholar is placed. All Scholars are encouraged to continue language study throughout their year in Asia, and special funds are available for this purpose.

Individual placements generally commence in September. These assignments where the Scholars work alongside Asian colleagues are the heart of the Luce Scholars Program. In late October, Scholars meet for several days in Hong Kong for an early assessment of their experiences in Asia. Ample time is provided for discussion between the individual Scholars and staff of the Luce Foundation and The Asia Foundation. The goal of the Hong Kong meeting is to help the Scholars address potential professional and personal frustrations they might feel after the initial euphoria and develop new perspectives essential to their success in Asia.

At the end of the year in Asia, the Luce Scholars gather once more for a final evaluation session. Each Scholar is required to present a report at this meeting on his or her experiences in Asia. Past venues have included Davao City in the southern Philippines, Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, Danang on Vietnam’s coast and Kunming in the People’s Republic of China.

At the conclusion of the wrap-up meeting, the program year ends.

Selection

The annual selection of fifteen to eighteen Luce Scholars is a rigorous process. Each candidate must first be nominated by one of the colleges or universities participating in the program. These institutions submit to the Luce Foundation three nominees annually from among their graduating seniors, graduate and professional school students, or their recent alumni. The deadline for the submissions is the first Monday of November.

Luce Scholar candidates are nominated by over seventy colleges and universities. Applications submitted directly to the foundation cannot be accepted. The participating colleges and universities are chosen to represent a broad cross-section of American higher education. The list is revised from time to time in order to allow more of the nation’s campuses to take part.

After institutional nominations, candidates are interviewed in November and December. On the basis of both the documentation submitted and interviews conducted, the staff of the foundation refers no more than forty-five finalists to three independent selection committees.

The forty-five finalists are chosen without regard to geography or professional interests. The Luce Foundation determines the specific selection committee before which a given finalist is invited to appear, primarily on the basis of proximity. Finalists’ travel and hotel costs are covered by the Luce Foundation.

Each of the selection committees is composed of six distinguished Americans from a wide range of professional backgrounds who serve as advisors to the foundation. Each panel meets in early February with fifteen of the designated finalists. From that number, each panel identifies five to six Luce Scholars for the coming year.

All finalists are notified of the actions of the three selection committees within a few days of their meeting, and in no case later than the fifteenth of February. Consultations with the new Luce Scholars about possible placements in Asia begin immediately thereafter.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Luce Scholars Program, a candidate must be an American citizen who has earned at least a bachelor’s degree (or expects to receive one before taking part in the program.) Candidates must be in good health and have not reached their 30th birthday on September 1st of the year they would enter the program.

Candidates should have a record of high academic achievement, combined with the evidence of outstanding leadership ability. Candidates must have a mature and clearly defined career goal in a specific field and must give evidence of potential for professional accomplishment within that field. Personal characteristics that typify successful candidates include creativity, maturity, initiative, breadth of interest, enthusiasm, humility and sensitivity.

Applications cannot be considered from those who already have had significant exposure to East and Southeast Asia or who have made Asian studies an area of academic concentration. The object of the Luce Scholars Program is to provide an intensive experience in Asia for those who would not, in the normal course of their careers, have the opportunity to benefit from such exposure.

Luce Scholars are chosen without regard to sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background, marital status, or financial need.

Stipend and Allowance

Luce Scholars receive a monthly stipend from the Luce Foundation through the period of their participation. The stipend, augmented when necessary by the allowances described below, is sufficient to meet all of the Scholars’ normal expenses in Asia. Although Luce Scholars occupy professional positions in Asian institutions or agencies as a part of their assignment, they receive no compensation from their local hosts.

In addition to the basic stipend, a special cost-of-living allowance is paid to the Scholars assigned to areas where such costs are significantly higher than in the United States. Similarly, a supplementary housing allowance may be provided in locations where housing costs present a particular problem. Both of these allowances are calculated on formulas designed to assure parity among the Scholars wherever they may be assigned.

Economy class air transportation is provided for all travel required by the program. The foundation also pays the cost of a onetime air freight shipment in each direction of 100 pounds of personal effects for each adult. Finally, medical and travel insurance are provided for all Scholars and their spouses. All other expenses incurred during the Scholars’ participation in the program must be met from the basic stipend and allowances.

Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to some frequently asked questions, please review this FAQ list.

For more information about the program in general, you may contact Mr. LI Ling, Program Director for the Luce Scholars, or Ms. Michelle Douenias, Luce Scholars Program Associate and Events Coordinator.