What is the Luce Scholarship?
National Deadline:
October 16, 2023 at 5:00 PM
Contact the Office of Fellowships for support at least one month before this deadline.
Established in 1974, the Luce Scholars Program is a nationally competitive fellowship that offers early-career leaders immersive, professional experiences in one of many countries in Asia for 13 months. The program aims to forge stronger relationships across geographic borders by creating opportunities for young Americans to deepen their ties and understanding of the countries, cultures, and people of this region. The program provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia for 15-18 Luce Scholars each year in a variety of fields, including but not limited to the arts, journalism, law, medicine, science, public health, environmental studies, and international relations. The program is unique among American-Asian exchanges in that it is intended for young leaders with limited experience of Asia. The fellowship is funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.
The Luce Scholar year is a 13-month commitment beginning with the orientation in June through the wrap-up meeting in July of the following year. A professional placement is individually arranged for each Scholar on the basis of his or her professional interest, background, and qualifications. The Scholars contribute their talents to NGOs, government agencies, private companies, universities, think tanks, and museums. In the past, placements have been made in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste. See where Luce Scholars were placed last year. Read Scholar Stories.