Wellesley College Partners with U.S. State Department to Present Pilot Institute for Women Leaders From Around the World

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Nov 16, 2011, 09:33 ET

As part of the State Department's Women in Public Service Project, the summer institute will bring the world's promising women leaders to Wellesley in a global effort to increase the number of women in public service

WELLESLEY, Mass., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wellesley College today announced that it will join the U.S. State Department and its sister colleges in presenting the inaugural Women in Public Service Summer Institute on Wellesley's campus, June 11 through June 22, 2012. An integral part of the Women in Public Service Project, the pilot institute is a first-of-its-kind, two-week program that will train the next generation of women leaders.

The institute will convene fifty promising women leaders from around the world, including areas undergoing political transformations and social change, such as Arab countries in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Participants will benefit from training and networking sessions with their peers and established leaders, a forum for shared learning and dialogue on leadership, and a global exchange of ideas and resources.

The Women in Public Service Project was launched in March 2011 by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the U.S. State Department, and five of the Seven Sister Colleges (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley). The project will identify and educate the next generation of women committed to public service, create an infrastructure of support and mentoring, and overcome barriers that prevent more women from entering public service and government leadership. The summer institute will be the project's second major event, following the December 15, 2011 colloquium at the State Department in Washington, D.C.

"Together we will seek to promote the next generation of women leaders who will invest in their countries and communities, provide leadership for their governments and societies, and help change the way global solutions are developed," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Wellesley College Class of 1969, when the project was announced.

Echoing Secretary Clinton, H. Kim Bottomly, President of Wellesley College, said the institute is a natural extension of Wellesley's mission and a new, vital component of the College's historical contribution to the world. "Wellesley invests in women and in the leadership potential of women. For more than 100 years, the College has graduated women who go on to make a difference in the world. We share the belief that in this very complex century we need strong and capable leadership—and we share a conviction that the most powerful engine of social change is an educated woman. That's what makes this project – and Wellesley's leading participation in it – critical."

Only 17.5% of world's elected offices are held by women; the U.S. percentage is even smaller. As one of the world's most successful institutions at educating women leaders, Wellesley is playing a leading role in the Women in Public Service Project. Wellesley graduates include two of the three females to hold the post of U.S. Secretary of State: Secretary Madeleine Albright '59 and Secretary Hillary Clinton '69. By sharing the extraordinary Wellesley network, and by pooling its resources with the State Department and the sister colleges, Wellesley seeks to help correct the imbalance in this complex century, not only for the sake of women, but for the sake of the world. In addition to hosting the project's first summer institute, Wellesley College leaders, students, researchers, and faculty will contribute to the State Department's December 15 colloquium.

According to Melanne Verveer, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, the institute will play an essential role in promoting global women's leadership.

"The institute will equip emerging young women leaders with the tools to engage equally, thoughtfully and courageously in the urgent issues of our times and take their rightful place as change agents locally, nationally and globally," Ambassador Verveer said. "Young women leaders from around the world need to build networks to share ideas, experiences, strategies and skills with each other. This summer institute will provide a powerful crucible for this exchange."

Rangita de Silva-de Alwis, S.J.D., Director of International Human Rights Policy Programs at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College, will serve as Director of the Women in Public Service Project Summer Institute. Silva-de Alwis has led projects on women's rights issues in China, regional law reform in Asia, and the Women's Leadership Network: Women's Political, Public, and Economic Participation in the Muslim World. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to the United Nations.

Women from around the world in mid-career leadership positions representing all disciplines (economy, arts, media, law, etc.) are invited to apply to the institute. Candidates from countries in political and social transition are especially encouraged to apply. An application will be available December 1, 2011 with a deadline of January 31, 2012. Selected candidates will be notified in March 2012. Following this summer's pilot institute at Wellesley, the institute will take place annually, rotating among the participating colleges. For developing details, visit www.wellesley.edu. For more information on The Women in Public Service Project, visit the U.S. State Department website: www.state.gov.

About Wellesley College:
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,400 undergraduate students from all 50 states and 75 countries.

Media Contact: Sofiya Cabalquinto, Director of Media Relations, Wellesley College, 781-283-3321, [email protected]
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Anne Yu, Assistant Director of Media Relations, Wellesley College, 781-283-3201, [email protected]

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