WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation this week that includes language authored by U.S. Congressman Dan Boren that would serve to strengthen the National Security Education Program (NSEP). The program, created in 1991 under the David L. Boren National Security Education Act, provides the opportunity for U.S. students to study world regions that are critical to U.S. interests and national security. H.R. 1585, the FY08 Defense Authorization Act, includes language that would modify the public service portions of the program.
“It is an honor to continue the work Dad began during his time in Washington,” Congressman Dan Boren said. “When he created this program, our nation faced the end of the Cold War and we had critical needs in regard to foreign policy and diplomacy. Today we face many of the same challenges, and we must continue to promote foreign diplomacy and national security through programs such as NSEP.”
As students of other cultures and languages, Boren Scholars and Fellows acquire the international competence needed to communicate effectively across borders, to understand other perspectives, and to analyze economic and political affairs. NSEP was designed to provide Americans with the resources and encouragement they need in exchange for a commitment to seek work in the federal government.
“As the original author of the program, my intent was that our country benefit from the additional skills gained by these students from their study abroad experience,” said former Senator, and current University of Oklahoma President David Boren. “I strongly support this amendment which will assure that students who are giving this special opportunity will give back to the American people.”
Currently, the NSEP service requirement stipulates that recipients work in federal government in positions with national security responsibilities. The Department of Defense, Department of State, Homeland Security, or any element of the Intelligence Community are the priority agencies. Additionally, if an award recipient demonstrates that no appropriate position is available in one of these agencies the recipient must seek to fulfill the requirement in a position with national security responsibilities in any federal department or agency.
Once a recipient has made a good faith effort to obtain these types of positions and is unable to do so, the modification Congressman Boren has established would allow for an additional option for public service. The language would modify this final layer of NSEP to allow a recipient to perform their public service by working in an educational area related to the language and region the student has studied.
“It was important that we add this option of public service to the program,” Congressman Boren said. “If the recipients are not able to find employment in the intelligence agencies or federal government, they should pass along the knowledge they’ve acquired, through the benefits of the program, to other Americans.”
NSEP allows students to study world regions and languages that are critical to U.S. interests from areas including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The program includes three components: the National Security Education Program David L. Boren Scholarships for Study Abroad, the National Security Education Program David L. Boren Fellowships, and the Language Flagship Fellowship.
The Boren Scholarship offers opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study in world regions critical to U.S. interests but generally underrepresented in study abroad. The Boren Fellowship enables U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. The Language Flagship offers Fellowships for advanced language training in Arabic, Central Asian languages, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, or Russian.
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