Student
SEAP Summer Language Fellowship
Details
SEAP offers funding for graduate students to intensively study a Southeast Asian language during the summer.
All applicants are required to also apply for the Graduate School Summer Foreign Language Grant due April 15, which provides up to $1,000 in international travel support.
Amount
For summer language study at any level: Tuition and fees allowance of up to $5,000, paid directly to the institution offering the language program.
Eligibility
Applicants must be PhD or master's students affiliated with SEAP.
How to Apply
In your application, you will be asked to provide information on your proposed study location. You must identify your own preferred program. Please indicate the language level you intend to study during the award period.
Your program must be at least six weeks in duration and offer at least 120 student contact hours. Pre-assessment and post-assessment tests are required.
We strongly encourage applicants to contact the appropriate Cornell Southeast Asian Language Senior Lecturer to discuss individual language learning goals and explore potential intensive language programs.
Questions?
Please direct any questions to SEAP Program Manager Colin Peterson (crp88@cornell.edu).
Additional Information
Claire Clifford-Langenek
Student Administrative Assistant
Claire Clifford-Langenek is a junior Archaeology major and European Studies minor and works as a student administrative assistant for the Institute of European Studies. She also holds a Cornell Tradition Fellowship.
Additional Information
Sepehra Azami
Graduate Student
Sepehra is a graduate student at Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy with interests in environmental sustainability, climate change, and agricultural policy. She is also an Environmental Finance and Impact Investing (EFII) Fellow. Sepehra currently serves as the Public Relations Chair for the graduate student–led Women in Public Policy (WIPP) organization. A big nature enthusiast, she loves hiking and running in her free time.
Language: Farsi/Dari
Additional Information
Yakin Kinger
Graduate Student
Yakin Kinger is pursuing his PhD in the History of Architecture and Urban Development (HAUD) at Cornell University. His research examines power-place relations in colonial India to decolonize architectural history writing by critically unpacking questions of land occupation, violence, and cultural domination. He reads transformations of landscapes, with a focus on baghs, to understand the complexity of their agents, processes, and histories. His research has been supported by the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and the Graham Foundation, among others.
Additional Information
Khadija Monis
Graduate Student
Khadija Monis is an MPH candidate in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is deeply committed to advancing maternal and child health, with a particular focus on women’s reproductive health in Afghanistan. Her current work centers on menstrual health education and postpartum survival. Through her nonprofit, One Woman’s Education (OWE), she works to amplify Afghan women’s stories and expand access to reproductive knowledge and lifesaving care.
Additional Information
Yinka Adetu
Graduate Student
Yinka Adetu is an English Language and Literature PhD candidate exploring the afterlives of colonialism, and how histories of displacement shape contemporary identities and political experiences.
Additional Information
Dinesh Ghimire
Graduate Student
Dinesh Ghimire is a PhD Candidate in the field of plant breeding and genetics at the Robbins lab. His research focuses on using drone-based phenotyping and statistical modeling to understand plant–environment interactions and support breeding programs in developing climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties.
Languages: Nepali, Hindi, English
Additional Information
Foreign Language and Area Studies Summer Fellowships
Details
Achieve fluency in a language of South Asia with the help of a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) summer fellowship. You’ll gain valuable knowledge about cultures and countries in which your language is commonly used, while developing skills in a language critical to the needs of the United States.
Awards must be used for summer 2026 intensive language study.
Deadline
- Apply by February 18, 2026 for summer 2026 language study.
Amount
- $3,500 stipend, plus fees and tuition allowance of up to $5,000, and possible travel support up to $1,000.
Eligibility
Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. You must fulfill the following requirements:
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
- Complete a FAFSA prior to the FLAS deadline.
- Agree to enroll in a summer 2026 intensive language program.
To be a successful applicant, you need to show potential for high academic achievement and demonstrate that you meet the necessary language training requirements. (Lowest priority will be given to a candidate who is a native speaker of the language for which an award is sought.)
How to Apply
In your application, you will be asked to provide information on your proposed study location. You must identify your preferred program(s).
We recommend the following summer intensive language programs, although we will consider any programs—domestic or overseas—that meet the minimum requirements.
- South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI), virtual through University of Wisconsin-Madison, offering Bangla, Dari, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Tibetan, and Urdu
- Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI), virtual through University of Wisconsin-Madison, offering Persian
- American Institute for Indian Studies (AIIS), in-person at various locations in India, offering Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Persian, Punjabi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, and Urdu
- South Asia Institute (SAI), virtual through University of Texas at Austin, offering Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu
Your program must be at least six weeks in duration and offer at least 120 student contact hours. Please indicate the language level you intend to study during the summer 2026 award period.
Requirements
Additional Information
Herlina Oktavianti
Graduate Student
Degree Pursued: MPA
Anticipated Degree Year: 2026
Committee Chair/Advisor: -
Discipline: Public Policy
Research Countries: Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam
Additional Information
Asriandi Masnar
Graduate Student
Degree Pursued: PhD
Anticipated Degree Year: 2029
Committee Chair/Advisor: Robin Dando
Discipline: Food science & Technology
Primary Language: Indonesian
Research Countries: Indonesia
Research Interests: Sensory science and food evaluation, descriptive analysis, consumer acceptance testing, sensory perception.