The Dialogue Institute hosted two different, but overlapping, programs on religious pluralism for groups of international scholars and students this summer.
The first, officially called the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) for Scholars on Religious Pluralism in the United States, welcomed 18 scholars from 18 countries, June 24-August 5, 2017. The second, called SUSI for Student Leaders on Religious Pluralism in the United States, engaged 19 young adult students from the Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey), July 15-August 19. The Dialogue Institute (DI) has hosted educational exchange programs on religious pluralism for Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian students since 2010; to date, nearly 260 alumni/ae have participated. This is the first year the DI hosted SUSI for Scholars, with a renewable grant up to three years (through 2019).
Both programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs). A variety of SUSI programs are offered nationally, but the DI is the only organization currently selected by the State Department to host Institutes focused on the theme of religious pluralism.
The Institutes provide five-to-six-week academic experiences which explore the history, culture and diversity of the United States through the particular lens of religious pluralism and democracy. The programs consist of a residential component in Philadelphia, on Temple University's main campus—including religious, cultural and historical site visits—as well as study tours to Lancaster (scholars only), New York City, Denver (scholars only), Arizona (scholars only), Atlanta (students only), western North Carolina (students only), and Washington, D.C.
