2020-2021 Pre-Departure Orientation Schedule
All candidates accepting awards for the following programs are required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). If your country is not listed, there is no pre-departure orientation.
The 2020 Pre-Departure Orientations will be held virtually in September - October 2020. You will receive additional information regarding how to register for the PDOs in August of 2020.
Attendance at Pre-Departure Orientations is mandatory. Exemptions will be considered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State for extenuating circumstances only. Information on filing an exemption will be made available in August 2020.
East Asia-Pacific
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Brunei | Yes | No | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC |
Cambodia | Yes | Yes | ||
China | Yes | No | ||
Hong Kong | Yes | Yes | ||
Kiribati | Yes | No | ||
Laos | Yes | Yes | ||
Macau | No | Yes | ||
Mongolia | Yes | Yes | ||
Papua New Guinea | Yes | No | ||
Samoa | Yes | No | ||
Singapore | Yes | No | ||
Timor-Leste | No | Yes | ||
Vietnam | Yes | Yes |
Europe and Eurasia
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Albania | Yes | No | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: University of Oregon, Eugene OR |
Armenia | Yes | Yes | ||
Azerbaijan | No | Yes | ||
Belarus | No | Yes | ||
Bosnia & Herzegovina | Yes | Yes | ||
Croatia | Yes | Yes | ||
Cyprus | Yes | Yes | ||
Estonia | Yes | Yes | ||
Georgia | Yes | Yes | ||
Greenland | No | Yes | ||
Kosovo | Yes | Yes | ||
Latvia | Yes | Yes | ||
Lithuania | Yes | Yes | ||
North Macedonia | Yes | Yes | ||
Malta | No | Yes | ||
Moldova | Yes | Yes | ||
Montenegro | No | Yes | ||
Russia | Yes | Yes | ||
Serbia | Yes | Yes | ||
Slovenia | Yes | No | ||
Switzerland | Yes | No | ||
Ukraine | Yes | Yes |
Middle East & North Africa
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Algeria | No | Yes | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: Wayne State University, Detroit, MI |
Bahrain | Yes | Yes | ||
Kuwait | Yes | No | ||
Oman | Yes | No | ||
Palestinian Territories | No | Yes | ||
Saudi Arabia | No | Yes | ||
UAE | Yes | No |
South & Central Asia
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Kazakhstan | Yes | Yes | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ |
Kyrgyz Republic | Yes | Yes | ||
Tajikistan | Yes | Yes | ||
Uzbekistan | Yes | Yes |
Sub-Saharan Africa
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Benin | Yes | Yes | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: Northwestern University, Evanston IL |
Botswana | Yes | No | ||
Burkina Faso | Yes | No | ||
Cameroon | Yes | No | ||
Congo (Brazzaville) | Yes | No | ||
Congo (DRC-Kinshasa) | Yes | No | ||
Eswatini | Yes | No | ||
Ethiopia | Yes | No | ||
Ghana | Yes | No | ||
Guinea | Yes | No | ||
Cote d'Ivoire | Yes | Yes | ||
Kenya | Yes | Yes | ||
Lesotho | Yes | No | ||
Madagascar | Yes | No | ||
Malawi | Yes | No | ||
Mauritius | Yes | No | ||
Mozambique | Yes | No | ||
Namibia | Yes | No | ||
Niger | Yes | No | ||
Nigeria | Yes | No | ||
Rwanda | Yes | Yes | ||
Senegal | Yes | Yes | ||
Sierra Leone | Yes | No | ||
South Africa | Yes | Yes | ||
Tanzania | Yes | No | ||
Togo | Yes | No | ||
Uganda | Yes | No | ||
Zambia | Yes | No |
Western Hemishphere
Country | Study/Research | ETA | Dates | Virtually hosted by: |
Barbados | Yes | No | Exact Dates TBA: September – October 2020 | Virtually Hosted by: St John's University, Queens, NY |
Bolivia | Yes | No | ||
Costa Rica | Yes | Yes | ||
Dominican Republic | Yes | No | ||
El Salvador | Yes | No | ||
Guatemala | Yes | Yes | ||
Honduras | Yes | Yes | ||
Jamaica | Yes | No | ||
Nicaragua | Yes | No | ||
Panama | Yes | Yes | ||
Paraguay | Yes | Yes | ||
Trinidad & Tobago | Yes | No |
Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowships
Hosted Virtually
Date: October 26, 2020