The six new Ambassadors, flanking Ambassador and Mrs Phillips, at the awards dinner, October 30th, 2018

Six undergraduates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been selected as Phillips Ambassadors for study abroad programs in Asia in 2019. For the spring term, two scholarship recipients will study in Taiwan, one in Singapore, one in Thailand, and one in Hong Kong. One student will study in Singapore for the 2019 calendar year as a Phillips Ambassador.

The Phillips Ambassadors Program is part of UNC’s Carolina Asia Center, in association with the UNC Study Abroad Office. Phillips Ambassadors are selected twice a year and receive $5,000 each toward the cost of a UNC-approved study abroad program in Asia. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, strong communication skills, intellectual curiosity and ambition, evidence of generous service to campus and community, and a previous record of leadership.

Since the Phillips Ambassadors Program began in 2007, the scholarship program has supported over 320 undergraduates studying abroad in Asia. Twenty-five percent of the scholarships are reserved for qualified undergraduate business majors and minors from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Several scholarships each year are available to qualified Duke University undergraduates. Scholarship recipients choose from more than 70 UNC-approved academic programs in Asia that are offered by the College of Arts & Sciences and Kenan-Flagler.

“Our goal with this gift has been to encourage more students to spend their study abroad experiences focused on Asia – an increasingly vital region of the future…”

Phillips Ambassadors enroll in a global studies course designed uniquely for them. Successful completion of the three-hour credit course is required of all scholarship recipients. Led by Carolina faculty, the course challenges students to explore their study abroad locale in significant detail and seek understanding of the region in a global context.

A distinguishing feature of the program is an emphasis on what is called a “Give Back,” or sharing of one’s study abroad experience in Asia with the Carolina community and the student’s hometown. In accepting the scholarship, students agree to fulfill a Give Back related to their study abroad experience. Give Backs include endeavors such as published articles, classroom presentations at a student’s hometown high school, photo and art exhibitions, musical performances and group projects focused on Asia.

The Phillips Ambassadors program is made possible through a gift from Kenan-Flagler Business School alumnus Earl N. “Phil” Phillips, an entrepreneur and former U.S. ambassador, and his family. The program is intended to generate greater interest in Asia among UNC students. Phillips has worked and traveled in Asia for more than 30 years and is a former U.S. Ambassador to the eastern Caribbean.

“Our goal with this gift has been to encourage more students to spend their study abroad experiences focused on Asia – an increasingly vital region of the future,” said Phillips, who splits his time between High Point and Chapel Hill.

The spring and yearlong 2019 Phillips Ambassadors were formally recognized on October 30, 2018, at a reception at FedEx Global Education Center in Chapel Hill.

Applications for summer and fall 2019 Phillips Ambassadors scholarships are open December 1, 2018 through mid-February 2019.