Network Scholarship Programs

Network programs address specific issue areas on a regional or network-wide basis. Network programs deal with a range of subjects, including arts and culture, economic reform, education, information, legal reform, public health, and women's rights. Network program activities are focused principally on Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Network programs are administered by the Open Society Institute Budapest or the Open Society Institute in New York and implemented in cooperation with the national foundations.
Participation in a given network program is at the discretion of the national foundations, which establish expert boards to create country-specific implementation strategies and to comment on the effectiveness of the overall program. Network programs are intended to promote cooperation and information sharing among the organizations in the Soros foundations network. They fall into three categories: those that provide training and technical assistance to national foundations domestic activities; operating programs that deliver services to communities outside the reach of national foundations; and competitive programs ( such as scholarship and fellowship competitions).
Network Programs include:

• arts and culture program <arts.html>
• Iternational policy fellowships <ipf.html>
• center for publishing development <publishing.html>
• internet program <internet.html>
• children and youth programs <youth.html>
• library program <library.html>
• constitutional and legal policy <colpi.html>
• local government and public service reform <government.html>
• east east program <east.html>
• media program <media.html>
• economic/business development <business.html>
• public health programs <medical.html>
• <internet.html>english language programs <english.html>
• scholarship programs </scholar/index.html>
• <internet.html>institute for educational policy <education.html>
• science journals donation program <science.html>
• international higher education support program <hesp.html>
• women's program <women.html>
• international harm reduction development <http://www.soros.org/harm-reduction/>

n 1999, OSI Budapest and OSI in New York helped the national foundations spin off a number of network programs that had proved their effectiveness and continued value while closing down other network programs that had accomplished their objectives. The transformation, where appropriate, of successful network programs into independent nongovernmental organizations is in keeping with the overall strategy of the Soros foundations network to support and strengthen NGOs as vital to the building of open societies.
The Children and Youth Network Program, for example, assisted the national foundations in establishing their debate and Step by Step preschool programs as independent NGOs. As these recently registered NGOs work to become self-sustaining, the Open Society Institute will continue to provide support through the national foundations and through two new umbrella organizations, the International Step by Step Association ( ISSA) and the International Debate Education Association ( IDEA).
The Network Public Health Programs, on the other hand, will close a number of programs, including the Salzburg Medical Seminars and the Hospital Development Program, by the end of 2000. These programs contributed to sustaining and improving basic medical care in Central and Eastern Europe during the transition years. The current focus of the Public Health Programs is on promoting the introduction of modern public health policies throughout the region.
A continuing priority for many of the network programs in 1999 was the integration of Roma into their activities. The Network Media Program supported training institutions in the countries of the Soros foundations network to train Romani journalists and media managers. The Media Program also provided technical assistance to Romani media and encouraged cooperation between Romani and mainstream media.
The Media Program was one of many network programs that rose to the challenge of the Kosovo crisis, assisting in the development of media projects that provided information to refugees and helping key independent media survive in South Eastern Europe. In another example, the East East Program initiated a subprogram for South Eastern Europe to promote cooperation among individuals and organizations in the countries of the region.