In order to promote a better understanding of American life and institutions, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (BECA) of the U.S. Department of State is offering six-week academic programs aimed at improving U.S. studies curricula abroad. Each Fulbright American Studies Institute focuses on a particular discipline of American studies or on a special topic within a discipline. ... Contemporary American Literature" . ... U.S. Political Economy and the Global Economic System" . ...