Princeton-in-Asia (PiA) provides transformative, service-oriented experiences for talented graduates and serves the needs of Asia as determined by our Asian partners. Over the last century, the organization has achieved this goal by providing talented young people with various opportunities to live and work in Asia. The first PiA “fellowships” consisted of a handful of Princeton University graduates who went to China in the late 1890s to do relief work and teach English; the program has since expanded considerably in size and  scope throughout Asia.  In 2007, PiA placed 125 fellows in seventeen countries, including Cambodia, China, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Currently the program offers 85 teaching fellowships with 40 additional fellowships in the fields of journalism, international development, and business.

• TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) experience is required prior to leaving for Asia for all English teaching positions. At least 20 hours of TESL preparation either through a short course (such as that offered at Princeton) or through volunteer tutoring will fulfill this requirement. Tutoring can be accomplished at most universities and also through church groups and human service organizations. Check with colleges in your area to see if a TESL course is offered or contact a local Literacy Volunteers program.                                                                                                         
• English teaching positions require native English speaking ability. PiA recognizes that citizens of any country may have native-speaker fluency in English, but we have occasionally had problems convincing Asian institutions of that fact.
• Asian language ability is NOT a prerequisite for most teaching positions. Non-teaching positions typically require some language skills.
• All applicants MUST be able to come to Princeton for a personal interview in January, and all applicants receiving placements MUST attend the weekend orientation held in late May on the Princeton University campus.