Islands Society Announces Lowcountry in the Asian Century Essay Competition

Charleston, SC, March 09, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The Islands Society is issuing an open call to young professionals across the Lowcountry to participate in its annual essay competition. This year, the nonprofit is calling upon young professionals to respond to the following question: “How can we position the Lowcountry to take advantage of the U.S. pivot toward Asia?”

Over the last few years, senior American policymakers have begun to recognize the increased importance of the Asia-Pacific. In response, the United States Government has announced its intention to pivot the country towards Asia. This pivot is more than just a military rebalancing. It also involves broader shifts in American diplomatic and economic policies. This includes the Obama Administration’s efforts to complete the biggest regional trade agreement in a generation – the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

With America’s future now clearly directed toward the Asia-Pacific, one has to wonder what the future holds for the Lowcountry. On the one hand, the region is at a clear geographic disadvantage when it comes to participating in the Asian Century. On the other hand, the pivot might provide new opportunities to transform the local economy and bring about greater prosperity for the region.

Through the “Lowcountry in the Asian Century Essay Competition,” the Islands Society challenges young professionals across the Lowcountry to consider these issues and come to their own determinations about what the future holds for our region. Then, they are asked to draft an essay that provides practical recommendations on how we can best position the region to take advantage of the Asian century.

Young professionals interested in participating in the essay competition are invited to submit an article of 500-900 words. They are also asked to provide a resume. All materials must be emailed to pr@islandssociety.org by 5:00pm EST on March 20, 2016. Only completed applications received by that date and time will be considered. Selected essays will then be professionally edited and published on The Islander – the official blog of the Islands Society. A press release will also be issued and the articles will be shared with over 3,000 contacts across the region.

This is a great opportunity for young professionals as well as graduate students from Lowcountry universities such as the University of South Carolina, the College of Charleston and Clemson University to be seen as thought leaders as well as gain international recognition.

About the Islands Society
The Islands Society is an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is also the only think tank on foreign policy and public diplomacy in South Carolina. Its mission is to inspire and empower islanders to participate in foreign affairs and overseas engagements in order to affect positive change in their local communities. The nonprofit therefore develops and implements projects that are designed to help islanders realize their full potential on the world stage. These projects are currently organized around two main themes: community projects and next generation leaders. The community projects center on ten issue areas, including charity, conservation, democracy, disaster relief, education, equality, health, innovation, security, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the next generation leader projects support artists, athletes, chefs, incubators, musicians, policymakers, storytellers, and technologists. To implement these programs, the nonprofit has launched local constituent societies around the world. These include the Pacific Islands Society, Baltic Islands Society, Sea Islands Society, Arctic Islands Society, Caribbean Islands Society, and Remote Islands Society (Japan).

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