Scholarship Programs Offered by the American Government or Private Sector

Yale World Fellowship Program

This program, initiated in 2002, is part of Yale University’s efforts to accentuate its international reputation.  This new initiative is designed to create a network of emerging leaders.  The World Fellowship program brings together 16-18 citizens (leaders in their respective domains) from around the world every September for a 14-week leadership program.  The candidates spend an intensive trimester exploring burning topical questions by way of academic programs that are individually-oriented and extremely enriching.  The scholars participate in a World Fellows Seminar and in leadership training, all the while having access to all the resources of Yale University.  Selected outside the United States, these new and mid-career professionals (generally having between five and fifteen years of professional experience) come from the worlds of business, religion, academia, the military, culture, art, government, media and NGOs.

Selection criteria:

Solid dossier with evidence of extraordinary performance and good character

• Engagement in problem-solving and commitment to making a difference at the local, national or international level
• Promise in one’s career as a leader
• A spirit of critical thinking, creativity, self-motivation and strategic thinking
• The ability to profit from participation in the program and to contribute to global understanding at Yale.

For more details, consult the following website : Yale World Fellows (http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows)

Five College African Scholars Residency Program

This program attempts to consolidate intellectual capacity in African universities and to enrich research programs focused on Africa in the “Five Colleges” and at the international level.  One of the five universities constituting the Five College Consortium hosts young teachers and researchers from African universities for a period of five to ten months while they conduct their own research, which leads to a publication.  The five schools include Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts.

The Five College African Scholars Program is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and by the Five College Consortium.  Scholarship recipients receive free international airfare, a monthly stipend of $3,000, a laptop, free lodging or a stipend to cover rent, health insurance and a modest budget for research.  This program began in January 2003 and will last until 2007.

Selection criteria –

• Citizenship in an African country
• Residency in Africa at the time of application submission
• A written research project proposal that will become the source of the publication required at the end of the program (interdisciplinary projects are encouraged
• No extended stays in Europe or in North America in the course of the last five years
• A position at an African university (administrator, professor or researcher)
• The intention to return to their countries to implement what they have learned at their respective institutions after the program
• Authorization for a leave of absence from their employers and proof that they can return to their jobs when they return

For more details, see the Five Colleges website: (http://www.fivecolleges.edu/asp/) 

Feldman Graduate Fellowship In Sustainable International Development

The Feldman Graduate Fellowship permits the recipient to complete a Master’s in sustainable development in two years.  The program is intended for new or mid-career professionals who are already actively working in the domain of sustainable development.  Candidates come from more than thirty countries around the world, pursuing interdisciplinary studies in development and constructing a management project that stress poverty reduction, minority protection, human rights, and the conservation of biodiversity.  The candidates will focus on the integration of conservation and development, and will work on a conservation site during the second year of the program.

The program covers tuition; international return airfare; a special stipend for, and a return air ticket for, a stay at Brandeis University; and a subsistence allowance for the second year of the program.  Female candidates, whether applying on their own or applying from international, governmental or NGO development institutions, are particularly encouraged to apply.  Successful candidates will begin their program in August, and the final deadline for submission of applications is January 31.

Applications should be transmitted by fax, or, preferably, by e-mail, and must include:

• A completed copy of the application available on the web:

• (http://heller.brandeis.edu/sid)

• A letter of interest in the Feldman Fellowship;

• A résumé or curriculum vitae

• A written essay describing your career objectives and your professional experience

• Three letters of recommendation (1 professional and 2 academic)

• Originals, or certified copies, of all university transcripts, as well as translations, sent directly from the university or universities

• A TOEFL test score

• For more details, see click here (http://heller.brandeis.edu/sid)