18.05.2004
IREX HUMPHREY PROGRAM
Each year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to
pursue graduate-level academic course work with professional
development activities through the Humphrey Program. While the Program
does not offer a degree, it does provide broad, professional enrichment
through a combination of activities tailored to each Fellow’s
interest. Humphrey Fellowships are limited to one academic year,
preceded, if appropriate by a period of English-language training.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the potential for leadership and a
commitment to service, either in the public or private sector. Because
Humphrey Fellows design their own programs and establish their own
professional affiliations, they must be self-motivated and able to
easily adapt to a new environment. It is important that candidates
have considerable initiative if they are to benefit from the program.
Prospective fellows should have a minimum of five years of professional
experience prior to August 2005 and should be interested in policies
pertaining to their fields of specialization.
Traditionally, the fields for the Humphrey Program have been:
- Agricultural development/agricultural economics;
- Communications/journalism;
- Drug abuse treatment, prevention and education;
- Economic development;
- Educational planning;
- Finance and banking;
- Human resource management;
- Law and human rights;
- Natural resources and environmental management;
- Public health policy and management;
- Public policy analysis and public administration; and
- Urban and regional planning.
This year, the following fields have been added:
- HIV/AIDS policy and prevention;
- Nonproliferation studies;
- Prevention of Trafficking in Persons and Policy Development and
Management for anti-trafficking efforts;
- Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (teacher training or
curriculum development); and
- Technology Policy and Management.
The Humphrey Program is a Fulbright Exchange Activity and its funding
is provided by the United States Congress through the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. In
Russia, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy administers the
program. Russian candidates compete with candidates from about one
hundred other countries for selection. The J. William Fulbright
Foreign Scholarships Board, appointed by the President to oversee and
supervise the educational exchanges of the Fulbright Program, has
overall responsibility for the final selection of Humphrey Fellows.
If you know of someone who fits the profile of a Humphrey Fellow,
please encourage him or her to contact Deborah Sisbarro
(sisbarrodl@state.gov) or Natasha Mitoussouva (mitoussovan@state.gov)
for further information or application procedures. We will hold
information sessions at the American Center (Library of Foreign
Literature, ul. Nikoloyamskaya, 1) on May 26 from 5-7 p.m. and on June
23 from 3-5 p.m. Additional information sessions will be held in July,
August and September. Deadline for applications is October 1, 2004.
Applications can be downloaded from the embassy website at:
http://www.usembassy.ru/bilateral/bilateral.php?record_id=pa_exchanges_humphrey.
Additional information can also be found at:
http://www.iie.org/Template.cfm?&Template=/programs/hhh/default.htm
We appreciate any assistance you can give in identifying outstanding
Humphrey candidates. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have
any questions.
Deborah L. Sisbarro, Public Diplomacy Officer
Natasha Mitoussova, Cultural Assistant
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