The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program enhances leadership among international professionals who collaborate to address local and global challenges and foster change for our collective good.
Through academic study and professional development with U.S. counterparts, this growing global network shares best practices and builds expertise in fields of critical importance to advance societal and institutional capacity, promote human rights and freedoms, ensure sustainable environments, and develop thriving communities.
The Humphrey Fellowship Program is a Fulbright exchange activity funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education.
The Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright Exchange, builds connections between U.S. and foreign leaders to advance solutions to the most pressing global challenges, from combatting climate change to protecting human rights, increasing access to education, and building global health security.
The program allows for the opportunity for leadership development that builds lasting ties in critical fields between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas. It also provides a personalized academic experience at more than 12 U.S. higher education institutions that leads to collaboration across disciplines. Moreover, this program has a network of over 6450 alumni, including heads of state, supreme court justices, mayors, governors, and leaders in diverse organizations.
The Humphrey Fellowship Program was founded in 1978 to honor the late Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey. President Jimmy Carter announced the establishment of the Humphrey Fellowship Program in Venezuela with the intent to create a program that embodied the values of democracy, social justice, and a desire to assist the world’s developing nations. In 1979, the first Humphrey Fellows arrived in the United States, welcoming 27 mid-career professionals from 24 countries to 11 U.S. universities.
Humphrey Fellows and alumni are international leaders who foster global collaboration with U.S. and foreign counterparts to address critical and systematic challenges facing their communities and the world. Their impact transcends national borders and builds a resilient and inclusive global society, champions good governance and human rights, promotes sustainable livelihoods and thriving communities, and upholds peace and prosperity.
Location:
United StatesBenefits
- Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university
- Pre-academic English language training, if required
- A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance
- Accident and sickness coverage
- A book allowance
- A one-time computer subsidy
- Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program and domestic travel to required program events)
- A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits, and conferences
Eligibilities
To be eligible for a Humphrey Fellowship Program, applicants must:
- Be a citizen of an eligible country
- Have an undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degree
- Have a minimum of five years of full-time professional experience
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service in the community
- Limited experience in the United States
- Demonstrated English language ability
Application Process
Interested applicants must apply through the U.S. Embassy (Public Affairs Section) or Binational Fulbright Commission in their country. Application deadlines vary by country. Applications must contain:
- Complete answers to all questions; essay responses in English must thoroughly address the prompt.
- Two letters of reference in English; one must be from the applicant’s current employer.
- Official transcripts in English: Ensure all transcripts uploaded by the applicant are official, valid documents. Transcripts must list courses taken and grades received. Diplomas need only be uploaded if the transcript does not show proof that the degree was obtained.
- After national selection, independent review committees review nominations in the United States, and final candidate approval is determined by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. After receiving approval from the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the U.S. Embassies and Binational Fulbright Commissions will inform candidates of their status.
- Applicants are requested to contact their country’s Binational Fulbright Commission or the U.S. embassy for information on how to apply, including deadlines.
