About the Program

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1978, in honor of the late Senator and Vice President – a national leader dedicated to promoting civil rights and mutual, intercultural understanding. The objective of the Program is threefold:

  • To support distinguished, mid-career professionals from designated countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Central and Eastern Europe to form bonds with one another as they develop their professional expertise in the United States;
  • To support U.S. citizens in higher education, business, and government to learn from, and establish lasting ties with, emerging leaders in other countries.
  • To promote understanding of U.S. cultural, economic, legal, and political systems throughout the world.

The Program is a Fulbright exchange activity funded by the U.S. Congress through the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by the Institute of International Education. The Fellowship brings accomplished professionals in various fields to the United States for a ten month non-degree, graduate level study, leadership development, and cultural exchange opportunity. Approximately 160 Fellowships are awarded annually to candidates who had demonstrated a commitment to public service in either the public or the private sector.

Fellows are chosen from the fields of:

    • Agricultural and Rural Development
    • Communications/Journalism
    • Economic Development
    • Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
    • Finance and Banking
    • Higher Education Administration
    • HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
    • Human Resource Management
    • Law and Human Rights
    • Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
    • Public Health Policy and Management
    • Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
    • Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention
    • Teaching English as a Foreign Language
    • Technology Policy and Management
    • Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention
    • Urban and Regional Planning

      Fellows are placed in groups at selected universities.

      Fellows are not degree candidates; rather, the program is broadly based, involving both scholarly and practical activity designed to enhance the Fellows’ professional competence in their home countries.

      Humphrey Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and commitment to public service in either the public or private sector. Applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree, a minimum of five years of full-time, professional experience, limited or no prior experience in the United States, demonstrated leadership qualities, a record of public service, and strong English-language skills. Nearly 5,000 men and women from 157 countries have been honored as Humphrey Fellows since the Program was established in 1978.

      Thirteen universities in the United States currently host Humphrey Fellows. Host universities are chosen for their strengths in the program’s designated fields of study, and also for the resources and overall support they provide to Fellows.