Humphrey Fellows Visit Pardee School
On August 24, Adil Najam, Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, welcomed the 2015-2016 class of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.
“At the Pardee School, the issues we study include environment, economics, human rights – many of the same issues of importance to Humphrey Fellows,” Najam said. “When you look at what’s happening in the world today, many of the greatest challenges don’t fit into the paradigm of countries talking to countries. The Pardee School approach facilitates interdisciplinary communication, and I encourage you to look beyond the traditional borders of your discipline as you use your time at Boston University.”
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was established by Congress in 1978 in honor of the late Senator and Vice President.
The objective of the program is twofold: to permit mid-career professionals from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe to gain expertise in their fields as they have evolved in the United States; and to allow U.S. citizens in the business, government, and academic communities to profit from the knowledge and perspectives of professional counterparts in other countries and to establish lasting ties with them.
Fellows in the Boston University 2015-2016 class include professionals from Ethiopia, Albania, Senegal, Guatemala, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Burma. They will study fields including law, finance, education, technology management, linguistics and philosophy, economics, and international banking.
As part of the Fulbright International Educational Exchange activities, the Humphrey Fellowship Program is funded through the United States Department of State and administered nationally by the Institute of International Education.
Boston University has supported the program since its inception and has hosted 433 Humphrey Fellows from 118 countries to date.
Under the personal guidance of faculty mentors and program coordinators, Fellows engage in individualized programs of graduate-level coursework, independent research, special seminars, and colloquia at the University, and in activities related to their professional fields in government agencies, private organizations, and corporations.
Humphrey fellows also utilize student ambassadors, most of which are students in the Pardee School.
“The Fellows have only been in the U. S. for a week, but I think this meeting and others have really given them a sense of how the University can be a resource for them. Dean Najam gave them a set of specific ideas and tactics for research that will stand them in good stead all year,” said Jack McCarthy, Director of the Executive Development Roundtable and a leadership advisor to the Humphrey Program. “The Pardee School provides a perfect model for interacting with the BU community. This was an inspirational session.”