Deadline: January 14, 2024
Applications for the Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy & Development 2024 at Stanford University are now open. The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development is a training program hosted annually by Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).
Launched in 2005 and formerly known as the Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program, the program brings together a group of approximately 28-30 mid-career practitioners from transitioning countries who are working to advance democratic practices and economic and legal reform in contexts where freedom, human development, and good governance are fragile or at risk. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the program participants are selected from among hundreds of applicants every year for the significant contributions they have already made to their societies and their potential to make an even greater impact with some help from Stanford.
Program Curriculum
The program curriculum combines four different session styles, which include:
- Academic sessions provide a framework and theory to understand democratic development taught by interdisciplinary faculty from across Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Sessions examine political development, democratic transitions, and the relationship of law to economic development, public administration, administrative law, transitional justice, food security, and global health policy, among others. Lectures are accompanied by a set of academic readings drawn from books and journals that participants are asked to complete before each lecture.
- Case study workshops are rooted in real-world stories and scenarios of specific policy reforms that have taken place in developing countries. Rather than serve as examples of “best practices” or “how-to” guides, the cases are designed to encourage participants to think critically about the key decisions that have led to policy reforms. They are written from the perspective of decision-makers who have designed or executed specific policies, and they demonstrate how effective public officials think and act strategically. They show how these leaders address technical obstacles while simultaneously taking into careful consideration the political, cultural, and social constraints to reforms. The cases we use for teaching can be found in our case study library.
- “TED”-style talks allow fellows to tell their stories to the group to uncover more about their work, personal life, and struggles to overcome injustice and advance democracy. These talks begin in the first week of the program and conclude by the second week, allowing fellows a chance to connect on a personal level and develop peer connections early in the program. Fellows are asked to begin preparing their “TED”-style talk in advance of the fellowship program.
- Guest lectures feature prominent figures in public service, the technology industry, and the philanthropic community who provide a practitioner’s perspective for our fellows and allow them to make strategic connections to these organizations.
Cost
- Stanford asks all applicants to be prepared to contribute towards the cost of their participation in the fellowship if they are selected. Typically, this comes in the form of a fellow covering round-trip airfare to the Program. Stanford will pay for accommodations, meals, and transportation costs for the duration of the Program. In the past, some fellows have asked their employers to subsidize their travel to Stanford based on the benefits that the training will contribute towards their professional and organizational advancement. Fellows may also choose to fundraise for these costs after selection decisions are issued in April 2024.
- A small travel fund is available for fellows who under no circumstances can support their travel or need to apply for a partial subsidy. Priority for accessing the travel fund will be given based on need, and destinations from which airline fares to California are exorbitant.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be mid-career practitioners and have at least 10 to 12 years of experience to qualify for the fellowship. Those with more experience are much more competitive in the selection process.
- This is not an academic fellowship but is meant for practitioners only. They value practical experience over academic credentials, and they admit scholars only to the extent that they are active in government, public policy, civil society, economic development and rule of law. They should hold leadership roles in their respective sector.
- Candidates must be from and currently reside in a country where democracy is not well entrenched. Candidates residing outside their home country due to war or conflict may be granted exceptions. Applicants will not be accepted from countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, and member states of the European Union.
- Candidates must be at least 28 years of age at the start of the fellowship in July 2024. The average age of our fellows at the time of the program is 38.
- Candidates must be actively working in the field of democracy, development, and the rule of law. They do not accept candidates who are in the midst of full-time university degree programs.
- Candidates must have a solid command of written and spoken English. All program materials and sessions are in English. Participants will also be required to give a 7-minute “TED”-style talk during the three-week program regarding their work and motivation. English language proficiency is very important in order to benefit and contribute to the program dialogue.
Application
CDDRL invites emerging political, civil society, and business leaders from transitional countries to apply to participate in its 19th annual Summer Fellows Program. The deadline for the application form and two letters of recommendation is 5:00 pm PST on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
For more information, visit Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program.
