Educational Exchange

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

The Embassy of the United States of America in China is currently seeking candidates for the year 2009-2010 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.  The Humphrey Program brings accomplished mid-level professionals from developing countries to the U.S. for a year of study and related practical experience. Fellowships are granted competitively to candidates who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to public service.  The Humphrey Fellowship Program was initiated in 1978 to honor the memory and accomplishments of the late United States Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey.  Since 1978, nearly 3,600 Fellows from over 140 countries have participated in the program, including over 90 from China.  Each year approximately 150 Fellowships are awarded to Fellows from 100 countries around the world.

Humphreys Description

The Humphrey Program is not designed to lead to an academic degree.  Rather, Humphrey Fellows undertake a one-year program of graduate-level academic study and professional development activities directly related to their professional needs and fields of interest.  Humphrey Fellows are placed in theme-based clusters of approximately ten persons at U.S. universities.  In recent years, host campuses have included: American University, Boston University, Cornell University, Emory University, the University of Maryland, the University of Minnesota, the University of California, Davis, Johns Hopkins University, and Michigan State University.  Following their academic study program, Humphrey Fellows also participate in a professional development internship for at least six weeks with local, state, national or international organizations located in the United States.  The Fellowship Program begins with an intensive orientation in Washington, D.C.

How Humphreys is Administered

The Humphrey Fellowship program is sponsored by the United States Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in consultation with a national advisory committee composed of representatives from business, education and government.  The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in the United States, appointed by presidential authority, has overall responsibility for the final selection of Humphrey Fellows.  Humphrey Fellowships provide for international travel and travel within the U.S. as required, tuition and fees, books, a monthly maintenance stipend, and limited funds for professional development activities such as attendance at conferences, field trips and professional affiliations.  In China, the U.S. Embassy is the sponsor of the Humphrey Program.