The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was established by Congress in 1978 in honor of the late Senator and Vice President.

In the spirit of a world leader concerned with fostering international understanding, the objective of the program is twofold:

1) to permit mid-career professionals from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union to gain expertise in their fields as they have evolved in the United States;

2) 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. 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.

The Fellowship brings accomplished professionals to the United States for one year of advanced study and related practical experience. 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:

• planning and resource management,
• education,
• communication,
• public administration,
• agriculture,
• finance,
• law,
• health, and
• nutrition

and 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.

Boston University has supported the program since its inception and has hosted 403 Humphrey Fellows 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.

For further information concerning the program please contact the Coordinators.