The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
2024-2025

Program Description:
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was established in 1978 as a Fulbright exchange that advances U.S. foreign policy goals through the exchange of mid-career professionals representing approximately 140 eligible countries from all world regions.  Humphrey Fellows work in critical fields for collaboration, such as law and human rights, public health, including infectious diseases, climate change, and public policy.  A recent evaluation found that 61 percent of Humphrey alumni return home and work in government in some capacity.  Others are leaders in their fields driving policy, introducing new best practices and implementing innovative management methods into their organizations.  Additionally, 46 percent of alumni report having developed national policies, created national programs, served as national trainers, and/or advised government officials on legislation in their home countries. During their fellowship, Humphrey Fellows participate in non-degree study at approximately 13 host campuses across the United States and complete at least six weeks of a professional affiliation at a U.S.-based governmental, non-governmental, private sector, or international organization.  Through their academic and professional experiences, they gain knowledge about the United States, deepen their professional expertise and experience in their field, and expand their networks to include U.S. and international counterparts.

Program Components:

Non-Degree Academic Study: Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each Fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program at a host campus.  Approximately 13 U.S. campuses have been selected through a competitive process based on their ability to offer institutional and professional resources to host cohorts of Fellows in designated fields of study.

Leadership and Professional Development: Professional enrichment activities include professional visits, enhancement skills workshops, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (placement).  The professional affiliation provides firsthand exposure to a U.S. work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of six weeks. Early in the academic year, each Fellow develops, with assistance from the local campus coordinator and faculty advisors, a detailed plan of practical professional activities geared to the Fellow’s program objectives.

Fellowship fields:

Human and Institutional Capacity:

• Economic Development
• Finance and Banking
• Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
• Technology Policy and Management

Rights and Freedoms:  

• Communications/Journalism
• Law and Human Rights

Sustainable Lands:

• Agricultural and Rural Development
• Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
• Urban and Regional Planning

Thriving Communities:

• Public Health Policy and Management
• Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment
• Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicants must be citizens of Djibouti.
• should be mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement.
• should have a minimum of five years full-time professional experience in the relevant field.
• University teachers must have management or policy responsibilities, except for teachers of English as a foreign language, and specialists in substance abuse prevention and treatment.
• Possess a bachelor or undergraduate degree.
• Should be proficient in both written and spoken English, selected finalists will be required to take the TOEFL, which the Embassy will pay for.
• Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status may not apply to the program as they are ineligible for a J visa.
• Have not attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2024
• Have not had more than six months of U.S. experience during the five years prior to August 2024.
• Have not participated in a State Department exchange programs within the last three years.
• Are not U.S. Department of State employees or their immediate family members.

Application and Selection:
All applications must be submitted at https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey. Candidates whose applications pass the initial review are invited for an interview at the U.S. Embassy and to take the TOEFL test. Final selection will be made by J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in the United States.

Applications deadline is July 22, 2023.

For general information about the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, please visit http://www.humphreyfellowship.org.
Queries on this call for application should be directed to the Public Affairs Section at DjiboutiPDSubmissions@state.gov with subject line: 2024-2025 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.