2008-09 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was initiated in 1978 to honor the late Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and his life-long commitment to human rights, international cooperation, and public service.

The program brings accomplished mid-career professionals from designated developing nations and emerging democracies to the United States for a year of professional development and related academic study and cultural exchange. The program is sponsored by the United States Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), which assigns Fellows to a host university based upon each Fellow’s interests and needs. This year’s program includes 163 Fellows from 90 countries, who are being hosted by 15 universities throughout the United States.

The goals of the Humphrey Fellowship Program at the University of Minnesota Law School are:

• to enable each Fellow to foster personal and professional growth and prepare the Fellow for leadership roles in his or her country;
• to provide opportunities for a rich exchange of information among Fellows, and also between Fellows and host families, community members, professional colleagues, and students and faculty at the University; and
• to help Fellows understand as broadly and deeply as possible U.S. cultural, political, legal, and economic systems.

Each year Humphrey Fellows come to the University of Minnesota Law School to pursue studies and professional development work in the areas of human rights, law, and law enforcement.

Since 1981, the University of Minnesota has hosted 360 Humphrey Fellows from 98 countries who have specialized in a wide array of professional fields, including agricultural science, business and management, corrections, finance, foreign affairs, government, human resources, human rights, human trafficking, international trade, journalism, law enforcement, mass communication, mediation and arbitration, medicine, policing public administration, public health, rule of law, and social work.

The Human Rights Center, the Law School, and the University of Minnesota are working together to fulfill the program goals for each of the Fellows. Collaboration among University faculty, alumni, an extensive network of affiliated professionals, host families, and the Fellows creates an extraordinary environment for cross-cultural learning. The Human Rights Center also collaborates with the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, which is hosting 13 Humphrey Fellows in Public Administration this year.