U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan

Overview

Deadline: June 20, 2023

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange, enhances leadership among international professionals who collaborate to address local and global challenges and foster change for our collective good. Through academic study and professional development with U.S. counterparts, this growing global network shares best practices and builds expertise in fields of critical importance to advance societal and institutional capacity, promote human rights and freedoms, ensure sustainable lands, and develop thriving communities. By providing future leaders and policy makers with experience in U.S. higher education, society, culture, and professional organizations, the program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas. The program provides posts with individualized opportunities to advance Mission priorities across sections through targeted recruitment and development of leaders who are working in areas that align and advance U.S. foreign policy goals.

Goals:

• The Humphrey Fellowship Program aims to establish and enhance long-lasting productive partnerships and relationships between U.S. citizens and individuals from other parts of the world
• Develop leaders whose knowledge and skills have been informed by exposure to American values, models and ideas – leaders who will have a multiplier effect on their societies
• Expand and improve the range of international exchange and training programs and
• Increase U.S. citizens’ knowledge and understanding of international issues and of other cultures and societies.

Key statistics:

• 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.
• 46 percent of alumni have developed national policies, created national programs, served as national trainers, and advised government officials on legislation in their home countries

The Humphrey Fellowship Program is designed to strengthen the leadership skills of professionals who will make contributions to their communities as well as their professional fields.

Humphrey Fellowship nominees should:

• be individuals working in either the public or private sector with demonstrated leadership ability and a demonstrated commitment to public service
• be at a point in their careers to fully benefit from this professional development program
• understand that the program is non-degree granting
• be aware that they cannot transfer to degree status in any program, and therefore will not be able to become degree candidates after arriving in the United States and
• realize that they have a commitment to return home after the Fellowship for at least two years to use the skills and knowledge they have acquired to assist their communities and their country

Field of Study:

Human and Institutional Capacity:

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

Rights and Freedoms:

• Communications and 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, Treatment and Prevention
• Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy

Applications must contain:

• Complete answers to all questions; essay responses in English must thoroughly address the prompt.
• Two letters of reference in English; one must be from the applicant’s current employer.
• Official transcripts in English: Ensure all transcripts uploaded by the applicant are official, valid documents. Transcripts must list courses taken and grades received. Diplomas need only be uploaded if the transcript does not show proof that the degree was obtained.

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Humphrey Fellowship.

• Be a citizen of an eligible country
• Have an undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degree
• Have a minimum of five years of full-time professional experience beyond attainment of a first university/undergraduate degree, and prior to August 2024
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service in the community
• Limited experience in the United States
• Demonstrated English language ability
• Hold a passport of the country nominating them

Ineligible candidates include:

• Recent undergraduate university graduates (even if they have significant positions)
• University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language)
• Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2024
• Individuals with U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months during the five years prior to August 2024; and
• 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.

Previous experience in the United States is not necessarily a disqualifying factor provided the number of years spent in the United States has not been substantial (more than three years), and the candidate has been back in their home country and employed at a level of professional responsibility for at least four years.

Language Proficiency Candidates are expected to be proficient in English as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Candidates with insufficient TOEFL or IELTS scores may be brought to the United States for English language training prior to beginning the program at their host university. Currently, two opportunities for English training in the United States are available to prepare Fellows to participate in the academic year Humphrey Fellowship: 1) Long-Term English (LTE) language training is an intensive 16-week program; and 2) Pre-Academic English (Pre-Ac) language training is an intensive eight-week course. English language training participants will train together in groups at different campuses and then transfer to their academic-year host campuses after completing LTE or Pre-Ac.