U.S. Embassy & Consulates
in South Africa

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, brings mid-career professionals from designated countries to the United States for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts.  The Humphrey Fellowship Program enhances leadership among international professionals who collaborate to address local and global challenges and foster change for our collective good. The Humphrey Fellowship Program is a Fulbright exchange activity funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education.

During their stay at an American host university, Humphrey Fellows are invited to take graduate courses relevant to their professional interests.  However, as the Humphrey Fellowship is not a degree program, participants spend a considerable portion of their time engaged in professional development activities, including consultations and affiliations with U.S. faculty and experts; professional visits and skills enhancement workshops; and conferences and training programs.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Minimum of a four-year undergraduate degree (4-year BA, BTech or BA + Honors)
• Minimum of five years of full-time professional experience beyond the attainment of a first university/undergraduate degree, prior to August 2024
• Demonstrated leadership ability – Candidates should have achieved positions of significant responsibility at the national, regional or local level and show clear promise to assume greater future leadership roles
• Record of public service in the community – Candidates’ careers must reflect a present and future commitment to public service, broadly defined in the public, NGO, or private sector
• University lecturers – Candidates need to demonstrate management or policy responsibilities and experience

The following individuals are not eligible for the HHH Fellowship:

• Individuals who have attended graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2024
• Individuals who have had more than six months of U.S. in-country experience of any kind during the five years prior to August 2024
• Alumni who have participated in a State Department exchange program within the last three years
• Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status

 

Program Components:

Academic:  The Humphrey program is classified as a non-degree program. Humphrey Fellows cannot transfer from non-degree status to degree status.  Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where the freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each Fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program.

Professional:  Early in the academic year, each Fellow develops, with assistance from the local campus coordinator and faculty advisors, a plan for professional activities carefully geared to the Fellow’s need for relevant, practical professional experiences.  A Fellow’s professional-development plan may include professional visits, conferences, and a professional affiliation (mid-career internship/residency) that must be at least six weeks in duration.

The Humphrey Fellowship offers opportunities in the following impact areas :

• Human and Institutional Capacity: Humphrey Fellows and alumni foster public-private development and collaboration, advance gender equity and equality for economic empowerment, strengthen open, inclusive, and secure digital transformation frameworks and increase employment opportunities through improved market systems. Focus areas: Economic Development; Finance & Banking; Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration; Technology Policy and Management

 

• Rights and Freedoms: Humphrey Fellows and alumni lead the global effort to strengthen and protect democracy and human rights, amplify justice and security institutions, counter disinformation, prevent and respond to human rights abuses and promote citizens’ civic and political rights. Focus areas: Communications and Journalism; Law and Human Rights

 

• Sustainable Lands: Humphrey Fellows and alumni integrate climate leadership across sectors, implement climate-smart agriculture to fight food insecurity, protect critical ecosystems, build resilience against the impacts of climate change, and develop sustainable urbanization to meet the needs of diverse populations. Focus areas: Agricultural and Rural Development; Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change; Urban and Regional Planning

 

• Thriving Communities: Humphrey Fellows and alumni work in critical health and education fields that address challenges facing vulnerable populations. They tackle public health threats, promote stability, and ensure that current and future generations have access to the education and skills needed to thrive and positively contribute to society. Focus areas: Public Health Policy and Management; Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention; Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy

 

The Fellowship provides for:

• Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university
• A living allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance
• Accident and sickness coverage
• A book allowance and one-time computer subsidy
• Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program and domestic travel to required program events)
• Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits and conferences

For additional information on the Hubert H. Humphrey fellowship, visit the

Official Fellowship website

Frequently asked questions

Humphrey contact at the U.S. Embassy, South Africa