Draper Hills Summer Fellowship (DHSF) Program 2020 at Stanford University

Deadline: January 1, 2020

Applications are open for the Draper Hills Summer Fellowship (DHSF) Program 2020. Launched in 2005, the Draper Hills Summer Program (DHSF) is a three-week intensive academic training program that is hosted annually at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. The dates for the 2020 Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program are Sunday, July 12- Friday, July 31, 2020.

The program brings together a group of 25 to 30 mid-career practitioners in law, politics, government, private enterprise, civil society, and international development from all regions of the world. This training program provides a unique forum for emerging leaders to connect, exchange experiences, and receive academic training to enrich their knowledge and advance their work.

For three weeks during the summer, fellows participate in academic seminars that expose them to the theory and practice of democracy, development, and the rule of law. Delivered by leading Stanford faculty from the Stanford Law School, the Graduate School of Business, and the departments of economics and political science, these seminars allow emerging leaders to explore new institutional models and frameworks to enhance their ability to promote democratic change in their home countries.

Guest speakers from private foundations, think tanks, government, and the justice system provide a practitioners viewpoint on such pressing issues in the field. Summer Fellows also visit Silicon Valley technology firms such as Benetech, Google and Twitter to explore how technology tools and social media platforms are being used to catalyze democratic practices on a global scale. The program is funded by the generous support from Bill Draper and Ingrid von Mangoldt Hills.

Funding

• Stanford will pay for accommodations, meals, and transportation costs during the duration of the Program.
• Stanford asks all applicants to be prepared to contribute towards the cost of their participation in the fellowship, if they are selected. Typically this comes in the form of a fellow covering round-trip airfare to the Program. In the past, some fellows have asked their employers to subsidize their travel to Stanford based on the benefits that the training will contribute towards their professional and organizational advancement. They may also choose to fundraise for these costs after selection decisions are issued in April 2019.
• A small travel fund is available for fellows who under no circumstances can support their travel or need to apply for a partial subsidy. Priority for accessing the travel fund will be given based on need, and destinations from which airline fares to California are exorbitant.

Eligibility

• Open to mid-career practitioners working actively in the fields of democracy, development, and the rule of law;
• Applicants can be working as policy-makers, academics, legal professionals, social entrepreneurs, business entrepreneurs, and leaders of civil society organizations (such as representatives of trade unions, nongovernmental organizations, the media, business and professional associations);
• In their present capacity, applicants should play important and influential roles in their country’s political, economic, and social development;
• Participants should have demonstrated professional and personal achievements in a relevant sector of democracy, development, and the rule of law;
• Candidates must be at least 28 years of age at the start of the fellowship in July 2020;
• A working knowledge of English is an important prerequisite for participation in the program. It is expected that each fellow has a solid command of written and spoken English to fully benefit and participate in the program.

Application

In order to apply to the Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program please create an account through the online portal. You will be asked to contact two references to furnish letters of recommendation to support your candidacy to the program.

The application contains the following sections:

• Applicant Information
• Academics & Career Information
• Resume/CV
• Essay Questions
• English Language Proficiency
• Video Submission
• Financial Information
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Certification

For more information, see FAQ or visit Draper Hills Summer Fellowship.