Getting a Fellowship, From the Ford Foundation

Loading...

Sign in or sign up now!
Alert icon
Upgrade to the latest Flash Player for improved playback performance. Upgrade now or more info.
4,876
Loading...
Alert icon
Sign in or sign up now!
Alert icon

Uploaded by on Oct 15, 2009

This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com

The Ford Foundation in the United States is a charitable organization that calls itself "a partner for social change." It has a study program currently available to college graduates in twenty-two countries and territories in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program offers graduates a chance to continue their studies. The aim is to help them learn ways to solve problems in their own countries. Joan Dassin is the executive director of the program.

She said: "Let's say you have an undergraduate law degree. But you really want to be able to bring international human rights standards to bear on a particular conflict in your part of the world. So we would send you to a program in Geneva on international human rights. That would give you the international markers that you need to press cases in your country."

About two-thirds of the fellows study in the United States, Canada or Europe. The others study in their home country or region. The Ford Foundation started the program eight years ago with two hundred eighty million dollars. Fellows are chosen by independent local committees. They get advice about which schools and programs could help them reach their goals.

The foundation says ninety-five percent are accepted into a university graduate program within one year of getting a fellowship. Almost four thousand fellows have been chosen since the first were named in June of two thousand one. As of last December almost half had completed their fellowships.

The Ford Foundation says the goals include strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and increasing international cooperation. Another goal is to fight "brain drain" -- to make sure fellows return home to use their educations. The foundation says more than eighty percent have done that.

The program pays all costs, including support services like training in computer skills, academic writing and a foreign language. Partner organizations in the home countries stay in contact with the fellows throughout the program.

Joan Dassin says the fellowships are aimed especially at those with the fewest resources available.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can find us at voaspecialenglish.com, or on Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English.

(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 24Sep2009)

  • likes, 2 dislikes

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (2)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • @feanando Interesting observation.

  • The Ford Foundation is not a charitable organization. It is an organization serving a group of people interested in controlling people's behavior according to THEIR antropological view (SOCIAL CHANGE). They have 22 indoctrination cells in poor countries; the aim is to change laws and introduce abortion (mentioning law was not a coincidence). If you agree with them, they will buy your soul so that you will do whatever they want. Read the Ford Foundation Report form 1990. It's all there.

Loading...

Alert icon
0 / 00Unsaved Playlist Return to active list
    1. Your queue is empty. Add videos to your queue using this button:
      or sign in to load a different list.
    Loading...Loading...Saving...
    • Clear all videos from this list
    • Learn more