The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is a Fulbright Exchange activity sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State.
Fellowships are granted competitively to professional candidates around the world who show a commitment to public service in either the public or private sector. American University (AU) has served as a host institution for the Humphrey Program since 1980. In 2002, AU repositioned the Fellowship’s focus from economics to human rights and law, and the Fellowship Program moved to AUWCL. AUWCL is the only law school in the country hosting the program.
On January 21, 2023, Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer from Eswatini, was killed in his home. Thulani was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow from 2010-2011 and graduated with an LL.M. in International Legal Studies in 2011. Read Professor Padideh Ala'i's statement here.
On February 9, 2023, AUWCL hosted a memorial event for Thulani Maseko and a discussion on the Future of Democracy in Swaziland/Eswatini. The link to the video of the memorial can be found here and also on YouTube on this link.
This year, American University Washington College of Law is hosting 12 fellows. These professionals come from across the globe, including Bahrain, Belarus, Burundi, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
A U.S. senator from Minnesota for 27 years and vice president of the United States from 1965-1969, Hubert H. Humphrey was a lifelong advocate of programs fostering human rights and international understanding. These fellowships were established to honor his memory and to continue his ideals.