Applications for the 2026 Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program are now being accepted. Interested candidates are urged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and to apply.
About Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program
Opportunity Details
The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development is a training program hosted annually by Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). Launched in 2005 and formerly known as the Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program, it brings together a group of approximately 28-30 mid-career practitioners from transitioning countries who are working to advance democratic practices and economic and legal reform in contexts where freedom, human development, and good governance are fragile or at risk.
Benefits of Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program
The Program Covers:
- Accommodations
- Meals
- Transportation costs
- A small travel fund is available for those who can not afford to travel to California.
Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program Requirements
- Candidates must be from and currently reside in a country where democracy is not well entrenched.
- Applicants will not be accepted from highly democratic nations, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, and member states of the European Union.
- There is no application fee to apply for the Summer Fellowship.
- Target: Mid-career professionals in democracy, development, and the rule of law.
- Backgrounds: Government, academia, law, social entrepreneurship, business, civil society organizations (trade unions, NGOs, media, professional associations).
- Participants should have a proven track record of success in a relevant field related to democracy, development, or the rule of law.
- IELTS or TOEFL is not required.
- Applicants must have graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree.
- Currently enrolled full-time university students can not apply.
Application Date and Process
- Click on the link to the application website to apply.
Application Deadline
15 January, 2026
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Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program
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