Despite historic changes that have taken place in Russia over the past decade and a half and its subsequent emergence into the global community, there are still too few experts in the United States with direct, meaningful experience in the modern business, government, public policy, and cultural environment of Russia. The Alfa Fellowship Program is designed to address this problem by providing a new and exciting opportunity for young professionals from the US to live and work in Russia and to enable them to develop a genuine expertise through individualized professional assignments. As the program continues to develop, a new generation of American opinion leaders and professionals are being exposed to Russian professional life and society.

Drawing upon extensive contacts throughout industry, media, government, and nonprofit institutions in Russia, the Alfa Fellowship Program works together with participants to identify suitable professional assignments at leading Russian institutions in business, media, and civil society. The Alfa Fellowship Program then endeavors to secure positions that meet the interests of both the participants and host institutions. Fellows’ progress is closely monitored by the Center for International Fellowships in Moscow.

In addition to individualized professional assignments, the Alfa Fellowship Program includes language training in the US and in Russia, an orientation seminar in Washington, DC, a Moscow seminar program, and regional excursions in Russia. Throughout the program, Fellows also participate in a regular series of topical seminars and meetings with key Russian and US officials to discuss current issues and developments in Russia.

CDS International is currently accepting applications for the Alfa Fellowship Program. The program lasts for one year beginning in March 2008 and includes seven months of language training (a three-month tutor program in the US and a four-month intensive course in Moscow). While Russian proficiency is preferred, qualified candidates with fluency in a second language may be considered. Candidates already fluent in Russian need not participate in the US-based tutor program and will travel with the rest of the group to Russia in June 2008 for the in-country language training, Moscow seminar program and professional assignment phases, which run through April 2008. The application deadline is December 15, 2007.

For more information please download the Program Overview or visit the AFP Alumni website.

Application


The application deadline for program year 2008-2009 is December 15, 2007

Apply to the program

If you should have questions about the Alfa Fellowship Program, please email: alfa@cdsintl.org.