Tufts – Feinstein International Center

The Program

This program assists practitioner experts returning from complex emergencies to reflect on their experiences in the field. It also helps to build the institutional memories of humanitarian agencies through papers written by the practitioners.

Faculty advising and paper

The participant works with a faculty adviser for the duration of the program. This adviser oversees all aspects of the individual’s program and provides guidance and advice. The participant and adviser work together to select articles and books of greatest interest and relevance to the expert and develop a schedule for reading, discussion, and writing. Papers often draw on lessons learned from recent field experience and are not necessarily formal academic papers.

Courses

The participant can audit selected courses offered in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. There is no required output from this audit.

Lectures and seminars

The participant is free to attend any open lecture or seminar held at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, The Fletcher School, and Tufts University. These cover a wide range of topics and they are offered almost on a daily basis.

Resource

The participant is an important resource to the Tufts community. The practitioner may be asked to:

• Give a talk to the general student body at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science Policy and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
• Participate in panels, symposiums, or conferences held in the Boston area
•  Mentor one or two graduate students by discussing in depth the nature of the expert’s work, identifying areas of study needed by practitioners, etc.

How to apply

Please submit your application to fic@tufts.edu:

•  A one-page summary detailing how you would like to use your time, what issues you plan to research and write about, and the number of weeks/months you wish to stay
• A letter from your sponsoring agency showing approval for your participation  and the topic you wish to research and write about
• Your CV
• A letter of recommendation from a colleague

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Final decisions of acceptance will be made by the director of the Center.

All rights to the final paper will be the property of the author and held jointly with the Center. The sponsoring agency may also wish to circulate the paper within its agency or to a broader audience.

Other information

Work environment

The participants are given a workstation with a computer and full access to the internet and Tufts University library services.

Interaction among practitioner experts

The program can accommodate several practitioner experts at one time. In the event that more than one expert is in the program, the adviser will facilitate group discussions among experts on topics of common interest, providing the opportunity for participants to learn from each other.

Housing

The University cannot provide housing for participants. Limited rental housing is available to participants near the Tufts campus. All necessary arrangements for housing must be made prior to the participant’s arrival.

Cost

The costs of the program include tuition and on-campus services and the monthly fee is $2,500. In many cases, the participating institutions cover these costs and include per diems for the participants.

More information

Please contact us by email fic@tufts.edu to arrange a time to discuss the program with our faculty.