Fellowships and Other Opportunities
The Kokkalis Program strives to support individuals committed to invigorating the public sector in Southeastern and East-Central Europe by providing fellowships for study at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. To date, the Kokkalis Program has sponsored 42 students in degree programs at the Kennedy School. Furthermore, the Kokkalis Program has made possible the training of nearly 250 public sector and non-profit leaders from Southeast Europe in Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education programs. It has also funded 50 internships and research projects relative to the region, sponsored five senior Kokkalis Scholars, and supported visiting scholars at programs throughout the University. The Kokkalis Program further advances scholarship about the region by co-sponsoring the annual Kokkalis Graduate Student Workshop on Southeastern Europe.
Kokkalis Fellowship
The Kokkalis Program strives to provide promising leaders and current public executives from the region with scholarships to pursue master's degree studies at the Harvard Kennedy School. Eligible to apply for a Kokkalis Fellowship are natives of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey who are applying to one of the following Master’s degrees at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University:
Master in Public Policy (MPP)
Master in Public Administration (MPA2)
Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID)
Master in Public Administration/Mid-Career (MC/MPA)
Applications are not accepted from natives of countries other than those noted above. Candidates with academic and/or professional backgrounds in one of the following fields are encouraged to apply: public policy and administration, the non-profit sector, law, economics, social sciences, or related fields. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to public service and the region of Southeast Europe.
Kokkalis Fellowship application instructions and requirements.
Executive Education
In the public, private, and nonprofit sectors alike, leading effectively requires a continuous commitment to building new skills, networking, and keeping up with innovative ideas and the latest research. Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education programs offer participants leadership and management schools that are critical for advancing important individual and organizational goals in an era when global competencies are essential, and provide a forum to extend and exchange knowledge and empower high-potential individuals by strengthening the impact and practical effectiveness of their undertakings.
To date, the Kokkalis Program has funded the participation of nearly 250 senior officials from the public and nonprofit sectors in executive training programs on campus and in Athens.
For information regarding upcoming programs, please check back periodically or email andrew_hall@hks.harvard.edu.
To learn more about the programs the school offers, please check the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education main site.
Graduate Student Workshop
The Kokkalis Program, in collaboration with the Southeast European Study Group of Harvard's Center for European Studies in 1999 launched the annual Kokkalis Graduate Student Workshop on Southeastern Europe. The Workshop takes place every February and is a forum for graduate students and scholars who are focusing their studies on Southeastern and East-Central Europe.
The goal of the Workshop is to bring together graduate students from around the world and of all disciplines of social science to present papers on issues related to Southeastern Europe. It is an exciting opportunity for students, faculty and others interested in the region to meet and exchange views on issues such as foreign policy, security, civil society, human rights, media, crime and corruption, economic reform, public administration and policy. Graduate students submit proposals for papers to present and then are sponsored to travel to Cambridge and participate in the Workshop.
More information about the workshop, including this year's topics and how to apply
Summer Internships
Each year the Kokkalis Program welcomes applications from students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs across Harvard University for a limited number of small grants to be used towards non-paying (or low-paying) summer internship and/or research projects, located in or concerning Southeast Europe (Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Kosovo, FYR of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and or Turkey.)
Priority will be given to public sector internships/projects in the following fields: development (including economic, sustainable, or human resource); government; human rights; social policy; and security.
The grants aim both to encourage and support work experiences or research that complements students’ academic work, and to promote summer work experience and research in Southeastern Europe. The awards are intended to allay expenses directly related to the project (i.e. travel to the internship site, housing, daily transportation, etc.) Students must locate and secure internships before applying for funding.
Please also note that upon completion of the projects, grant recipients will be required to provide the Kokkalis Program with a written report that summarizes their internship/research experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the level of financial support offered by the Fellowship?
The Kokkalis Fellowship aims to support the student’s tuition for the duration of their studies at the Harvard Kennedy School, including mandatory school fees (student activity fee, University Health Services fee and Blue Cross Insurance—please note that dependents are not covered), and provides a small stipend to defray the cost of living expenses.
Is there any benefit to submitting the Kokkalis Fellowship application before the Harvard Kennedy School’s application?
While the Kokkalis Program encourages early applications for the Fellowship, it does not matter whether you first submit the application for the Fellowship to the Kokkalis Program or the application for the degree program to the Harvard Kennedy School. The decision regarding your application will not come earlier as a result of an early application.
When will I receive a decision regarding the Kokkalis Fellowship?
You will be notified via e-mail regarding the decision of the Kokkalis Fellowship Selection Committee sometime between late March and early April.
Do you offer deferrals?
The Kokkalis Program DOES NOT offer deferrals for the Fellowship. If a Fellowship candidate is accepted to the Kennedy School and awarded the Kokkalis Fellowship but chooses to defer enrollment to the Kennedy School, the candidate will have to re-apply for the Kokkalis Fellowship for the academic year that he/she will enroll at the Kennedy School. The candidate may not necessarily be offered the Kokkalis Fellowship after re-applying.
Can I re-apply for the Kokkalis Fellowship if I did so in the past, but was not selected?
Candidates for the Harvard Kennedy School master's programs are encouraged to apply again for the Kokkalis Fellowship.
How many fellowships are awarded each year?
The Kokkalis Fellowship is highly competitive. Typically, 2-4 fellowships are awarded annually. It is therefore strongly recommended that applicants for the Kokkalis Fellowship also apply to other scholarships to support their studies at the Harvard Kennedy School. With research and commitment, applicants from the region will realize that the Kokkalis Fellowship is not the only source of financial support for study at HKS.
What will the Kokkalis Fellowship require of awardees?
Being a Kokkalis Fellow provides access to a vibrant network of individuals – from policymakers to leading scholars – who are vitally committed to communicating and collaborating towards the region’s advancement. While at HKS, Kokkalis Fellows participate in a range of lectures, symposia and other events with prominent leaders and scholars from across the region, Europe, and the United States. Upon graduation, Kokkalis Fellows become alumni members of the Kokkalis Leadership Network (KLN), whose members also include participants in the Kokkalis Program’s executive training programs. Throughout a Kokkalis Fellow’s career, the KLN will continue to involve them in educational refreshers and special events in the region and will strive to unite alumni in confronting complex public policy problems on local, national and regional levels.
Information, deadlines and applications
Kokkalis Fellowship
Executive Education
Graduate Student Workshop
Summer Internship Grants
Kokkalis Fellowship FAQ
Luksic Fellowship For Croatia
Current Kokkalis Fellows
Harvard Kennedy School
HKS Admissions
HKS Degree Programs
Institute of Politics
Executive Education
Center for European Studies
Kokkalis Foundation
Kokkalis Program
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 1.617.496.0175
Fax : 1.617.496.5700
kokkalis_program@ksg.harvard.edu