The McCloy Academic Scholarship Program

      The McCloy Academic Scholarship Program offers young outstanding Germans the opportunity to engage in a two-year degree program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to complete a Master of Public Administration (MPA). The McCloy Program is run jointly by Harvard University and the German National Merit Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes). Each year six to seven grantees are selected from a large pool of applicants. McCloy Scholars usually come from various backgrounds, combining academic excellence with substantial work experience in a wide spectrum of national and international organizations. They share a common desire to make a difference, to assume responsibility, and contribute to improving public policies and services. 

     How should privatization be conducted? What is the future of the transatlantic relationship? How can effectively raise funding for a non-profit organization on a sustainable basis? What methodologies should be used to carry out a program evaluation? All of these are questions McCloy Scholars engage with during their two year MPA program at Harvard. The academic environment of the Harvard Kennedy School, draws largely on the strength of its faculty and the diversity of its students. It offers outstanding opportunities to further the personal and analytical skills needed to tackle today's most pressing public policy problems. Courses at the Kennedy School combine applied policy analysis of real world problems with a solid theoretical and methodological grounding. 

      On the one hand, this includes a wide range of analytical classes from rigorous econometric analysis to qualitative methods, small group research seminars, and external consultancy projects. On the other hand, the Kennedy School offers a wide range of courses that aim to equip future leaders with the personal skills it takes to initiate change in public service, such as seminars on strategies of public management, finance, negotiation analysis, effective leadership, rhetoric, and ethics. These two pillar of courses are complemented by a wide range of topical classes, that allow students to specialize in their substantive fields of interest such as economic development, human rights, terrorism, environmental policy, immigration, international law, or government innovation. Furthermore, the Kennedy of Government as the world's leading institution of public policy education attracts the most high ranking politicians, experts, and policy practitioners to present and share there experiences with students on a daily basis.

     German McCloy Scholars are a vital part of Harvard University's academic and social life. Their contribution lies in the extensive support of student dialogues (e.g. the Jewish-German dialogue or the European Caucus and the Austrian-German-Caucus) as well as student / faculty professional dialogues (e.g. the Environmental Professional Interest Group). Some McCloys work as research or teaching assistants for distinguished Harvard faculty members.  McCloy Scholars consider themselves representatives of their home country. They sustain good relations to the German Consulate General in Boston and frequently meet with German politicians visiting the East Coast to discuss current transatlantic or domestic policy issues.

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