The University of Michigan Donia Human Rights Center announces the establishment of the Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Practitioner Fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded to one outstanding individual who has dedicated their career to the practice and cause of international human rights.

The selected fellow will spend one semester during the 2025-26 academic year in residence at the Donia Human Rights Center and become part of the intellectual community of the University of Michigan.  This fellowship is intended as a sabbatical from the recipient’s current work environment.  They will have opportunities to deepen their understanding of human rights and share their insights with various audiences on campus and beyond.

The fellow may wish to reflect upon their work thus far or embark upon new paths in the field of human rights through original research, writing projects, engagement with the campus community, and more. They will also teach or lecture to University of Michigan undergraduates in classes, reading groups, or public forums.

Steven R. Ratner, Director of the Donia Human Rights Center and Bruno Simma Collegiate Professor of Law, had this to say about the establishment of the fellowship:

“We are very excited to announce this initiative, which will provide a unique opportunity for a mid-career professional to interact with students and the U-M community.  It represents an important expansion of our programming oriented toward bringing together scholars and practitioners from around the world to interact with students, building their capacity to understand the complexities and landscape of human rights work.”

Applications will be expected to have at least ten years of experience in the practice of international human rights, although this position is not limited to any specific area of human rights focused work. The applicant’s experience may be in government, international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, academia, or a combination of these. Applications from individuals working in the Global South are particularly encouraged.

The application deadline is March 15, 2025, at midnight.

The program is funded by the Raoul Wallenberg Medal Endowment, established in 1985. This endowment funds the annual University of Michigan Raoul Wallenberg Medal and Lecture, which is administered by the Donia Human Rights Center.

Established in 2016 through a generous donation from Robert J. Donia (MA '74, PhD ’76, History) and his wife, Jane Ritter, the Donia Human Rights Center is the University’s focal point for intellectual exchange on issues around human rights among scholars, practitioners, students, and the broader public.  It aims to promote deeper understanding of human rights issues in the contemporary world and to equip its stakeholders with the tools to tackle challenging human rights problems around the world.  In addition to the Wallenberg Medal and Lecture, its programming includes a monthly speaker series, an annual Martin Luther King Jr. lecture, an undergraduate fellows program, and funding for undergraduate summer internships and graduate student research grants.

Read the full position description and application instructions.