The Program

Grounded in the liberal arts and the service philosophies of Wellesley College, the Albright Fellowship draws linkages between education and practice for aspiring global leaders, and exemplifies and advocates for the value of diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives when addressing global challenges.

The Fellowship is a year-long program with two core components of our programming: an intensive training over Wintersession and funding to complete a global summer internship.

Wintersession Programming

Each year Wintersession programming is centered around a theme. For 2026, our theme will be The Future of Leadership in a Fragmented World.

Fellows will engage with this theme through skills-based workshops, panels, presentations with expert practitioners and thought leaders, and interdisciplinary group work. 

Skills based workshops can include: public speaking, negotiation, team-building, and leadership. Panels and presentations with expert practitioners and thought leaders will cover a range of topics, be interdisciplinary in nature, and represent a variety of perspectives. Fellows also have the opportunity to engage more deeply with speakers by conducting speaker introductions, joining lunches with speakers, and informal teas with speakers.

A cornerstone of the Fellowship experience during Wintersession is the group project. Fellows are divided into multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex topics related to the theme. As part of the group project, Fellows produce a group agreement (contract), conduct outreach with experts, and give a 30 minute presentation to their peers and the Distinguished Visiting Professor (DVP).

A role originated by Secretary Albright, the DVP spends two days with the Fellows at the end of Wintersession. Past DVPs include former Ambassadors, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and other senior government leaders. In addition to providing feedback on the group presentations, the DVP gives a keynote to the Fellows, hosts an informal tea with Fellows, and participates in a public dialogue with the wider Wellesley community.

Learn more about the 2025 Wintersession in The Spoke. 

Summer Internship

Experiential learning is at the heart of the Albright Institute’s mission. Albright Fellows are given a stipend of $5,500 to participate in internships where they can apply what they have learned in the classroom in a real world setting. Some of these internships are self-identified, while others are reserved annually for Albright Fellows.

To learn more about the global internship component of the Albright Institute, please visit this document for criteria and policies.

Other Fellowship Commitments and Opportunities

In the fall semester, Fellows will join a team-building event, a Wintersession orientation, and an internship orientation. On-campus Fellows are also strongly encouraged to attend The Albright Institute’s annual Kenner Lecture.

Throughout the year, Fellows have the opportunity to join Albright Faculty Affiliates for informal lunches and to attend other Albright Institute sponsored events.

Albright Fellows who are on campus the fall after their summer internship are required to present about their internship experience at The Tanner Conference.

Learn More

2025-26 Albright Fellowship Information Session slides.

Albright Fellowship FAQ.