A student presents a powerpoint with other students watching on.

Student Fellowship

Providing training and funding so students can contribute their expertise to support human rights worldwide

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

The student fellowship program is the longest legacy of the Human Rights Center. Our fellowships provide opportunities for students to pursue meaningful human rights work domestically and internationally. Students from UC Berkeley, partner campuses UC Merced, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and the Cal Graduate Theological Union are eligible to participate in this program. Selected fellows will carry out clearly defined fieldwork with organizations working on human rights issues related to a student’s area of interest. Applicants must plan to spend at least 8 weeks full time or its equivalent part-time working with a partner organization to qualify for the fellowship. 

The purpose of the fellowship is to provide students with an opportunity to contribute to an organization’s work while also gaining practical experience that may influence their area of research, academic focus, or career trajectory. Partnerships with both non-governmental and governmental organizations are acceptable. Multi-disciplinary approaches to human rights fieldwork are welcomed. 

The Human Rights Center thanks the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for contributing sponsorship to our fellowship conference 

Two young women look at a conference program.
2023 student fellow Meghana Kumar (left) looks at a conference pamphlet during the 2023 student fellowship conference. Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small.

401

Fellowships awarded over 30 years

351

Organizations fellows have worked with

88

Countries & territories where fellows have worked

A silhouetted person looks out at a landscape at dusk/twilight.

This fellowship was the best experience I ever had in my entire time at UC Berkeley. It’s been truly life changing. I feel so grateful to have had this opportunity. I truly can’t overstate how amazing it was.”

— 2023 HRC Student Fellow

Program Staff

Portrait of a man smiling

Alexey Berlind

Associate Director, Fellowship Program and Events

Human Rights Center

Featured Alumni


News

A young man sits and looks off-camera, there are two other people closer to the camera that are not in focus.

December 12, 2023

Fighting Uphill Battles, Human Rights Center Student Fellows Stay Resolute in Their Work

Spotlighting 2022 fellow alumnus and keynote speaker Anthony Ghaly and 2023 fellow Maria Fernanda Quintero Sirtori.

Human Rights Center fellow, Anthony Ghali.

December 19, 2022

Rare Feat: Berkeley Law Students Present Their Research at Major International Forum

HRC in the News — Berkeley Law: Rare Feat: Berkeley Law Students Present Their Research at Major International Forum, student researchers highlighted.

Net positive? Paul Salomone, a fisheries management biologist, samples herring to help determine whether the fishery should be opened for the day. (Nathaniel Wilder)

August 29, 2022

This Tiny Fish Holds Together Ecosystems and Cultures—It’s Also Under Threat, The Nation, written and reported by 2021 student fellow Brett Simpson

Student Fellowship Alumni — The Nation: This Tiny Fish Holds Together Ecosystems and Cultures—It’s Also Under Threat, The Nation, written and reported by 2021 student fellow Brett

HRC 2022 fellow Bhavya Joshi smiling for a picture.

June 24, 2022

Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights Researcher Includes Women Refugees from Ukraine to Croatia

HRC in the News — ReciHr: Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights Researcher Includes Women Refugees from Ukraine to Croatia, interviewing 2022 student fellow, Bhavya Joshi, on

A view of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation from the bank of the Missouri River in Forest City, South Dakota. Nearby, there are three oil worker man camps. Kristina Barker

January 8, 2021

A crude virus: How man camps can cause a COVID surge

Commentary — High Country News: A crude virus: How man camps can cause a COVID surge by Kalen Goodluck, Lucy Meyer and Anjali Shrivastava (a collaboration with the Human Rights Center).