International Leaders Awarded 2003 Yale World Fellowships

Top political advisors to British Primer Minister Tony Blair and Mexican President Vicente Fox, two African members of parliament, and an Australian Internet entrepreneur are among the 2003 Yale World Fellows announced today by President Richard C. Levin.

“The Yale World Fellows Program is building a global network of individuals who are poised to assume leadership roles in their own countries and on the global stage,” said Levin. “The accomplishments and experiences of the 2003 World Fellows made them stand out in a pool of hundreds of impressive applicants to the program.”

Part of a coordinated effort to make Yale’s many resources available around the globe, the Yale World Fellows Program brings 16 to 18 early mid-career leaders to Yale each fall to study critical issues facing the global community.

The World Fellows Program is designed to bring together leaders with a broad range of cultural and professional experience. The 18 selected for this year’s program from more than 500 applications representing more than 100 countries also include NGO leaders from India, Indonesia and Zimbabwe, a human rights lawyer from Nigeria, a prominent women’s rights activist from Egypt, a refugee doctor from Iraqi Kurdistan, an HIV/AIDS activist from China, an anti-corruption campaigner from Slovakia, a technology entrepreneur Germany, high-level international trade experts from the European Union, Colombia and Chile and a Canadian Army Colonel who ran United Nations peacekeeping operations in Kosovo. “Those selected for the World Fellows Program have demonstrated an extraordinary personal commitment to making a difference, at the local, national or global level,” said World Fellows Program Director Daniel Esty, a professor of environmental law and policy at Yale. “Each one has an exceptional record of achievement in his or her field and a demonstrated capacity for leadership at the highest levels.”

During 15 weeks of intensive study between September and December, the World Fellows participate in a seminar on global issues taught by some of Yale’s most distinguished faculty. They are also free to take any course offered in the university or to arrange independent study projects with individual members of the Yale faculty.

World Fellows have intimate access to prominent Yale alumni and other American leaders. Last year’s Fellows met with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, Foreign Policy magazine Editor Moises Naim, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer.

To ensure that the network established during their time at Yale remains strong, participants will be invited back to World Fellows reunions. Alumni for the World Fellows Program will have the opportunity to attend workshops and lectures and to continue their dialogue and reflection on critical issues of the day.

“Through my interaction with other World Fellows in the renowned academic environment of Yale, I hope to broaden my knowledge of many global issues and return to Nigeria better prepared to assist in the critical task of nation building,” said Chinwe Uwandu. As a human rights lawyer for the Nigerian government, Uwandu organized public hearings for more than 400 human rights violations perpetrated during 30 years of military rule.

“In addition to expanding the personal and professional horizons of the fellows, the World Fellows Program seeks to provide a vantage point on the world for the entire Yale and New Haven community,” said Esty.

(A list of the 2003 World Fellows and their short biographies is attached or can be found on the World Fellows website: http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows)

2003 Yale World Fellows

Hugh Morrow: Australia

A business executive turned information technology entrepreneur, Hugh Morrow founded one of Australia’s most successful Internet businesses. He sold the company in 2000 and is now working to strengthen Australia’s non-profit sector through financial and intellectual capital investments.

Hoda Elsadda: Egypt

Hodda Elsadda, a professor of English literature at Cairo University, is one of Egypt’s most outspoken advocates for women’s rights. She founded an independent research center that provides “alternative cultural information” on the roles women have played in Arab history.

Michael Ward: Canada

As Commander of the Canadian forces assigned to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, Colonel Michael Ward oversaw efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and rebuild civil society. Now, back in Canada, he has just completed an Army modernization project.

Carmen Dominguez: Chile

A top Chilean trade expert, Carmen Dominguez helped to negotiate the ground-breaking free trade agreement between the United States and Chile concluded this year. Now in Chile’s Permanent Mission to the WTO, her work focuses on trade related aspects of intellectual property rights and services negotiations.

Angela Orozco-Gomez: Colombia

Angela Orozco-Gomez is a former Minister of Foreign Trade for Colombia and one of the country’s top economic development experts. She oversaw the creation of a strategic export plan for Colombia and helped draft the country’s negotiating strategy for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Andrej-Nicolai Henkler: Germany

A media manager and entrepreneur, Andrej-Nicolai Henkler led the turnaround of a struggling television station, increasing market share by 70 percent and tripling advertising revenue. He now serves as CEO of a media marketing company.

Celine D’Cruz: India

A leading advocate for the urban poor in Asia and Africa, Celine D’Cruz is coordinator of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI). Her organization seeks to combat urban poverty and to promote land security, housing finance, and basic amenities for slum dwellers.

Kamala Chandrakirana: Indonesia

A researcher, activist, and leader of NGOs, Kamala Chandrakirana has spent 10 years battling for women’s rights and seeking solutions to structural poverty in Indonesia. She heads a presidential commission addressing violence against women through documentation, public education, and legal reform.

Ali Sindi: Iraq

Ali Sindi, a practicing specialist in general surgery and health administrator, helped rebuild the critical infrastructure of Kurdistan after Iraqi officials withdrew from the region. He supervised the delivery of health services to 2.5 million residents, increasing immunization coverage and lowering the infant mortality rate.

Sofia Frech: Mexico

A leader in Mexico’s regional government, Sofia Frech helped manage Vicente Fox’s campaign for the presidency in 2000. She now serves as the PAN party’s national legislative strategist.

Hiddo Houben: Netherlands

Hiddo Houben, a top EU trade official, played a key role in international negotiations aimed at integrating China and Russia into the global economy. He now manages EU trade relations with Russian and the Ukraine and helps shape EU trade policies related to transitional economies.

Chinwe Uwandu: Nigeria

One of Nigeria’s top human rights lawyers, Chinwe Uwandu organized public hearings for more than 400 human rights violations perpetrated during 30 years of military rule. Today, she is deeply involved in government efforts to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.

Wan Yanhai: People’s Republic of China

One of China’s most influential HIV/AIDS activists, Wan Yanhai founded the AIZHI Action Project, an NGO that uses health education, research, publishing, and conferences to focus attention on the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in China.

Emilia Beblava: Slovakia

President of Transparency International Slovakia, Emilia Beblava battles institutional corruption by raising public awareness and lobbying for legislative reform. She is one of Transparency International’s foremost experts in anti-corruption strategies for former communist countries.

Raenette Taljaard: South Africa

Raenette Taljaard, the youngest woman ever elected to parliament in South Africa, plays a critical role as spokeswoman for the opposition on a number of key committees. She has led the charge to limit small arms trading in Africa.

Norbert Mao: Uganda

Norbert Mao, a member of parliament from war-torn Northern Uganda, consistently speaks out against corruption and in support of peace and human rights. He plans to make a bid for the Ugandan presidency in 2006 on a platform of democratic reform.

Shamit Saggar: United Kingdom

A widely published expert in the politics of ethnic pluralism, Shamit Saggar was appointed Senior Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Blair in 2001. As a member of the Prime Minster’s Strategy Unit, his issue areas include the ethnic minority labour market, migration, local government, citizen engagement, and strategic audit.

Brian Kagoro: Zimbabwe

Brian Kagoro, a leading constitutional lawyer and political organizer in Zimbabwe, serves as coordinator of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. In this role, he plots strategy for the more than 100 NGOs trying to counteract problems created by the Mugabe government.