Hans De Wit Fellowship

Partially funded with seed funding generously donated by World Education Services, the Hans de Wit Fellowship was established in 2022 to support the academic mobility of early career researchers in the field of higher education studies, who are interested in spending a semester based at the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College. Fellows will be welcomed as active members of the CIHE community. Although they will be expected to conduct their own independent research while based in Boston, there will be opportunities to participate in Center events, projects and other activities.

As visiting scholars at Boston College, Fellows will also be entitled to access the many academic resources of our university, beyond CIHE, including the extensive online and physical library holdings of Boston College and access to the broader community of international visitors to our campus. In exchange, Fellows will be expected to share their research expertise in some capacity during their stay at CIHE (i.e. through our regular seminar series, with students in our MA program and/or via one of the Center’s publications).

Fellowship Details

CIHE will award one fellowship per academic year. Fellowship benefits include:

  • Reimbursement for round-trip economy class airfare to and from Boston and any fees associated with processing any necessary visa paperwork  
  • A monthly stipend of $3500, intended to cover the cost of housing and medical insurance 

Upon arrival, Fellows will be provided with a designated desk and printing privileges, as well as use of a desktop computer if necessary. Fellows are expected to find their own housing and to organize their own visa paperwork, although institutional support documentation will be provided by the Office of International Students and Scholars at Boston College. 

CIHE can welcome one Fellow per academic year. Fellowships are designed to be four months in length, and Fellowship applications may choose between a Fall (i.e. August to December) or Spring (i.e. either February to May or March to June) stay. CIHE cannot accommodate Fellows in July or August. 

Eligibility

Any early career researcher in higher education studies (i.e. within five years of the completion of a doctoral degree) is eligible to apply. Preference will be given to applicants from marginalized backgrounds, including those with refugee status, those based in the Global South and those from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. 

Application Process

Interested applicants must submit the following materials to internationalhighered@bc.edu

  1. A letter of interest, which includes the following:
    • A clear rationale for why spending a semester at CIHE will be beneficial to the applicant;
    • A detailed explanation of the independent research that the applicant intends to complete during their visit; and,
    • A description of the ways in which the applicant believes he/she can contribute to the intellectual life of the CIHE/BC community
    • Further details about the applicant’s background, which may be beneficial for determining eligibility for the Fellowship, may also be included.
  2. A current CV
  3. Completed Visiting Scholar Application Form

Applications are due by March 15 each year. Finalist candidates will be invited to interview with the CIHE leadership in April as part of the application process.