Hart Fellowship
The Hart Fellow joins the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as both a core contributor to research and programmatic initiatives and as a member of the year's Emerging Leaders cohort. The fellowship amplifies the fellow's civic impact by deepening their global affairs and foreign policy knowledge, strengthening their leadership capacity, and expanding their professional cross-border networks.
Information about the 2027 Hart Fellowship will be available by summer 2026.
"Global leadership requires engagement across sectors, expertise, backgrounds—and borders. By inviting an exceptional rising leader from Latin America to join our intellectual community, the Hart Fellowship promises to enrich not only the Emerging Leaders Program but also the Council and the city of Chicago."
Ariel Schwartz
Executive Director, Global Leadership Programs
About the Fellowship
The Hart Fellowship supports the global leadership development of an accomplished, ambitious, globally curious mid-career (age 30-45) citizen from one of a select number of Latin American states who is committed to having a positive impact on issues of international development, global affairs, and foreign policy. The opportunity aims to enhance the Fellow's individual knowledge and skills and strengthen connections between Latin America and Chicago.
The Hart Fellow will:
- Refine their knowledge of global affairs and US foreign policy.
- Advance their leadership skills through collaboration with the Global Leadership Programs team and the Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy.
- Build deep relationships with the Council’s Emerging Leaders Program and the broader Council community.
- Strengthen ties between their country of residence and Chicago.
The Hart Fellowship provides a $50,000 stipend and $5,000 in research and relocation funds, as well as costs related to the annual Emerging Leaders study trip to Washington, DC. The Hart Fellow will be an integral part of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and its networks, including and especially the robust Emerging Leaders community.
Fellowship Activities
The Hart Fellow will engage widely as a speaker, collaborator, and connector within the Council community.
The fellow will:
- Live in Chicago and work at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs from January 20-December 11, 2026.
- Participate fully in the Council’s premier global leadership development program, the Emerging Leaders Program.
- Research and write two short pieces and one longer-form piece on a global affairs topic, that is both relevant and important.
- Help shape global leadership development opportunities at the Council.
Eligibility & Selection
Candidates should be:
- Citizens of a Latin American country
- Between the ages of 30 and 45.
- A mid-career professional, from any of the following fields: business, academia, NGO, government, civil society, or the media.
Candidates should demonstrate:
- Significant professional achievements and civic engagement.
- Strong cross-cultural fluency and global curiosity.
- A proposed timely research area relevant to Latin America and global affairs. We have a special interest in proposals that focus on one of the following: Geoeconomics, North America (trade, border security, and immigration), Food Security, China and Latin America, Multilateralism.
- Readiness to both contribute to and benefit from a year-long residency in Chicago.
Council leadership, in partnership with the Lansing Hart family, oversees selection to ensure alignment with the fellowship's vision and the Council's strategic priorities.
Contact
Ariel Schwartz
Executive Director, Global Leadership Programs