The vision of the Williams in Africa Initiative, launched in 2006-2007 by Professor David Eppel, was to create a set of curricular and extracurricular programs to encourage students to engage meaningfully with the African continent.
The initiative began with a pilot year of summer internships and post-graduate fellowships. It now consists of an experiential study away program- the Cape Town Policy in Action Program and a post-baccalaureate policy research fellowship program – The Williams/EPRI Fellowship. The Policy in Action Program first piloted in 2009, runs during the Fall semester. The 14 month Williams/EPRI Fellowship, open to graduating Seniors and recent Williams alums, begins each June and runs through July of the following year.
THE CAPE TOWN POLICY IN ACTION PROGRAM
This innovative experiential study away program teaches students about South African politics, society and development and cultivates their research skills through a special seminar/tutorial and fieldwork placement at the Economic Policy Research Institute in Cape Town (See curriculum schematic, below). The program’s unique feature is the unifying seminar/tutorial on contemporary social and political issues in South Africa. The seminar/tutorial partners Williams students with South African Parliamentarians in a collaborative learning effort focused on policy issues of mutual interest.
THE WILLIAMS/EPRI RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
This newly created fellowship at the Economic Policy Research Institute in Cape Town, South Africa provides recent Williams graduates the opportunity to work on cutting edge policy research focused on tackling poverty and promoting socio-economic progress in developing countries. Fellows work side by side with senior researchers and Williams interns at the Institute for 14 months beginning in June.
Interested in the study away program? Contact Dean Laura McKeon or WiA Committee Chair Paula Consolini for more information. Interested in the 14 month research fellowship? Contact Professor Michael Samson or Paula Consolini for more information.
