Aiming to build a global network of emerging leaders and to broaden international understanding at Yale University, the World Fellows Program brings to Yale each year 18 highly accomplished men and women from a diverse set of countries around the world. The World Fellows spend an intensive semester exploring critical issues through a program of individualized academic enrichment, a World Fellows Seminar, and leadership training with the full resources of Yale at their disposal.
Michael Cappello, director of the program, comes to China Daily and shares with us details about the program.
3. Are there any fields or disciplines that you are looking for or that you give preference to?
4. As far as I know there have been 6 yale world fellows from china, 2 have been from NGO's and 2 from the media - is that a pretty typical makeup?
5.What is the application process - do applicants have to write essays, resumes, recommendation letters? Is there anything else apart from that I mentioned?
6 I'm thinking about this screening process and I've been wondering that - China is fast changing and traditionally Chinese people have been taught to be demure, to be modest. So there are people who stick to that rule and would probably just keep their achievements in very simple terms.....And there are other people who have fast adapted to the new standards and they know how to promote themselves. How can you tell one from the other? One who is at least from the paper - doesn't seem to be that accomplished? While on the other hand he may be better than the other one who presents well on paper and may have better proficiency in English?
7 What about those who are not aware of your program but are ideal candidates?
8 A lot of applicants I suppose will look at the half dozen world fellows that have already been through this program and see whether they match up with them, right, can you tell us about these six fellows and what kind of things caught your eye?
9 The program takes place from mid August to mid December, and a successful applicant has to spend all four months at Yale. I was wondering if he or she is fast rising and is the backbone of that company or organization it would be very difficult to take a four month leave.
10 How do they reconcile this - or how do you help them?
11 I've heard of criticisms that this program is too academically orientated and that the fellows want more real life / hands on experience and something to learn from their peers. Is there some truth in that?
12 What is the most popular component of the program not just for fellows from China but for those from other countries?
13 Can you tell us something about the difference between the Yale World Fellows program and such programs as Harvard's Fellowship or any program that a visiting scholar might attend because maybe there are 100's of visiting scholars who go to the US every year?
14 I’m trying to think from the perspective of a regular applicant, say if he or she studies your website and sees both Wang Yan Hai and Ma Zhun on the list and feels of if I am a member or a founder of an NGO probably Ill be more qualified and then he sees the name Wei Xian Gang and Dong Qian and he gets another idea, hmm you have to belong to a mammoth state owned media company in order to qualify. Is there something correct in that?
15 If you had 4 different applicants from different fields which one would you pick?
16 Does the program try to customize for each person seeing as you only have 18 candidates in one year and they probably come from different countries and different fields - what type of customization do they get?
17 I read in a website that the world program gives less priority to people who already have experiences or education in the United States? Why is that?
18 How heavy is the program? How many hours in a week in classes in seminars or group discussions?
19 Do the world fellows get a chance to talk about their own countries, political and education systems and share with their classmates?
20 Besides the 90 minute self introduction and the dozen or so talks around the campus what kinds of assignments do the world fellows have to do?
21 And my last question would be are you satisfied with the performance of the world fellows - I mean those from China after they come back to their old posts?
22 Any change in the design of the program in the future?
