We’re pleased to announce the Dickey Center Postgraduate Fellowship in International Affairs—a new opportunity for recent Dartmouth alumni to deepen their engagement with global issues beyond the classroom.
Supported by the generosity of the Dickey Center’s Board of Visitors, this fellowship is designed to help recent graduates gain hands-on experience in international affairs through internships, supervised research, or career-oriented projects that are not highly compensated. By providing financial support and mentorship, the fellowship aims to reduce barriers that can discourage new graduates from pursuing critical early-career experiences in the field.
Fellowships may span three to six months, allowing fellows to engage deeply with their chosen projects or internships. Opportunities may be based within the United States or internationally, offering flexibility to explore diverse cultural and geopolitical contexts. Fellows have the freedom to pursue a wide range of topics within international affairs and are encouraged to address pressing global issues that impact individuals and states worldwide. These may include, but are not limited to:
- International peace and security, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding
- Global health and pandemic response
- Environmental sustainability and climate change
- Economic development and poverty alleviation
- Human rights, political organization, international law, and social justice
The standard grant amount is $20,000 to support the 3–6 month-long fellowship. This financial support is intended to cover expenses related to travel, accommodations, food, research materials, and other associated costs.
Inaugural Fellows: Kenny Mok ’25 and Mia Balestra ’25
The inaugural fellows illustrate the breadth and impact of this opportunity:
Kenny Mok ’25, a Puerto Rican-born Chinese graduate, is committed to advancing the renewable energy transition and fostering multilateral cooperation between Latin America, China, and the United States. Kenny earned his B.A. from Dartmouth College, majoring in History modified with Asian and Latin American Studies and minoring in Environmental Sciences. His undergraduate work included collaborations with the Obama Foundation and the U.S. Department of State to research the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, with a focus on energy infrastructure projects in Latin America and Asia.
As a Dickey Postgraduate Fellow, Kenny will spend six months in Thailand with GIZ, a German development agency promoting sustainable development in the Global South. His work will focus on the Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE) project, which partners with organizations like the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the European Union to advance clean energy solutions in coal regions. Kenny will also engage with initiatives that help ensure underrepresented and vulnerable communities—especially Indigenous communities—benefit from the renewable energy transition.
Mia Balestra ’25 studied Anthropology and Chemistry, with a particular focus on cultural anthropology and ethnography. As a Dickey Postgraduate Fellow, Mia will live and work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the Harpswell Foundation, which provides free residential housing and supplemental education to local women attending university. Mia will serve as a peer mentor and tutor to female university students, while conducting ethnographic research to help strengthen the foundation’s model for empowering women through education and community support.
By bridging the gap between academic study and professional engagement, the Dickey Center Postgraduate Fellowship in International Affairs helps graduates build the practical skills and global perspectives needed to address today’s most urgent international challenges.
