Pat Cox/HIA Fellowship

2011 Application Deadline: September 3, 2010
2011 Program Dates: January 28 – April 28, 2011

Humanity in Action is pleased to invite HIA Fellows and Senior Fellows from the United States and Europe to apply for the 2011 Pat Cox/HIA Fellowship in the European Parliament.

Each year, Humanity in Action brings together a small group of outstanding students and young professionals from around the world for three-month professional fellowships in the European Parliament.

The Pat Cox/HIA Fellows also participate in a weekly seminar series on human rights, minority rights, and international relations.

Participants are alumni of HIA’s summer fellowship programs for the study of human and minority rights, and are selected through a competitive application process.

HIA is grateful for the support of the program's honorary patron, Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament. The 2011 program runs from January 28 through April 28, 2011.

About the Fellowship


The Pat Cox/HIA Fellowship provides a working experience in the office of a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). It is accompanied by a mandatory, weekly lecture series and various group events in Brussels.

Pat Cox Fellows work four days per week in the office of a MEP. By the end of the fellowship, the participants gain valuable insight into the workings of the European Union, ranging from routine office tasks to the intricacies of Brussels’ decision-making processes.

One day a week, the program is devoted to lectures and site visits. Participants learn about the institutional infrastructure of lobbying organizations, NGOs, research institutions and consulting bodies in the area of human/minority rights and international relations.

Pat Cox Fellows also visit key institutions in Brussels and participate in regular seminars. The lecture series brings all of the participants interning in Brussels together to create a platform for intellectual exchange.

Who can apply?

The Pat Cox/HIA Fellowship is available to all HIA Senior Fellows. If you are not a citizen of the EU, you will be responsible for obtaining your own visas, but HIA will provide assistance and guidance.

Internship Placements in 2010

Karin Kadenbach (Austria)
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Regional Development, South Asia

Sajjad H. Karim (UK)
Relations with the Mashreq; Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly; Committee on Industry Research and Energy; Legal Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Livia Jaroka (Hungary)
Vice-Chairwomen of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, member of the Committee on Civil Liberties and member of the Delegation for Relations with India

Birgit Schnieber Jastram (Germany)
EU-Turkey delegation, committees on development, committee on environment, health and food-security

Hannes Swoboda (Austria)
Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs

Baroness Sarah Ludford (UK)
Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Substitute on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights

Britta Thomsen (Denmark)
S&D: Women's rights and gender equality, migration and asylum

Nirj Deva (UK)
Vice-President of the Development Committee. Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, ACP-EU, South Asia

Dr. Antonyia Parvanova (Bulgaria)
Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Committee for Women's Rights and Gender Equality

Marietje Schaake (Netherlands)
HIA Senior Fellow, Member of AFET and CULT and focuses on human rights, new media and the Balkans

Raül Romeva i Rueda (Spain)
Women's Rights and Gender Equality; Human Rights; Civil Liberties; Latin America

Alexandra Thein (Germany)
ALDE Group, JURI and AFCO Committee, Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, LGBT Intergroup

Application Deadline

Applications for the 2011 program must be received by September 3, 2010, to be considered.

Contact Information


For general inquiries, please contact:
Mona Shair
m.shair@humanityinaction.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
Philip Ugelow
p.ugelow@humanityinaction.org
+1 (212) 828-6874 x4

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a stipend or salary?
HIA does not provide a stipend for this program. However, it is possible that you may receive a small allowance from your MEP's office.

Can HIA provide any support if I am applying for funding for this internship?
Yes! HIA is always delighted to write a letter of endorsement supporting your funding requests. Additionally, you may wish to consult our archive of international scholarship opportunities, which is developed and maintained by Senior Fellow volunteers.

What is a reasonable budget for living in Brussels?
Based on feedback from past Fellows, we estimate monthly expenses to be about € 800 a month. These costs can cover modest expenses for: housing, food, transportation, phone, and social life.

I'm not an EU citizen. How do I obtain a visa?
Participants are responsible for obtaining their own visas, but HIA will provide assistance and guidance.

Who do I contact for more information?
For further questions, please contact the Brussels Program Director, Mona Shair at m.shair@humanityinaction.org