Lemann Foundation Interschool Fellowship
The application period for the 2024-2025 Lemann Foundation Interschool Fellowship has closed. The below information pertains to this year's completed application cycle and is subject to change. Please check the website next fall for updated information about the fellowship.
The Lemann Fellowship program aims to contribute to accelerating positive social change in Brazil through providing financial assistance to master’s students with a commitment to addressing crucial development challenges facing Brazil such as public health and education. The program aims to support the education of students committed to building a stronger, more effective public sector, strengthening corporate social responsibility, and contributing in other innovative ways to cultivate positive social change and economic development in Brazil. The Fellowships are made possible through the generosity of Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann and the Fundação Lemann (Lemann Foundation).
Columbia's Jorge Paulo Lemann Fund was established in 2009 to promote student exchange between Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Brazil. The Jorge Paulo Lemann Fund fosters educational exchange between Columbia University and Brazil. The Lemann Fund provides support to Brazilian students who wish to study at SIPA, and for students with a deep interest in the overall advancement of Brazil, through their past, present, and future educational and professional experience. It also supports the research interests of SIPA’s faculty and students.
In 2013, Columbia's Lemann Fellowship program expanded with the creation of the Lemann Foundation Interschool Fellowship, to provide financial aid to master's degree candidates at other Columbia master's programs including the Mailman School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Journalism, the School of Social Work, the Graduate School of Architecture, Preservation, and Planning (GSAPP), and Teachers College who have demonstrated a strong commitment to social change in Brazil and its future.
Most fellow recipients receive full tuition coverage. In addition, Lemann Fellow recipients benefit from being part of a network of current and past Lemann Fellow recipients at Columbia, as well as other Lemann Fellow recipients from institutions that partner with the Lemann Fellowship program—Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Yale. Being part of this network offers important opportunities for professional advancement, career development, and synergistic collaboration to promote social change in Brazil (For more information about the broader program please visit the Lemann Foundation's website: https://fundacaolemann.org.br/en/we-transform
Fellowship Eligibility
The Lemann Interschool Fellowship program is open to current and incoming full time master's students in the programs listed above that have demonstrated a strong commitment to social change in Brazil and its future. Applicants can be Brazilian citizens, or those of other nationalities that can demonstrate a strong interest in social change in Brazil. For students awarded a Lemann Fellowship in their first year, renewal for a second year is contingent upon maintaining a strong record of academic performance.
Competitive candidates have a strong academic track record, as well as a demonstrated commitment to social change in Brazil through substantive academic endeavors and/or relevant professional experience in the public, nonprofit, or private sectors. In their applications, candidates should demonstrate their concrete aspirations for applying their knowledge and skills to addressing pressing social challenges in Brazil, and how they think they can contribute to strengthening the overall network of Lemann Fellow candidates and their impact on social change in Brazil. Candidates should clearly articulate how their professional aspirations can support the vision and mission of the Lemann Foundation and the broader Lemann Fellowship Program.
Admissions Procedures and Deadlines
Fellowships are awarded through a competitive process after admission to the University. To be considered for a Lemann Interschool Fellowship, students need to be currently enrolled or applying for a master's program at Columbia in one of the Schools listed below. Each eligible School selects candidates for consideration by the Lemann Interschool Fellowship Committee, which selects final candidates in consultation with the individual School's admissions office and a faculty review committee.
In order to apply to become a Lemann Fellow recipient, please download and fill out the Lemann Interschool Fellowship Application Form. A complete application consists of a few brief questions, a short statement of interest (maximum of 1000 words) that explains how your past, present, and future educational and professional experience contribute to the overall advancement of Brazil, and optional supporting materials. The Lemann Fellowship Application Form should be sent to the admissions contact in the school you are attending or to which you are applying. The appropriate admissions contact is listed on the application form.
The deadline to submit the Lemann Interschool Fellowship Application Form is January 26, 2024 (for fellow candidates who will be selected to begin their fellowship in the 2024-2025 academic year).
Please note that the Lemann Fellowship Application Form is in addition to the general admissions application form for the individual program and school to which you are applying.
Please note that SIPA has its own application form. SIPA students should apply directly through the SIPA admissions office. For further information about SIPA's application process and timelines please visit their website: SIPA Lemann Fund.
For more information about applying to Columbia University (including deadlines, application requirements, and information about individual programs), please visit the admissions page of the school to which you are applying.
Please note that the Lemann Fellowship opportunities available through Teachers College follow a separate application and selection process. Full information about these opportunities and the application process can be found at the Teachers College website. Those interested in applying must submit a fellowship personal statement (in addition to the statement of purpose one submits with their TC Application for Admission). Applicants must also submit the Teachers College Lemann Fellowship Interest Form. Please read through the Interest Form carefully and make sure that you meet the stated requirements. These items will become available for eligible candidates via the online application page once a student submits their application for admission. Please contact the Teachers College Office of Financial Aid directly for additional information about application procedures and timelines.
About the Lemann Foundation
The Lemann Foundation is a non-profit organization, created in 2002 by Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann. The Foundation works to enhance the quality of public education in Brazil, with a focus on guaranteeing that every student learns. The Foundation’s goal is to enable the country to offer high-level education for all, contributing in targeted areas so that each and every one of the Brazilian students can learn effectively. For more information about the Lemann Foundation please visit: https://fundacaolemann.org.br/en/we-are. For the Lemann Foundation’s page on the Fellowship Program please visit: https://fundacaolemann.org.br/projetos/lemann-fellowship
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About Jorge Paulo Lemann
Jorge Paulo Lemann was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1961. In 1971, Mr. Lemann and three partners founded the Brazilian investment banking firm Banco Garantia, which Mr. Lemann helped build into one of Brazil's most prestigious and innovative investment banks. Forbes described it as "a Brazilian version of Goldman Sachs." Mr. Lemann and his partners later purchased control of a Brazilian brewery that eventually became AmBev. In 2004, AmBev merged with Interbrew of Belgium to become InBev, one of the world’s largest beverage producers. InBev later merged with U.S.-based Anheuser-Busch.
Mr. Lemann serves on the boards of Lojas Americanas S.A., the Gillette Company, and the Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd. He is chairman of the Latin American Advisory Committee of the New York Stock Exchange and a member of the International Advisory Boards for Credit Suisse Group and DaimlerChrysler. Mr. Lemann also is a backer of 3G Capital, which in 2010 purchased the fast-food chain Burger King. Mr. Lemann is a director for the Brazil office of Endeavor, an international nonprofit development organization that finds and supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets.