General Overview

IHEP advances access and success in postsecondary education around the world through unique research and innovative programs that inform key decision makers who shape public policy and support economic and social development. Skilled at both quantitative and qualitative techniques, the organization’s staff includes some of the most respected names in the fields of higher education policymaking and research. IHEP is known worldwide as a valued source of information and policy guidance.

GPFP is designed to provide opportunities to exceptional individuals who are dedicated to improving postsecondary education policies that positively impact historically disadvantaged populations around the world. Drawn from diverse backgrounds, program participants are emerging leaders in the fields of public policy and research. Participants of the inaugural GPFP cohort began work in early 2007. GPFP Fellows are expected to complete their assignments by late 2009.

GPFP Fellows will share ideas, tools, and techniques in meetings and other activities designed specifically for the program. Each participant will receive a $2,500 (U.S.) stipend per year. GPFP will cover meeting expenses and the cost of travel for program participants only.

GPFP Fellows are chosen from a pool of individuals who demonstrate a commitment to addressing access to higher education challenges around the world, and who are in a position to influence or make public policy. During its inaugural year, GPFP accepted participants from the following countries:

Brazil
Mongolia
The Netherlands
South Africa
Thailand
Ukraine
United States

The nature of the program attracts applicants from government agencies, non-government organizations, professional associations, and university-based research centers, but candidates with other backgrounds who meet program criteria are also eligible.

How does GPFP work?
Once a class of GPFP Fellows has been selected, IHEP designs and implements a unique and vigorous learning experience tailored to the needs and interests of those program participants. Grouped both with colleagues from their home countries and participants from other regions, GPFP Fellows work collaboratively to conduct essential policy research with the potential to influence national and regional governments, higher education authorities, and international organizations. Participants are required to work together on short paper via the Internet.

During the course of the program, participants meet three times as a group for training activities, networking opportunities, and brainstorming sessions with policy analysts and researchers who have extensive experience in higher education policy. Participation in these gatherings, required of all participants, provides GPFP Fellows with a testing environment in which they can present preliminary policy recommendations to their colleagues. Additionally, these settings allow participants an opportunity to learn about policies from other nations, and to draw from colleagues’ knowledge, experiences, and perspectives.

Toward the end of the program, the research and analysis work of GPFP Fellows are summarized in printed publications—an international report and policy brief. Both documents are widely disseminated around the world with the goal of changing public policy for historically disadvantaged populations.

What are the GPFP areas of interest?
During the program, GPFP Fellows focus on government policies that may impact higher education access. The following areas of interest may be evaluated during the program:

Admissions and Testing—National examinations, academic preparation/remediation, institutional procedures and selectivity, etc.;
Science and Technology—Targeted enrollment, distance learning, campus resources, rural student participation, etc.;
Higher Education Finance—Government funding, private sector financing, need-based financial aid programs, targeted campus support services, etc.;
Infrastructure and Capacity—Campus development and structure, data collection capacity, institutional stratification, new and renovated buildings, etc.;
Privatization—Private colleges and universities; private, offshore providers of distance education; private sector investment; private sector offering of loans and/or scholarships, etc.; and
Higher Education Preparation—Student tracking, early intervention/awareness programs, curricular offerings, tutoring/mentoring programs, etc.

How is GPFP funded?
Initial support for the GPFP has been provided by the Ford Foundation. A resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, the Ford Foundation works to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement.