ALFA FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

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The Alfa Fellowship Program is a new initiative of Alfa-Bank designed to provide direct, hands-on work experience in Russia for young professionals from the United States and United Kingdom. The Alfa Fellows Program will help to educate a new generation of American thinkers on the realities of the new Russia. Over time, Alfa Fellows will move on to senior decision-making positions in the public and private sector, and put their new knowledge of Russia to use for the good of Russian — American relations.

In 2004—2006, three groups of Fellows spent six months each in Russia. In 2006-2009 four groups of Fellows spent 10 monthes each in Moscow. The eights class will arrive in June 2010.

Participants are U.S. and U.K. citizens with distinguished academic and professional credentials. The focus of the program will be on professional-level work assignments in Russian organizations. Participants will work for half a year at Russian private enterprises, public policy organizations, government, and non-governmental institutions. The goal is for the Fellows to gain meaningful professional experience and a greater understanding of intercultural issues and Russian professional culture.

The Alfa Fellowship Program is governed by an impressive Advisory Board of prominent Russian business leaders, officials, intellectuals and media experts, and chaired by Alfa-Bank President Peter Aven.

Thanks to the excellent cooperation of Institute of Economic Analysis, TNK-BP, Boston Consulting Group (Moscow) Limited, Renaissance Capital, Higher School of Economics, Radio Ekho Moskvi and the Administartions of Samara, Rostov-na-Donu, Tver and Novgorod who have all agreed to accept Fellows for work assignments, the first two groups of Alfa Fellows gained great professional experience. This will help them to develop a more accurate and realistic view of life and business in Russia.

Before visiting Russia, fellows have meetings in Washington with Russian Ambassador, members of the US Congress and experts from Woodrow Wilson International Center, Harvard and Yale Universities. The Fellows spend two weeks in Moscow in orientation seminars and meetings with government and private sector leaders before moving on to their professional assignments and visiting regions. The first and second groups of Fellows were already fluent in Russian, but future groups will include intensive language training so that Fellows need not be fluent in order to apply.

The Alfa Fellowship Program is run in the US by CDS International, Inc., which handles recruiting, selection and training. For 20 years CDS runs Bosch Fellowship program in Germany. The Russian part of the program is managed by the Moscow Center for International Fellowships, an independent institute that sees to all local aspects of the program.

Members for Advisory Board

• Ambassador Frederick M.Bush, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Aleksei Arbatov, Moscow Carnegie Center
• Alexander Shokhin, President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
• Andrei Illarionov, President, Institute of Economic Analysis
• Boris Nemtsov
• David Yakobashvilli, Chairman, WimmBillDone
• Evgeniy Yasin, Rector, Higher School of Economics
• Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee, State Duma RF
• Mikhail Fridman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Alfa Group Consortium
• Olga Sidorovich, Director, Institute of Law and Public Policy
• Peter Aven, President, Alfa Bank
• Shiv Khemka, Chairman, Sun Group
• Vladimir Pozner, President, Russian Academy of Television

Alfa-Bank

To apply please fill in the application form in US in UK