Our program
ALI Fellows come to Harvard and embark on a year-long immersion in inter-disciplinary academic learning, leadership development, and peer-to-peer collaboration.
The core course
The ALI core curriculum includes a twice weekly seminar series designed specifically for leaders pivoting to working in areas of social impact. Distinguished faculty from around the university share their expertise and teach individual classroom sessions. The curriculum is organized around the “Person, Problem, Pathway” framework. While most sessions contain themes that cut across the “3 Ps”, the seminar emphasizes the person and problem dimensions of social innovation in the spring semester and pathways in the fall semester.
Deep Dives
Deep Dive sessions highlight one major global or community challenge where ALI Fellows might fill a gap. Over the course of several intensive days, outside experts and faculty from across the university take an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the complex nature of the issue. ALI Fellows contribute ideas based on their experience and knowledge for immediate solution-seeking with major figures in the field under discussion and with affected constituencies.
Course auditing
ALI Fellows may individualize their experience by auditing available courses across the university. Topics can range widely-from humanities to science, professional schools to area studies. Course audits are a highly valued and valuable part of the Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellowship and represent the individualized part of the program, in which ALI Fellows pursue knowledge relevant to their project domains.
Learn more about our fellowship.
Your experience
Focus on impact.
During the program year, you will develop and refine your plans for your next stage of work: a concept, a program, an organization, a foundation, a campaign for a cause or public office with the potential for significant impact on a major problem. ALI Fellows are expected to engage with the intellectual resources of Harvard University to produce a plan of significance that can serve as a central focus for their next chapter.
Work with students.
ALI Fellows are expected to contribute to students and their learning, at all levels of education, often through the connections made in audited courses, getting to know students as they sit by their side. They often provide career guidance to students, act as their mentors, invite them into research efforts, and provide employment, such as paid summer research doing interviews or data-gathering for their ALI projects.
Grow your network.
The cohort experience is a central element of the ALI Fellowship program. Collaborate with peers with equally distinguished careers, and participate in the many intellectual, social, and cultural events occurring on campus. Ongoing events with past ALI Fellows promote exchange of ideas and amplify impact.
Engagement with ALI continues beyond the fellowship year. Gatherings occur at Harvard several times a year to multiply the impact of projects, form partnerships, and exchange expertise.
The partner program
The ALI Fellowship is partner friendly, and provides an option for ALI Fellows to be accompanied by a fully registered ALI Partner: a spouse or life-partner who participates in all elements of the program. ALI Partners may join fellows in program activities and audit courses across Harvard.
“The bottom line is that ALI was the most amazing, stimulating, and fulfilling experience of my life and continues to be so.”
— Howard Fischer, 2013 ALI Fellow
Introduce yourself.
Join the next cohort of Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellows. Embark on an enriching, pioneering, transformative year of preparation—build on your extensive leadership experience and jump-start your next stage of service and impact.