Robertson Foundation Extends Partnership with Maxwell

The Robertson Foundation for Government (RFFG) has extended by two years its funding of fellowships for PAIA students at the Maxwell School. The recently announced extension will support a total of four additional Robertson fellows—two entering Maxwell for academic year 2017-18 and another pair entering in 2018-19. All Robertson fellows receive funding for two years of study, allowing them to pursue one of the joint degrees offered through public administration and international affairs.

In addition, RFFG has again offered to match gifts from individual donors, creating additional fellowships at Maxwell.

Founded in honor of Charles and Marie Robertson, RFFG is a nonprofit family foundation that seeks to inspire the best and brightest U.S. graduate students to pursue long-term federal government careers in foreign policy, national security and international affairs. Its overarching goal is to strengthen the government of the United States and increase its ability and determination to defend and extend freedom throughout the world. The Maxwell School is one of five schools that partner with the foundation on the fellowship program.

Since 2010, Maxwell has accepted 17 students into the fellowship program. Robertson fellowship alumni have gone on to serve as a foreign service officer at the U.S. Department of State, a Congressional liaison in the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and an international economist in the U.S. Department of Treasury, among other postings. There are currently five Robertson fellows at Maxwell, including one co-funded by an alumnus—University Professor Sean O’Keefe ’78 MPA and his wife, Laura.

The fellows program has helped Maxwell to continue attracting top talent into the PAIA program. Robertson fellows—among some of the best at Maxwell—have pursued internships around the world, in locations such as Indonesia, Senegal, the Philippines and Rwanda, expanding the school’s field opportunities for future international affairs professionals. In addition, the fellowship has allowed Maxwell to forge stronger connections with departments and agencies within the federal government that are focused on international affairs.

“We are proud of our relationship with the Robertson Foundation for Government,” says David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “It has helped us attract some of the best students enrolled in our public administration and international relations programs, and simultaneously serves the foundation’s goal of channeling top young professionals toward careers in the federal government. It is a fertile partnership that we hope to grow and strengthen for years to come.”