Internships and Fellowships

Summer Fellowship Opportunities

The Center for Human Rights & International Justice is pleased to offer several paid summer fellowship opportunities for students interested in human rights and international justice, in collaboration with campus partners such as the Stanford Global Studies Division and the Haas Center for Public Service. Placements ensure students have meaningful, applied research and work opportunities to inform their studies and future career pathways. This program is one of more than 550 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford undergraduate or grad students pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. The most flexible of our opportunities, Human Rights Summer Fellowships are awarded to highly motivated students aiming to make a valuable contribution in partnership with a relevant organization in the U.S. or abroad. Learn more about summer fellowships.

The Center for Human Rights & International Justice's fellowships contribute to more than 450 international placements as part of the Cardinal Quarter program, designed by the Haas Center for Public Service to integrate academic learning with field-based public service experiences. 

Find out more about Stanford's Cardinal Quarter

Everything I’ve learned in my classes came to life at Refugee Health Alliance as I grappled with the nuances of border health, the Mexican healthcare system, and many immigration stories. As I progress toward becoming a physician, I carry with me all these memories that have made me a much more empathetic and passionate advocate for immigrant rights.

Through my host organization APIAVote, I learned the hard and heart work intrinsic to nonprofit advocacy and the importance of coalition building, particularly for fostering cross-group solidarity and promoting civic engagement. I also developed a deeper understanding of what it means to engage in public service, with greater clarity regarding the ecosystems that exist in support of democracy-building in the US and abroad. 

Working with the United Nations Development Programme this summer broadened my understanding of public health and policy, as I tackled challenges from tobacco control in Mexico to road safety in the Gulf. This experience strengthened my commitment to using data-driven strategies to address global health issues and deepened my appreciation for collaborative, impactful policymaking.