The greatest strength of the United Nations is its people and the immense knowledge they carry. This fellowship offers our colleagues a unique space to reflect, refine and share those insights.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General, UNDPO
This Fellowship brings front line experience into the heart of academic debate.
David Haeri, Director of the UN's Policy, Evaluation and Training Division
The fellowship is designed to bridge the worlds of policy and scholarship, fostering fresh thinking on the pressing challenges facing international peace and security, and advancing innovative approaches to complex global problems.
Professor Richard Caplan, DPIR and Director of the Fellowship Programme
By bringing UN practitioners into direct dialogue with researchers, we aim to spark fresh thinking on today’s peace and security challenges. At the same time, our students and academics benefit from insights from those working at the front lines of global peace efforts.
Professor David Doyle, Head of DPIR, University of Oxford
Peacebuilding requires leaders equipped with both intellectual depth and practical understanding. This Fellowship plays a critical role by bringing together academic excellence and real-world experience.
Sai Prakash Leo Muthu, funder of the Fellowship Programme and CEO, Sairam Institutions
Thank you to all involved in the successful 2026 programme
To all our 2026 UN fellows – your contributions to our community over the eight-week programme enriched discussions across the Department and strengthened the connection between academic research and policy practice.
As our Head of Department, Professor David Doyle, remarked, you are now members of the DPIR community for life. Our doors will always be open to you, and we look forward to following your future achievements.
We are also deeply grateful to DPIR's Professor Richard Caplan, Director of the Fellowship Programme, whose vision, leadership and commitment have been instrumental in establishing and delivering this unique partnership between Oxford and the United Nations. His dedication has created a valuable space for practitioners and scholars to learn from one another and engage with some of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary peace operations.
We look forward to welcoming the next cohort of UN Fellows in 2027!