The Yegor Gaidar Fellowship Program in Economics & Public Policy

The Yegor Gaidar Fellowship Program in Economics & Public Policy is a program of the U.S. Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF) and IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board). The fellowship provides opportunities for leading Russian economists and specialists in economic public policy to conduct collaborative research with U.S. economic experts, in order to strengthen the human capacity at Russian institutions in formulating public policy. It is named in honor of Yegor Gaidar (1956-2009), the first Minister of Economy and Finance of the RSFSR, the first Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of Democratic Choice of Russia, and Member of the State Duma.

Gaidar Fellows are chosen through a merit-based and open competition to spend approximately six months at a U.S. think tank or university according to their research focus and professional expertise. Fellows, along with their collaborators, engage in policy-relevant research at a host institution, leading to a co-authored white paper to be presented at conferences in the U.S. and Russia.

Goals

• Provide leading Russian economists engaged in public policy with the opportunity to work at a government institution, think tank or university in the United States

• Support collaborative research between U.S. and Russian economists in the area of public policy

• Develop bi-lateral partnerships between U.S. and Russian economic experts in order to strengthen human capacity at Russian institutions in formulating public policy for entrepreneurship, economic diversification, technological innovation, and globalization

Project Activities

Gaidar fellows focus on a diverse range of economic and public policy research including the formation of international trade policy in Russia and the United States, multi-national investment strategies, energy policy and the development of the energy market.

While in the United States, Gaidar fellows enlarge their networks of professional contacts, inform and educate the public about key policy issues of crucial importance to both nations, and attend conferences in order to support the success of the joint research project.

The collaborative research results of the Gaidar Fellow and U.S. collaborator are released at a closing program conference that is held in Moscow, Russia.