Jack R. Howard
International Fellowships

An endowment at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism honors the journalistic legacy of Jack R. Howard with fellowships to international journalists pursuing a master's degree. In Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Arab World, and the Far East, free press is just being born, and that makes it possible for the fellows to return home and be true journalistic pioneers in their countries.They serve as role models, mentors and educators to their colleagues. The Howard Fellows bring a richness of experience and a unique perspective to the journalism school and contribute tremendously to the overall experience of the entire student body.

The fellowships provide full room, board, tuition, and travel for the 10-month program, and fellows participate in special lecture and discussion programs on journalistic norms, cultural values, and the challenges they will face in their professional futures. There is a strong press freedom component built into the program, and fellows are introduced to a broad variety of institutions in New York, ranging from the Committee to Protect Journalists to U.N. and foundation officials with interests in their regions.

2009 Fellows

Solomon Adebayo, 38, was born in Nigeria. His experience during secondary school as editor of his college magazine helped him become aware of how the media can be used as a catalyst for change.

After his secondary education, he went on to study English language at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. With a bachelor's degree in English language, he joined a national daily, Diet Newspaper, as a sub-editor/proof reader in 1997. He left the newspaper in 2000 to work for Radio Nigeria as an editor/reporter covering the environment. After three years as an environment correspondent, he moved on to head the Human Rights desk. He then became an investigative reporter with a major interest in anti-corruption, good governance and human rights.

Mustafa Vural has two bachelor's degrees in Political Science/International Relations and Sociology from Turkey's elite Bogazici University. He worked for a year as an assistant at Professor Haluk Sahin's live television debate program. Subsequently, he earned a master's degree in Politics and Society of Israel at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he studied Hebrew and Literary Arabic. Before coming to Columbia, he worked as a freelance television producer for Reuters in Turkey.

Vural's goal at Columbia is to learn how to think like a journalist by broadening his perspective and improve his reporting and writing skills. After graduating from Columbia, he hopes to combine his new skills with his academic background on Turkey and the Middle East and his command of several western and Middle Eastern languages so that he can become a valuable and respected Middle East correspondent.

For information about the fellowships, contact Josh Friedman, director, International Program, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, 1-212-854-9148 or jf125@columbia.edu.