How to Apply

Overview

In the academic year 2021-2022, The Freedom Project at Wellesley College will sponsor a seminar-size cohort of Adam Smith fellows. The Adam Smith Fellowship program involves intensive student reading and research on the themes of liberty and freedom, broadly defined. Particular attention is placed on engaging in debates and dialogues and expanding the range of ideas to include those that are underrepresented in American higher educational institutions.

Adam Smith Fellowships are highly selective and honor Wellesley students who are deeply committed to the rigorous life of the mind and the development of a commitment to the intellectual diversity, pluralism, and tolerance that is necessary in the modern world.

Adam Smith Fellows enjoy special opportunities to meet and network with prominent public figures, global scholars, and professionals by attending talks that the Freedom Project sponsors, traveling to conferences focusing on freedom and liberty in the United States and abroad, and participating in fully funded internships worldwide.

Expectations and Responsibilities of Fellowship

Adam Smith Fellows are expected to:

• Participate in the monthly meetings of The Freedom Seminar.
• Attend all lectures by visiting speakers. Lecture days and times vary.
• Attend the entirety of the lecture, and notify the Program Manager or Director of any conflicts as soon as possible.
• Engage in a research project throughout the course of the year and present research at the annual student organized conference in the Spring.  Fellows will be paired with post docs or faculty mentors to support their research.
• Participate in the Freedom Project Wintersession Seminar, which takes place in the third week in January.  Fellows must commit to participating in this Wintersession seminar as part of the fellowship requirements.

Eligibility and Application

Any Wellesley student, regardless of class year, political or philosophical orientation or major, may apply to the Adam Smith Fellowship Program. First-year students are especially encouraged to apply in order to benefit from the range of opportunities that the Freedom Project network offers throughout a Wellesley career. The only prerequisite for participation is a commitment to the free exchange of ideas, freedom of expression, tolerance, and intellectual pluralism. The term of the Fellowship extends through the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. The application should include:

• An interpretive essay on the theme, “The Meaning of Free Speech and Academic Freedom on College Campuses,” no longer than two double-spaced pages.
• A suggestion of source (a book, excerpt, article or film) that you think would be appropriate to review in the Freedom Seminar, and on which you might want to lead a discussion. A brief explanation of why you think the resource is important should be provided, no more than one paragraph.

Those who have met all of the expectations and responsibilities of the Fellowship will receive a stipend upon completion of the Fellowship in the Spring.

An information session about the 2021-2022 Adam Smith Fellows program will be held on September 16th at 5:00 PM at Davis Museum Plaza Tent, and applications will be accepted until September 24th. Applications should be sent as attachments to:  freedomproject@wellesley.edu with a copy to the Seminar Coordinator at:  st101@wellesley.edu.

Inquiries and questions should be directed to Serhan Tanriverdi, st101@wellesley.edu or freedomproject@wellesley.edu.