Yale Directors Forum Fellowship

The Yale Directors Forum is a highly selective 18-month fellowship program for global leaders in the culture and heritage sector. Fellows are trailblazers and change agents who are building museums, cultural centers, libraries, archives and organizations that play an important role in stewarding cultural heritage for present and future generations. 

Through interaction with leading global practitioners, engagement with expertise across Yale, and connections within each cohort, the Forum provides an exciting opportunity for fellows to expand their executive leadership skills, grow their professional networks and strengthen their organization’s capacity in the preservation and care of collections. 

The Yale Directors Forum selects a diverse group of executive leaders of museums and cultural institutions from across the Global South. In the first cohort, the Forum will place a strategic focus on the African continent. Fellows meet the following criteria and requirements:  

• Serve as the chief executive or director of a cultural institution based on the African continent in operation for at least 2 years (museum, cultural center, archive, library, etc.).  
• Oversee the management and care of a collection including artistic, cultural and historical objects (paintings, photography, sculpture, books, papers, etc.).  
• Demonstrate leadership in serving underserved groups and communities.  
• Communicate a clear vision, mission, and strategy for their organization.  
• Eager to expand their learning and deepen professional networks.

The Yale Directors Forum is focused on supporting visionary leaders to achieve growth and improvements within their organizations through participant-centered learning, coaching and advisory services, and the development of a diverse professional network. 

Fellows will convene for two in-person sessions over the course of the 18-month program from February 2024 through June 2025. Each in-person session will include a series of seminars with leading global practitioners, site visits and peer learning. 

In addition, fellows will engage in a series of structured sessions with an executive coach and collaborate with Yale IPCH staff to embark on the planning of their first collections care program or an updated program within their institution designed to preserve art, historical and cultural material heritage. 

The program is tuition-free and culminates in a non-degree certificate from Yale University.