Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has announced the creation of the Mena Graduate Fellowship Fund underwritten by a $1 million gift from the Norwegian oil and gas company DNO International.
 
The fellowship will support qualified applicants who enroll at HKS through the Edward S. Mason Program.

The internationally-focused Mason Program brings accomplished professionals from around the world to earn a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) degree, with a focus on developing analytical and leadership skills.
 
"My DNO International colleagues, which include two other HKS graduates, and I are pleased to help support access to the finest school of public policy in the world by the most talented mid-career students from a region undergoing dramatic societal transformation," said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, MPA 1982 and DNO International's executive chairman.
 
The program will cover tuition, fees and living expenses for the one-year term of the Mason Program, with awards available beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.

Along with the rigorous MC/MPA curriculum, the Mason Program offers intensive co-curricular activities including targeted seminars and workshops culminating in the Mason Certificate in Public Policy and Management.
 
"We are deeply grateful to DNO International for this outstanding support to students from the Mena region and for the leadership that Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani has shown in this effort," remarked David Ellwood, the Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy and Dean of HKS.

"These students represent a region of great importance to the world, and we are fortunate to play a role in developing their knowledge and expertise in working towards the public good. We look forward to welcoming the first beneficiaries of this fellowship," he added.
 
Oslo-based DNO International was founded in 1971 and is Norway's oldest publicly listed oil and gas company. It is active in Oman, Yemen, the UAE, Somaliland, Tunisia and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Mossavar-Rahmani and his wife Sharmin have a longstanding connection to the Kennedy School and to public service education, having endowed the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government with a commitment to research, scholarship, and teaching to address some of society's most challenging problems at the intersection of business and government.

Ellen K. Dyvik, MPA 1990, is a member of DNO International's Board of Directors. Anita H. Aarnæs, MPA 1983, is DNO International's Director of Human Resources.-TradeArabia News Service