The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard Kennedy School has announced its 2026–27 fellowship cohort, bringing together 43 scholars, practitioners and leaders working across some of the world’s most pressing human rights challenges.
Announced on August 7, 2026, the new cohort brings experience spanning law, public policy, diplomacy, journalism, academia, public health, technology, advocacy and community organizing.
The fellows will spend the academic year contributing to the intellectual and professional life of Harvard Kennedy School while advancing research and projects connected to their areas of expertise.
Their work covers a wide range of issues, including democratic governance, racial justice, migration, LGBTQI+ rights, public health, artificial intelligence, digital rights and U.S. foreign policy.
Carr-Ryan Center Brings Global Human Rights Expertise to Harvard
The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights is using its 2026–27 fellowship programme to bring experienced professionals and researchers into closer engagement with Harvard Kennedy School students and faculty.
Throughout the academic year, fellows will participate in Center programming and public events, lead study groups and pursue research alongside the wider Harvard Kennedy School community.
The programme is designed to connect practical experience with academic research and policy discussions.
This year’s cohort includes professionals who have worked in government, international organizations, universities, journalism, civil society, technology and public health.
43 Fellows Will Work Across Major Human Rights Issues
The Carr-Ryan Center’s new cohort is organized across several fellowship areas, each addressing a different aspect of contemporary human rights work.
These include:
- Human Rights & U.S. Foreign Policy
- Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights
- Racial Justice
- Technology & Human Rights
- Broader Carr-Ryan Center human rights research and practice
The diversity of these areas reflects how human rights increasingly intersects with technology, healthcare, migration, international relations, democracy and social policy.
Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy Fellows
The Human Rights & U.S. Foreign Policy Senior Fellows will focus on advancing human rights as an important part of U.S. foreign policy while connecting experienced practitioners with future public leaders.
The group includes Paul Angelo, a former U.S. Defense Department official and Latin America policy expert; Tom Andrews, a former U.S. Congressman and UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur; and Anne Boyajian, a former Freedom House president and human rights policy leader.
Other fellows in this group include Matthew Bugher, Anna Cave, Kelly Fay Rodríguez and Jessica Stern.
Their backgrounds include international human rights law, atrocity prevention, international labour affairs, diplomacy and LGBTQI+ human rights.
Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellows
The Carr-Ryan Center is also welcoming a group dedicated specifically to Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights.
The programme brings together advocates, researchers and practitioners working to strengthen LGBTQI+ rights through policy, advocacy and research.
Rachel Levine, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, physician and Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, will serve as the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Senior Fellow.
The group also includes Rémy Bonny, Jasmin Lilian Diab, Imani Alpha, Harleen Kaur, Francisco Ruiz and Kimberly Zieselman.
Their expertise spans forced migration, refugee rights, public health equity, psychology, narrative justice, transgender rights and intersex rights.
Technology and Human Rights Take Center Stage
One of the most prominent themes within the 2026–27 Carr-Ryan Center cohort is the relationship between technology and human rights.
The Technology & Human Rights Fellows will examine how emerging technologies can affect democracy, accountability and individual freedoms.
Their work includes areas such as:
- Artificial intelligence governance
- Digital rights
- Data governance
- Privacy
- Surveillance
- Internet policy
- Technology regulation
- AI and healthcare
- Gene editing
- Digital justice
The group includes Elizabeth Atori, a Ugandan human rights lawyer specializing in digital rights and AI governance, and Paige Benton, a South African political philosopher researching AI, politics and digital justice.
Other fellows include Linda Bonyo, an African AI and data governance leader; Sarah Creedon, a human rights diplomat; Stephen Damianos, a technology and human rights scholar; and Elena Estavillo Flores, a Latin American AI governance and digital rights leader.
The cohort also includes Ragheb Ghandour, Arthur Gwagwa, Andreas Haupt, Inés Huergo González, aleja jimenez jaramillo, Anna F.Y. Kwok, Nathalie Maréchal and Marianna Poyares.
Their participation comes as governments, businesses and civil society organizations continue to grapple with the human rights implications of rapidly developing technologies.
Racial Justice Fellows Will Examine Inequality and Rights
The Racial Justice Fellows will focus on research connecting domestic civil rights with international human rights frameworks.
The group includes Subini Ancy Annamma, a Stanford University professor and disability and youth justice advocate; Gerald Higginbotham, a University of Virginia professor studying race, rights and public policy; Jessica Jackson, CEO of REFORM Alliance; and Chezare A. Warren, a Vanderbilt University professor researching race, Black youth wellbeing and education.
Their work covers issues including systemic racism, education, disability, youth wellbeing and criminal justice reform.
Carr-Ryan Fellows Bring Expertise From Around the World
The broader Carr-Ryan Fellows group adds another layer of international and professional expertise to the 2026–27 cohort.
Among them are Nicolás Albertoni, a former Uruguayan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and foreign policy scholar, and Yousur Al-Hlou, a former New York Times visual journalist who documented war crimes and human rights issues.
The group also includes Bineta Diop, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security.
Other Carr-Ryan Fellows include Reid Jewett Smith, Bahman Khodadadi, Rasha Khoury, Marie Plaisime, Khatuna Salukvadze and Sarah Zoen.
Their areas of work include disability inclusion, international law, healthcare, AI and human rights, democracy, international security, sustainability and responsible business.
African Perspectives Feature in the New Cohort
The 2026–27 Carr-Ryan Center cohort includes several professionals whose work focuses on African policy, technology, human rights and women’s rights.
Bineta Diop brings extensive experience in African women’s rights, peace and security.
Technology-focused fellows including Elizabeth Atori, Linda Bonyo, Paige Benton and Arthur Gwagwa bring perspectives on digital rights, AI governance and technology policy connected to Africa and other regions.
Their participation adds international perspectives to discussions taking place at the Carr-Ryan Center, particularly as governments around the world develop new approaches to artificial intelligence and digital governance.
Fellows Will Engage With Harvard Students and Faculty
The new fellows will not simply conduct independent research.
The Carr-Ryan Center says they will actively engage with the Harvard Kennedy School community through public events, Center programming and study groups.
Their professional experience will provide students with opportunities to learn directly from people working on human rights issues in government, international affairs, technology, journalism, healthcare, academia and civil society.
The fellows will also pursue research and projects connected to their own professional expertise.
Why the 2026–27 Cohort Matters
The new cohort arrives at a time when human rights questions are becoming increasingly connected to emerging areas of public policy.
Artificial intelligence is creating new debates around privacy, surveillance, discrimination and accountability.
Migration continues to raise questions about refugee and human rights protections.
Public health, racial justice, LGBTQI+ rights and democratic governance remain major areas of international policy and research.
The Carr-Ryan Center’s decision to bring together experts from such different disciplines reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of these challenges.
What the Fellowship Means for Future Human Rights Leaders
The new cohort also demonstrates the range of professional backgrounds that can contribute to human rights work.
The fellows are not drawn exclusively from traditional human rights organizations.
Their experience includes:
Law and policy — working on legislation, international law and public policy.
Diplomacy — shaping foreign policy and international relations.
Technology — addressing AI, digital rights, privacy and governance.
Journalism — documenting human rights abuses and bringing issues to public attention.
Public health — addressing health equity and human rights.
Academia — conducting research and developing new approaches to complex social issues.
Advocacy — working with communities and organizations to advance rights and social change.
For students and early-career professionals interested in human rights, this highlights the many different routes into the field.
The Future of Human Rights Work Is Increasingly Multidisciplinary
One of the clearest themes emerging from the Carr-Ryan Center’s 2026–27 cohort is that human rights work increasingly requires expertise across multiple disciplines.
A technology lawyer may need to understand AI governance.
A public health professional may need to consider human rights.
A diplomat may need to understand digital technologies.
A researcher studying migration may need to understand international law and public policy.
This multidisciplinary approach is reflected throughout the new cohort.
Final Thoughts
The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights has welcomed 43 fellows for the 2026–27 academic year, creating a diverse community of scholars and practitioners focused on some of the world’s most consequential human rights issues.
Their expertise spans human rights, foreign policy, LGBTQI+ rights, racial justice, technology, artificial intelligence, digital rights, public health, migration and international security.
Over the coming academic year, the fellows will contribute to research, public events, study groups and discussions at Harvard Kennedy School.
For aspiring human rights professionals, the cohort also provides an important example of how careers in the field can combine law, policy, technology, research, journalism, healthcare, diplomacy and advocacy.
As human rights challenges become increasingly interconnected with technological and geopolitical change, the work of institutions such as the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights will remain important in preparing researchers, practitioners and future leaders to respond to those challenges.
About the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights
The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard Kennedy School brings together scholars, practitioners, students and other members of the Harvard community to advance research, education and engagement around human rights.
Source
Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, Harvard Kennedy School, “Announcing the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights 2026–27 Fellows,” August 7, 2026.
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