The Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at the Stanford Institute for International Studies recently completed its first annual program "Stanford Summer Fellows On Democracy, and Development" which was held from August 1-19, 2005.

The program offered a unique approach to studying the ways in which democratic institutions (like political parties, competitive elections, and an independent judiciary) and institutions that foster economic development can be established and strengthened in varying country contexts. In contrast to other programs of democracy promotion that seek to transfer ready made models to countries in transition, the Stanford Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development program sought to provide a comparative perspective on the evolution of established democratic practices as well as a conceptual background into issues of democracy and good governance. The curriculum drew on the combined expertise of CDDRL staff and Stanford scholars and practitioners in the fields of sociology, business, economics, political science, and law and emphasized the links between theory and practice.

While traditional programs focus either on democratization, economic development, or the rule of law, the Stanford Summer Fellows Program sought to locate the points of interaction among these areas. Moreover, ideas and learning flowed two ways as participants brought their country and professional experiences into the seminars to help faculty and one another develop case-specific methodologies for addressing real-world problems of democratic and economic development.

Participating Stanford faculty and scholars including Michael McFaul, Larry Diamond, John McMillan, Gerhard Casper, Avner Greif, Peter Henry, and Tom Heller have been at the forefront of research at the junction of democratic advancement, economic growth, and issues surrounding the establishment of rule of law and human rights. We anticipate running the program again next year. If you are interested in applying, please watch our website for updated application information.