Higher education is an essential long-term investment for addressing major social issues. Trained people who are also socially committed and morally responsible leaders can identify and address urgent needs in their communities. This is the basis for social advancement and economic development.

IFP graduates bring new knowledge and skills to social justice issues in their communities.

In India, for example, alumni from tribal areas are working with vulnerable populations to protect land rights and promote economic development.

In Brazil, the first indigenous person to earn a doctoral degree has shown the country that indigenous people can succeed at the highest educational levels.

Elsewhere, Fellows and alumni have established rural health clinics, and work in government, civil society organizations and universities on practical programs, advocacy, and training in such fields as bilingual education, agricultural productivity, the arts, and women’s rights.