Thinkers and doersmaking a difference
We are the Dias Fellows
A community of Europeans studying in the United States
The Dias Fellowship is a community of Europeans who came to the United States to study Business, Economics, Political Science or Government.
It was established by Anne Dias to benefit a dozen Fellows each year during their time at Harvard and inspire them to give back to society.
We are thinkers and doers
Annual Conference
The Conference is a three-day annual event organized for the Fellows to get together and meet with American and European leaders in business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship and the arts.
Annual Conference, 2026
Speakers
Leaders in diplomacy, business, philanthropy and the arts who have met the Fellows at the Annual Conference.
2026 speakers
Laurent Bili
Ambassador of France to the U.S.
David Martin Darst
Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Honorable Scott Bessent
Kristjan Prikk
Ambassador of Estonia to the U.S.
Gediminas Varvuolis
Ambassador designate of the Republic of Lithuania to the U.S.
Philippe Villeneuve
Chief Architect of Notre Dame de Paris
Adam J. White
American Enterprise Institute
2025 speakers
Tad Brown
CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Thomas Collins
Executive Director & President, The Barnes Foundation
Annie Duke
Decision Strategist, Author & Former Professional Poker Player
Brian Fitzpatrick
Congressman, US Congress
Ethan Mollick
Co-Director, Generative AI Labs at Wharton
Klaus Welle
Former Secretary-General, European Parliament, European People's Party (EPP) and European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD)
2024 speakers
Stéphane Bancel
Founder & CEO, Moderna
Charles Brizius III
CEO, 1251 Capital Group
Raj Chetty
Harvard University & Opportunity Insights
Gilles Gressani
Founder & Editor in Chief, Le Grand Continent
Jill Medvedow
Director, Institute of Contemporary Art
Megan O’Sullivan
Harvard Kennedy School. Director of the Belfer Center
Deval Patrick
Former Governor of Massachusetts
Romano Prodi
Former Prime Minister of Italy, Former President of the European Commission
2023 speakers
Cesar Conde
CEO, NBCUniversal News
Jessica Goldman Srebnick
CEO, Goldman Properties & Wynwood Walls
Arancha González
Director, Paris School of International Affairs, Former Foreign Minister of Spain
Jose Mas
CEO, MasTec & Owner, Inter Miami CF
Chester Ng
CEO, Atomic
Don Rubell
Founder of the Rubell Museum
Mera Rubell
Founder of the Rubell Museum
Francis X. Suarez
Mayor of the City of Miami
Mike Waltz
Congressman, US Congress
2022 speakers
Dan Coats
Former Director of National Intelligence, Former US Senator and Former US Ambassador to Germany
Philippe Étienne
Ambassador of France to the United States
Kenneth C. Griffin
Founder and CEO, Citadel
AB ’89
Edward Luce
US National Editor and Columnist, Financial Times
Édouard Philippe
Mayor of Le Havre & former Prime Minister of France
David Rubenstein
Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group
2020 speakers
Gérard Araud
Former Ambassador of France to the United States
Tom Bevan
Co-founder and President, RealClearPolitics
Ian Bremmer
President, Eurasia Group
Kenneth C. Griffin
Founder and CEO, Citadel
AB ’89
Madeleine Grynsztejn
Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art
Brad Keywell
Founder and CEO, Uptake, Founder, Groupon
John List
The Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and the College, University of Chicago
Todd Ricketts
Co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, Member of the Board of Directors for TD Ameritrade Holdings
2018 speakers
Daniel Casse
President, G100 Group Managing Partner, High Lantern Group
MPA ’89
François Delattre
The Ambassador of France to the United Nations
Delphine Gény-Stephann
former Deputy Minister for the Economy of the French Government
Kenneth C. Griffin
Founder and CEO, Citadel
AB ’89
Marie-Josée Kravis
Senior Fellow and Vice Chair, Hudson Institute
Enrico Letta
former Prime Minister of Italy, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Sciences Po Paris
Roberto Mignone
Founder and CEO, Bridger Capital
MBA ’96
Adrien Nussenbaum
Founder and CEO, Mirakl
Marty Schenker
Chief Content Officer, Bloomberg News
Bertrand Stephann
Founder and CEO, Alcméon
MBA ’97
Adam Weinberg
Director of the Whitney Museum
In their words
The Dias Fellowship is a rare and special community of leaders and thinkers at a time when it remains difficult to build community but when sharing perspectives and ideas is increasingly critical for solving tomorrow’s problems. The Dias Fellowship makes me feel empowered and optimistic about the necessity of my role in building a brighter future for others.
We as leaders of tomorrow are more alike to one another, irrespective of geographies, than we might be with people from our own nationality, thus it’s upon us to collaborate and work together to solve the world’s pressing issues.
The Dias Fellowship is a community of current and future leaders that fosters learning, growth and mutual support with the goal to help Fellows on their journey to have an impact on the world and pay it forward.
A few words from Anne Dias
I established this scholarship to benefit European students who come to Harvard for graduate school wanting to mirror my own experience. Like the Dias Fellows, I benefited from a fellowship, during my time at Harvard Business School; and like them, the fellowship allowed study regardless of financial considerations.
What is the Dias Fellowship about?
I was born near Strasbourg, France, of a French-German mother and French-Portuguese father, and I felt European well before there was a unified Europe on the political map! Before attending HBS, I first came to the US to study at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, with a stint at Goldman Sachs in London in between. Throughout my career, I have worked all over Europe, in Paris, London, Brussels, Bonn and Berlin.
After HBS, I worked for George Soros in New York for several years, before joining another hedge fund, Viking Global, at its launch. In 2001, I started my own fund, Aragon Global, with seed investments from Julian Robertson at Tiger. I built it over the years as one of the largest funds run by a woman. Ten years later, I turned it into a family office, which invests broadly across equities, principally in the US and Europe.
Despite the long hours it took to build the business and build a track record, I never lost sight of the common good. I was lucky to have mentors who devoted a significant chunk of time to philanthropy, and when Aragon turned into a family office, I followed their lead and started a foundation funding educational causes, especially scholarships and early childhood education.
What does it mean to be a Dias Fellow?
The mission of the Dias Fellowship is dual: to create an alumni community of Europeans that will gather annually for fellowship reunions, day trips, and lectures with the goal of meeting inspirational people and influential economic and business actors; and to help the Fellows get involved with non-profit initiatives, even at the beginning of their careers.
Although I grew up in France, where the State shoulders the vast majority of programs on anti-poverty, the arts, and scientific research, I have become a firm believer in the American system of non-profit funding. I have served on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, among others. And in the past few years, I have noticed that Europeans are starting to emulate some of these American systems of funding and non-profit involvement. I hope the fellowship can help its members in pursuing this path.
The Dias Fellowship will give the Fellows the chance to meet and get to know one another during the school year and after graduation.
I am proud to be a part of making the Dias Fellows’ education a meaningful one.
Anne Dias
The Fellows
The Sir Demis Hassabis Class of 2025-2026
5 Fellows
The Thomas Paine Class of 2024-2025
12 Fellows
The Michel David-Weill Class of 2023-2024
12 Fellows
The Julian Robertson Class of 2022-2023
11 Fellows
The Marquis de Lafayette Class of 2021-2022
11 Fellows
The Madeleine Albright Class of 2020-2021
12 Fellows
The Bertha Honoré Palmer Class of 2019-2020
12 Fellows
The Henry Kissinger Class of 2018-2019
13 Fellows
The Alexis de Tocqueville Class of 2017-2018
13 Fellows
Other Classes
7 Fellows
Apply
The Dias Fellowship aims to provide a graduate education at Harvard regardless of financial considerations. Students who have been admitted to Harvard Business School (HBS) and/or the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) are eligible to apply for support from the Dias Fellowship. You may enter the selection process in either of the following ways.
You have been admitted to HBS and are a citizen of one of these countries
- France
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Spain
- Belgium
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Portugal
- Austria
- Ireland
- the Netherlands
- Nordic countries
- Greece
- Process
- The fellowship is awarded as part of the overall HBS financial aid process. Complete the financial aid application provided to you by the Financial Aid Office. If you will receive need-based fellowship aid, you will automatically be considered for the Fellowship.
- Eligibility
- Financial aid is awarded based on demonstrated need, with the amount varying by situation. For details on how financial need is determined and whether you may be eligible, please see the HBS MBA financial aid website. The awards are renewable for each year of the degree program, up to 2 years. HBS MBA financial aid (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline
- As noted by HBS in your admissions package. Selected recipients will receive notification in the early fall after matriculation.
- Contact
- HBS Financial Aid Office
admissions@hbs.edu
You have been admitted to HBS* or HKS and are a citizen of France
- France
- Process
- Apply directly through the Committee on General Scholarships and specify that you are applying to the Dias Fellowship.
- Awards
- The awards will cover a portion of the cost of attendance and will be renewable for each year of the degree program, up to 2 years.
- Contact
- Committee on General Scholarships
cgs@fas.harvard.edu
*All students are encouraged to apply, regardless of whether you are receiving need-based aid at HBS.
Contact
Questions about the fellowship, the Annual Conference or your application? Write to us and we will reply by email.