CERGE-EI Career Integration Fellowships for Western-Educated Economists Returning to Central and Eastern Europe
The application window for fellowships beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year is open. The deadline for applications is 17 April 2026.
Full details about how to apply can be found in the call for applications document. Download the PDF here.
Email queries should be directed to teaching.fellows@cerge-ei-foundation.org
Passion and commitment: CERGE-EI Foundation Teaching Fellows
CERGE-EI Foundation Teaching Fellows are committed young professionals who return to universities across Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus to teach modern, market-based economics to the next generation. Some pursue full-time academic careers as Career Integration Fellows (CIFs), while others serve as Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), teaching part-time while completing their PhDs or working in the public or private sector.
All Fellows have received graduate training from leading Western universities and form a supportive professional community as they navigate the challenges of teaching and research in their home institutions.
Economics education remains one of the least reformed sectors across much of the post-communist world. At many institutions, professors earn salaries that require them to take on multiple jobs to make ends meet. Teaching materials are often outdated, and opportunities for professional development are limited.
As a result, weak instruction leaves future voters and leaders with an incomplete understanding of how free markets function and why they matter. Without exposure to sound economic reasoning, students miss opportunities to develop the critical thinking needed to address the economic and institutional challenges facing their societies—ultimately constraining prospects for openness, growth, and prosperity across the region.
