Origins and history

The Harkness Fellowships were first established in 1925 by the Commonwealth Fund of New York, a philanthropic foundation created by Edward Harkness in 1918. From the 1920s onwards, the Fellowships enabled young and mid-career professionals from a range of countries — including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Europe — to spend extended periods in the United States undertaking graduate study, research, and professional learning.

For much of the twentieth century, these Fellowships supported a diverse cohort of leaders across public service, academia, business, journalism, the arts, and civil society. For many New Zealanders, the experience proved life-changing, shaping careers and long-term contributions to public life.

In the mid-1990s, the Commonwealth Fund decided to refocus its Fellowship programme exclusively on health care policy and practice, aligning more closely with its core philanthropic mission. While this ensured the continuation of health-focused Harkness Fellowships internationally, it also meant that the broader, general-purpose Fellowship opportunity was no longer available.

The New Zealand Harkness Fellowships Trust

Recognising the enduring value of the original Fellowships, a small group of New Zealand Harkness alumni established the New Zealand Harkness Fellowships Trust (Inc.) by trust deed on 12 December 1997. The Trust was created to preserve the legacy of the general-purpose Harkness Fellowships and to continue promoting leadership exchange between New Zealand and the United States.

The establishment of the Trust, and its intention to award additional Fellowships for tenure in the US, was endorsed by the Commonwealth Fund.

In 2009, the Trust, in partnership with the New Zealand Government, formally re-established the New Zealand Harkness Fellowships as a general-purpose leadership programme. This ensured that senior leaders beyond the health sector could continue to access the Harkness experience and apply international learning to New Zealand’s most pressing social, economic, and policy challenges.

The Fellowship experience

New Zealand Harkness Fellows typically spend several months in the United States, embedded with leading government agencies, universities, research institutes, and think tanks. In addition to a primary host organisation, Fellows often travel more widely to build relationships, explore different policy and system contexts, and engage with a broad range of practitioners and thinkers.

Fellows are expected to act as cultural and professional ambassadors for New Zealand, contributing New Zealand perspectives while also learning from US experience. The Fellowship is designed as both a period of deep learning and a responsibility — with an expectation that insights will be shared and applied on return.

Alumni and legacy

New Zealand Harkness Fellows have come from a wide range of fields, including public and private sector leadership, law, policy, economics, academia, journalism, social science, education, the arts, and central and local government. Many have gone on to reach the highest levels of their professions, shaping public policy, institutions, and civic life in New Zealand.

Notable Fellows include senior public servants, leading academics, business and community leaders, and influential thinkers whose careers reflect the Fellowship’s emphasis on service, leadership, and contribution.

Harkness Fellows remain part of an active and enduring alumni community. The Fellowship is not a one-off experience, but a lifelong connection — grounded in international exchange, mutual learning, and a shared commitment to strengthening public leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Well-known Fellows include:

• Roger Blakeley ( former Secretary for the Environment, and Secretary of Internal Affairs), is currently Chief Planning Officer for the Auckland Council responsible for the Auckland Plan.
• Rob Cameron is Managing Director of Cameron Partners, an investment banking and private equity firm
• Peter Douglas is Chief Executive of Te Ohu Kai Moana, the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission
• Whaimutu Dewes, is Managing director at Whainiho Developments Ltd and a prominent Maori professional director
• Professor Sir Richard Faull, is a world renowned neuroscientist at the Auckland University Medical School
• Hugh Fletcher, is former Chief Executive of Fletcher Challenge, and a prominent businessman
• Andrew Kibblewhite is Chief Executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Dr Murray Milner is a former chief engineer at the Post Office and currently chair of the National Health IT Board
• Professor Ron Paterson, is currently Professor of Law at Auckland University, and formerly a highly regarded Health and Disability Commissioner
• Dr Karen Poutasi, is former Director General of Health, currently CE of the NZ Qualifications Authority
• Kara Puketapu, is a leader of the Te Āti Awa iwi in Waiwhetū, Lower Hutt,. He has a doctorate from the University of Chicago. Puketapu grew up in Taranaki and rose through the ranks of the Ministry of Maori Affairs (later named the Ministry of Māori Affairs and ultimately Te Puni Kōkiri) to become Secretary of Maori Affairs.
• Sir Bruce Robertson is a retired judge of the Court of Appeal and chairman of the Law Commission
• Sir John Robertson, was former Secretary of Justice and Chief Ombudsman ( deceased)
• Brian Tyler, is a former Auditor General
• Sir Wilson Whineray, was a renowned All Black captain and prominent business leader (recently deceased)
• Bridget Liddell, Managing Principal of Fahrenheit 212 Equity, provides leadership to companies seeking to successfully commercialise their products and services in the US.