Fellowships and Scholarships

Columbia Business School’s newest institutional fellowship program, Columbia Fellows, rewards select entering students who have demonstrated the greatest potential to lead the world’s enterprises. The recipients of this prestigious fellowship will have proven themselves to be innovators, leaders, and creative thinkers in their professional, academic, and extracurricular activities.

Columbia Fellows are honored by:

• A partial-tuition award
• Special access to Columbia Business School’s unparalleled network of business leaders, many of who are either based in or frequently visit New York City
• Lifelong membership in an elite group of similarly talented students and alumni

The Board of Overseers Fellowship is awarded by the School’s Board of Overseers to incoming students who exhibit exceptional academic and professional promise. The board is composed of nearly 100 accomplished men and women — each a global leader in one of a wide range of industries, from financial services to manufacturing to technology to the arts. The Board of Overseers Fellowship, which brings with it a partial-tuition award, is available for the first year of study only.

One of the School’s most prestigious awards, the Feldberg Fellowship is given each year to select entering students who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential, as well as academic excellence. Ambitious and energetic, these entering students will have a proven record of success in areas as diverse as entrepreneurship, finance, military, and social enterprise. Selection as a Feldberg Fellow provides full tuition and lifelong membership in an elite group of similarly driven students, alumni, and donors.

Professor Meyer Feldberg ’65 ended his 15-year tenure as dean of Columbia Business School in June 2004. Henry R. Kravis ’69, founding partner of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and a member of the School’s Board of Overseers, led an effort by alumni and supporters of the School to honor Professor Feldberg by establishing a $10 million fellowship program in his honor. Their gift ensures a continued tradition of leadership at Columbia Business School.

By their generosity, these donors — many of them leaders in their own fields who will serve as an ongoing resource to the Feldberg Fellows — underscored their dual commitment to Columbia Business School and excellence in business.

Professor Meyer Feldberg served as dean of Columbia Business School from 1989 to 2004. He is a director of Federated Department Stores, Inc., Primedia Inc., Revlon, Inc., Sappi Limited, Select Medical Corporation, and UBS Funds. Before joining Columbia, he served as dean of Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business and as president of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Sponsors of the Meyer Feldberg Distinguished Fellowship Program

The Ferri Scholarship provides financial assistance to Columbia Business School students from Italy. Ferri Scholars are chosen from among talented Italian entrepreneurs and individuals with demonstrated financial need who show aptitude as future innovators and who possess passion and vision in the field of technology. The Ferri Scholarship partially covers tuition costs for one year and is renewable for the second year of study provided strong academic standards are achieved. Students under consideration for the Ferri Scholarship may be contacted to submit additional materials, including proof of financial position.

R. C. Kopf endowed the first R. C. Kopf Fellowship and the R. C. Kopf Professorship in International Marketing in 1980. A 1927 graduate of Columbia Business School, Kopf credited the School’s international business focus for much of his professional success, including the establishment of the Kobrand Corporation. Today, Kopf’s children and their spouses carry his commitment to enhancing the international character of Columbia Business School. Thanks to their generosity, the School offers several Kopf Fellowships each year to students with a demonstrated interest in international business.The Kopf Fellows are diverse and highly accomplished, not only in the academic realm but also in the breadth of personal and professional experience that they contribute to the School’s community. French, British, Italian, and US citizens are eligible to be considered for the Kopf Fellowship.

The Lababidi Family Foundation, based in Nigeria, has endowed the Chief M. F. Lababidi Fellowship Fund to provide financial support for study towards the School’s MBA degree. In awarding the fellowship, the School will give preference to students who have lived, worked, or studied in Nigeria. More broadly, the fellowship is intended to support students from Africa.

Omar Lababidi, a 2007 alumnus of Columbia Business School and spokesperson for the Lababidi family said, “We are proud to support African students at Columbia, one of the world’s leading business schools. Now more than ever, solid business and leadership skills are required to meet the demands of an increasingly global marketplace and to develop sustainable economic growth in Africa. My experience at Columbia was transformative, and we want to help future students benefit as well.”

Professor Amir Ziv, vice dean and Samberg faculty director, said, “One of Columbia’s great strengths is its global alumni network, and Mr. Lababidi epitomizes the commitment of our alumni to the School. We are very appreciative of the Lababidi family’s generosity in providing this fellowship to future students from the African continent.”

The fellowship is based on student merit and awarded to enrolled students at Columbia Business School.

The Ela Lemelbaum Scholarship provides financial support to Columbia Business School students from Israel. The scholarship is awarded with special consideration given to students living in Israel or those who have studied at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel.

The Ela Lemelbaum Scholarship, a US $15,000 award, partially covers tuition costs for one year and is renewable for the second year of study provided strong academic standards are achieved. Students under consideration for the Lemelbaum Scholarship may be contacted to submit additional materials.

The Project Charity Trust (PCT) Fellowship Program provides financial assistance to admitted Columbia Business School students from the European Union. Assistance is awarded to students who have not only demonstrated past success in academic and professional endeavors but also a significant commitment to philanthropy. The PCT Fellowship aims to create a community of people dedicated to improving the lives of others. Special consideration is giving to those students who are pursuing career plans in Europe. This fellowship is funded by PCT, a charitable trust under the law of England and Wales, and is administered jointly by Columbia Business School and the PCT Fellowship Committee.

The PCT Fellowship covers partial tuition for one year and is renewable for the recipient’s second year of study provided strong academic standards are achieved. European Union citizens are eligible for the PCT Fellowship.

The Haldun Tashman Fellowship was established in April 2001 to provide financial assistance for admitted Columbia Business School students of Turkish descent. The fellowship is awarded to students who have demonstrated past success in academic, professional, or personal endeavors and who show future promise of continued high achievement. Tashman Fellows must exhibit a sincere desire to improve the lives of others. To qualify for this fellowship, students must also demonstrate financial need. Past recipients have displayed evidence of high integrity, drive, and leadership skills.

Prospective candidates for this award are initially identified by the Columbia Business School Selection Committee and subsequently reviewed by the donor prior to final selection. The donor reserves the right not to award the fellowship in any given year if no suitable candidate is found.

The award is for US $15,000 toward the cost of tuition for three to five students for one year, payable directly to the School. The Haldun Tashman Fellowship is renewable for the recipient’s second year of study pending satisfactory completion of the first academic year, fulfillment of the year-end reporting requirement by the student, and no proven violations of the University’s code of conduct. Students under consideration for the Tashman Fellowship may be required to submit additional materials to document their financial positions.

The Gerardo Werthein Scholarship was created to provide financial support for study towards the School’s MBA degree. In awarding the scholarship, the School will give preference to students who have lived, worked, or studied in Argentina. The awarded students should be interested in returning to Argentina at some point in their career and willing to volunteer their expertise to the nonprofit and public sectors. The scholarship is based on student financial need and awarded to enrolled students at Columbia Business School.