Journalists: Interested in the Nieman Fellowship program? Join us online for a live Q&A session on Wednesday, October 21, to find out what it’s like to spend a year studying as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
Three current international fellows will be in conversation with Henry Chu, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, to discuss their experience of the application process, the Nieman program, and life on the Harvard campus. You’ll hear useful insights and tips from:
- Juan Pablo Barrientos, investigations editor, CasaMacondo (Colombia)
- Maurice Oniang’o, investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker (Kenya)
- Vivian Pasquet, science reporter and editor, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin (Germany)
This webinar is for you if you’re considering applying for a spot in the Nieman Class of 2028 (whether as an international or a U.S. fellow) or simply want to learn more about the fellowship program. Questions may be submitted live or in advance on our registration page.
When: Wednesday, October 21, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4)
Where: Live on Zoom.
How to participate: Register for a link to our webinar.
Please note that we will host a second Q&A with several of our U.S. fellows later this year. However, as the application process is the same for everyone (except the deadline), this first session will also be useful for prospective U.S. fellows. Both discussions will be recorded for viewing on YouTube.
Application deadlines for the Class of 2028:
- International Nieman Fellowships (non-U.S. citizens, including those working in the U.S.): December 1, 2026
- U.S. Nieman Fellowships (U.S. citizens, including those working outside the U.S.): January 31, 2027
Learn more about Nieman Fellowships.
How to Apply
FAQ
Our speakers:
Juan Pablo Barrientos is the investigations editor at CasaMacondo, a Colombian digital news outlet he co-founded in 2023. His reporting focuses on sexual abuse, land dispossession, corruption, and abuses of power. He previously worked for the Colombian news organizations W Radio, Caracol Radio, and Vorágine, served as director of the television news program Teleantioquia Noticias, and was a Washington correspondent for La Fm and Noticias RCN. Barrientos has taught journalism at five Colombian universities and is a three-time winner of the Simón Bolívar National Journalism Award (2018, 2020, 2022), the 2023 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award, and a finalist in the 2026 inaugural Stringer Awards. He secured four Constitutional Court rulings in Colombia establishing legal precedents for journalists’ access to information.
Maurice Oniang’o is a Kenyan investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker whose work exposes systemic abuses and institutional failures across East Africa. He has reported for The Guardian, Foreign Policy, National Geographic, Columbia Journalism Review, Al Jazeera, Africa Uncensored, and 100Reporters, covering corruption, social justice, labor exploitation, wildlife crime, and the changing media landscape. His investigations have prompted parliamentary inquiries and policy reviews. A National Geographic Explorer, he also has contributed to documentary programs such as National Geographic’s “Ultimate Vipers,” “NTV Wild,” and “Tazama.” Oniang’o specializes in OSINT, financial analysis, and cross-border investigations. His work has earned numerous honors, including the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award, the AFPC-USA Scholarship Award, and multiple Media Council of Kenya awards.
Vivian Pasquet is a reporter and editor for Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin who specializes mainly in narrative science journalism. She previously was a staff writer for GEO magazine and a contributor to Der Spiegel. A trained physician, Pasquet presents complex medical topics in a way that centers the people involved. She is interested in how scientific progress shapes society and has reported extensively on vaccines. Her reporting has won several awards, including the Holtzbrinck Prize for Science Journalism (in 2025 and 2019) and the Reporter Forum’s 2021 Reporter:innen-Preis. Germany’s Medium Magazine has ranked her among the Top Ten Science Journalists every year since 2017.
