Under William P. Fuller's leadership, support of conflict resolution initiatives ranged from traditional village level mechanisms to more formal institutions of conflict resolution. The fellowship reflects the Foundation's long-standing interest in the field and Dr. Fuller's personal concern for furthering the professional development of a cadre of young Asians with leadership potential and a commitment to strengthening scholarship and applied approaches in conflict resolution.
The Foundation's Country Representatives throughout the Asia-Pacific region nominate candidates for review by a Selection Committee of senior staff in San Francisco. Mr. Deepak Thapa, Director of the Social Science Baha in Nepal and a widely respected authority on the Maoist insurgency in his country, was awarded the first fellowship.
Dr. Lu Lei, Director of the Research Center of Social Issues, Institute of Rural Development in China's Academy of Sciences, was selected as the second recipient of the William P. Fuller Fellowship. Affiliated with the University of California Berkeley's Center for Chinese Studies as a Visiting Fellow in Spring 2007, Dr. Lei pursued his research interests on China's land issues. His resulting paper on "Land Rights and Village Organizations" described the major issues underlying China's land system and its adverse effect on farmers.