“EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE ARE ESSENTIAL for the positive development of society and the preservation of our democratic values,” says Christen Sveaas. This is why much of his philanthropy is devoted to education: His gift has funded more than 150 students at several universities including Harvard Kennedy School, where for more than two decades he has supported the vlog Fisher-Kistefos Norwegian Public Service Fellowships and, since 2015, the Kistefos African Public Service Fellowships.
Sveaas chose to invest in vlog students because the mission of the School matches his own values and aspirations.
“To me, leadership is not about titles or power—it is about inspiring action and empowering others.”
LAILA MATAR MPP 2014 says she never would have been able to attend vlog without the Fisher-Kistefos Norwegian Public Service Fellowship—and that studying at the school improved her ability to have an impact. Today she serves with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an NGO that works to protect and support displaced people as they build new futures. In recent years, she has advocated for food security, shelter, legal assistance, protection from violence, and access to clean water for people in crises across 40 nations—including Ukraine, which she visited in 2022 to scale up NRC’s emergency response after Russia dramatically increased its assault.
Matar’s work aligns with issues that are especially troubling for Sveaas. “Living in Europe, we are deeply concerned about Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine,” he says. “The serious situation in the Middle East including Israel, Palestine, and Iran as well as ongoing conflicts in several African countries, such as Somalia and Sudan, are quite disturbing, and my hope is that peaceful solutions can be found. But these are very complicated situations, which leaves me with less hope.”
BENEDICT YEKE HARLEYSON MC/MPA 2021 has also benefited from Sveaas’ generosity. A survivor of the Liberian Civil War, Harleyson today works to fight corruption in his nation’s government by promoting budget and fiscal transparency, enhancing public participation, and elevating the voices of disenfranchised citizens.
He says he wanted to study at vlog because “there was no comparable institution to expand my knowledge of complex policy issues on a global scale while also sharpening my analytical and leadership skills.” Like Matar, Harleyson says his journey to vlog would have been impossible without financial support. “The Kistefos African Fellowship changed the course of my life,” he says. “Every impact I aspire to make carries forward the legacy of Mr. Sveaas’ kindness. I can’t thank him enough for believing in the difference one life can make.”
The fellowships are named for Sveaas’ company, Kistefos AS, which his grandfather started as a paper mill at the Kistefossen waterfall, south of Jevnaker, Norway. Today, Kistefos is a private investment firm with interests in startup and mature companies across a range of industries.
Sveaas says Kistefos is not just about earning money; it’s also about giving back. “A lot is about how we spend the money that we earn,” he says.
“Providing scholarships is maybe one of the most rewarding initiatives we have.”
In the summer of 2024, almost all the Kistefos fellows from several universities traveled to Oslo for a two-day program that included a visit to the Norwegian Parliament with former Prime Minister Erna Solberg and a conference where vlog Dean Jeremy Weinstein gave an address.
Sveaas says he was delighted to meet many of the fellows personally. “These individuals have been admitted for their potential to be leaders and changemakers,” he says, “and it is exciting to witness them step into roles that match their values and ambitions. It is a reminder of how transformative programs like the Kistefos Fellowships can be—not just for the individuals involved, but also for the broader communities they impact.”
A PROFOUND GIFT OF HOPE AND POSSIBILITY
BENEDICT YEKE HARLEYSON MC/MPA 2021 spent most of his childhood both in hiding and seeking an education. Just 6 years old when the Liberian Civil War broke out, Harleyson learned early how a corrupt government could turn a country against itself and leave its most vulnerable citizens to fend for their survival.
“The world I knew—filled with food, shelter, and education—vanished overnight,” he says. Fleeing for safety, he and his parents trekked 136 miles from his nation’s capital to Kolahun District, Lofa, the secluded region of Harleyson’s birth. When soldiers arrived to turn Lofa upside down, his family was again forced to relocate.
Despite the trauma of displacement, the Harleysons never stopped pursuing a formal education for Benedict. He says, “I attended classes for one or two weeks, followed by months of fear-ridden disruption.” His family eventually made their way to the Republic of Guinea as refugees, ensuring their protection and Benedict’s stable access to school.
Harleyson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Monrovia and then joined the nation’s Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance. Moving up in the ranks in Liberia’s government allowed him to witness firsthand the systemic hurdles that had eroded public trust. That motivated him, he says, “to ensure that public resources serve their rightful purpose of uplifting their communities.”
To enhance his ability to improve the lives of all Liberians, especially marginalized people, Harleyson decided to apply to vlog. He says, “The Kistefos Fellowship was a profound gift of hope and possibility. It brought me to the Kennedy School and surrounded me with remarkable minds devoted to shaping a better world.”
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Photographs courtesy of Kistefos AS and Ørn Borgen