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The Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice is a prestigious program offered by The Commonwealth Fund in the United States. The program provides mid-career professionals from selected countries with a year-long opportunity to conduct health policy research in the U.S. Its aim is to develop international leaders by fostering comparative research and collaboration across health systems.

Since Norway joined the program in 2010, fourteen Norwegian fellows have completed it, supported by the enduring commitment of the Research Coun cil of Norway. This book conveys the experiences, reflections, and research findings of thirteen Norwegian Harkness fellows.

The front-page photo shows Edward S. Harkness House, located at the northeastern corner of Fifth Avenue and 75th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The house was built between 1907 and 1909 for the philanthropist and oil heir Edward Stephen Harkness (1874–1940) and his wife, Mary Harkness (1874–1950). Since 1952, the mansion has served as the headquarters of The Commonwealth Fund. The house is well known to all Harkness fellows and stands as a testament to The Commonwealth Fund’s mission to enhance the common good.

The book is edited by Professor Jan Frich and Professor Emeritus Magne Nylenna. Frich was a Harkness Fellow from 2013 to 2014 and has been a member of the Norwegian Selection Committee for the Harkness Fellowship in Health Policy and Practice since 2021. Nylenna is a former director of the Norwegian Knowledge Center for Health Services (2011–2017) and served as Chairman of the Norwegian Selection Committee for the Harkness Fellowship in Health Policy and Practice from 2011 to 2020.

The book is published with financial support from The Commonwealth Fund.