The Global Citizen Scholarship Program is now open to applications for its 2026 cohort. This year, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation will select a maximum of 16 young Global Citizen Leaders passionate about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ages 20 to 35, from the following countries:

Africa: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe;

Middle East: Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE;

South Asia:  Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka;

Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam.

Selected applicants will be joined by one Management Center Innsbruck University student, forming a cohort of 17 changemakers participating in this year’s scholarship.

The GC Scholarship is a FULLY VIRTUAL SCHOLARSHIP program that empowers young changemakers to address one or more of the SDGs in their community by proposing and implementing a localized changemaker project whilst also benefitting from a summer school as well as peer-to-peer mentoring and various expert trainings and workshops on specific topics. 

Over the course of 8-9 months, the selected Scholars will get the chance to enhance their skillset on the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, elevate their knowledge with regards to the field of entrepreneurship for sustainable development, and connect with professional networks.

Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Benefits

Some of the benefits will include full cost coverage for a two-week summer school training with Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) University and coverage also of other expert workshops, a peer-to-peer mentoring component, and seed funding of 500 EUR to support the implementation of a changemaker project to be distributed after the successful submission of a project proposal.

Scholars will be awarded a certificate of achievement after the successful completion of their own changemaker project signed by both Co-chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation, H.E. Ban Ki-moon and H.E. Dr Heinz Fischer.

Requirements for Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship

Applicants from one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe

Applicants must hold citizenship of one of the countries listed above

Applicants must be between 20 - 35 years of age at the time of application

Applicants must have completed at least a Master’s degree (in exceptional cases, a successfully completed first year of Master's studies will suffice)

Applicants must demonstrate strong dedication to SDGs and the ideals of global citizenship.

Applicants must have a minimum English level B2 (European Standards)

Application Documents

During the nomination process you will need to enter:

Your personal details (e.g. name, contact information, date of birth, address, citizenship, gender, education, language competence, short profile description)

Your professional details (e.g. academic titles, name of organization, function)

Changemaker project information (title, issues and SDGs tackled, general process and implementation)

At the final stage of the nomination process you will be prompted to attach the following:

your motivational statement

a portrait picture of yourself (JPEG or PNG format)

an introduction video of yourself (max 60 seconds, MP4 or MOV format)

your CV

a project outline of your changemaker project idea

Application Deadline

March 4, 2026

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens on bankimooncentre.submit.com to apply