Applications are now open for the Ban Ki-moon Foundation Global Citizen Scholarship Program 2026. The Foundation says this call is the 9th round of the Global Citizen Scholarship Program; it targets young global citizens ready to take action for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The GC Scholarship runs fully online; participants propose and carry out a local changemaker project tied to one or more SDGs, while also taking part in a summer school, peer-to-peer mentoring, and expert-led trainings and workshops.
Who the scholarship targets
The programme targets 16 young changemakers, aged 20 to 35, from the countries listed below.
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, Philippines, Vietnam
Scholarship details and what selected scholars get
Over 8 to 9 months, selected Scholars will get the chance to build skills on Agenda 2030 and the SDGs; they will also build knowledge in entrepreneurship for sustainable development and link up with professional networks.
The notice lists these benefits:
- Full cost coverage for a two-week summer school training with Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) University
- Coverage of other expert workshops
- A peer-to-peer mentoring component
- Seed funding of 500 EUR to support a changemaker project, paid after successful submission of a project proposal
- A certificate of achievement after successful completion of the changemaker project, signed by the Co-chairs: H.E. Ban Ki-moon and H.E. Dr Heinz Fischer
Eligibility requirements
Applicants must meet these conditions:
- Come from one of these 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
- Hold citizenship of one of the listed countries
- Be 20 to 35 years old at the time of application
- Have completed at least a Master’s degree (exceptional cases: a successfully completed first year of Master’s studies can suffice)
- Show strong dedication to SDGs and the ideals of global citizenship
- Have minimum English level B2 (European Standards)
What applicants will enter during nomination
During the nomination process, applicants will enter:
- Personal details (name, contact info, date of birth, address, citizenship, gender, education, language competence, short profile description)
- Professional details (academic titles, name of organization, function)
- Changemaker project information (title, issues and SDGs tackled, general process and implementation)
Documents to upload at the final stage
At the final stage, applicants will attach:
- Motivational statement
- Portrait picture (JPEG or PNG)
- Introduction video (max 60 seconds, MP4 or MOV)
- CV
- Project outline of the changemaker project idea
How to apply
Applications are submitted through the official form: Apply for the Ban Ki-moon Foundation Global Citizen Scholarship Program 2026
After submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email; applications will then be reviewed, and only shortlisted or selected applicants will be contacted with next steps.
Deadline
Deadline: 4 March 2026