Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Program 2026 for Young Changemakers (USD 500 Seed Grant)

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Applications are open for Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Program 2026. After multiple cycles of the Global Citizen Scholarship Program, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation announces another call for applications for what will be the 9th round of our Global Citizen Scholarship Program with the objective to empower young global citizens who are passionate about taking action for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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.

Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Program Benefits

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.
Besides this, 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.
Lastly, 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.

Eligible Countries

The GC Scholarship program targets 16 young changemakers, ages 20 to 35 from the following African, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Southeast Asian 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, Philippines, Vietnam

Eligibility Criteria for Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Program

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)

How To Apply for Ban Ki-moon Global Citizen Scholarship Program

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: