Apply for Rotary Peace Fellowship Program

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. The fellows are committed to community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and up to 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.

Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace.

Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,700 fellows who now work in over 140 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments; NGOs; education and research institutions; peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies; and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.

Fellowship Programs

• Master’s degree programs
  • Accepted candidates study peace and development issues with research-informed teaching and a diverse student body. The programs last 15 to 24 months and include a two- to three-month field study, which participants design themselves.
  • The ideal candidate is academically strong, has a bachelor’s degree in a related field, and has work experience in peace and development. They are looking for early-career candidates who demonstrate a commitment to peace and conflict resolution, can undertake extensive reading and research, and can participate actively within a diverse cohort of students. Successful candidates have a record of prior achievements in peacebuilding as well as the potential for future growth and impact as leaders in the field resulting from their participation in the fellowship. After the program, candidates should be willing to share their own work and experience, staying in touch with peace fellows in their region and maintaining strong connections with Rotary members.
• Professional development certificate program
  • During the one-year blended learning program, experienced peace and development professionals with diverse backgrounds gain practical skills to promote peace within their communities and regions. Fellows complete field studies and design and carry out a social change initiative. This program is intended for working professionals. Fellows earn a post-graduate diploma upon completion of the program.
  • The ideal candidate is a proven mid-career peace and development leader with at least five years of relevant work experience. Candidates need to come to the program with a social change initiative to promote peace and development within the program region. They should also have a clear vision of how the fellowship experience and network will help advance their peace work and increase their impact. This program is intended for working professionals and requires 11 weeks of on-site participation. Fellows earn a postgraduate diploma upon completion of the program. After the program, candidates should be willing to share their own work and experience, staying in touch with peace fellows in the region and maintaining strong connections with Rotary members.

Cost Covered

• The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses.

Eligibility Criteria

• Master’s degree programs
  • Master’s degree candidates must also:
    • Be proficient in English
    • Have a bachelor’s degree
    • Have a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and peace as shown through professional and academic achievements and personal or community service
    • Have the potential for leadership
    • Have at least three years of full-time relevant experience in peace or development work
  • Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the certificate program, or a Global Grant Scholarship, must wait three years between the end date of that program and their intended start date for the fellowship.
• Professional development certificate program
  • Certificate candidates must also:
    • Be proficient in English
    • Have a bachelor’s degree
    • Have at least five years of full-time relevant experience in peace or development work
    • Have a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and peace as shown through professional and academic achievements and personal or community service
    • Demonstrate leadership skills
    • Be able to explain how their plan to promote peace aligns with Rotary’s mission
    • Candidates for Makerere University: Either be from Africa, have worked in Africa, work with African communities or initiatives outside the continent, or demonstrate a compelling interest in learning about peacebuilding approaches within the region.
    • Candidates for Bahçeşehir University: Either be from the Middle East or North Africa, have worked in the region, work elsewhere around the world with communities or initiatives related to the Middle East or North Africa, or demonstrate a compelling interest in learning about peacebuilding approaches within the region.
  • Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the master’s degree program, or a Global Grant Scholarship, must wait three years between the end date of that program and their intended start date for the fellowship.
• Candidates must have a gap of at least three years between the completion of their most recent academic degree program (undergraduate or graduate degree) and their intended start date for the fellowship. Candidates currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program are not eligible to apply.
• They encourage people with disabilities and people from other diverse backgrounds to apply. Rotary provides reasonable accommodations as needed to people with disabilities.
• You are not eligible if you are an active Rotary member or an employee of a Rotary club, Rotary International, or other Rotary entity.
• Rotaract club members who are not also Rotary club members are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit The Rotary Foundation.