Asia Foundation Development Fellows Program

The Asia Foundation Development Fellows program provides highly qualified, young professionals from Asia and the Pacific Islands with an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and gain in-depth knowledge of Asia’s critical development challenges. The year-long professional advancement program is designed to be a multifaceted experience, involving intensive learning modules – short courses, conferences and study tours in Asia and the U.S. – to enhance leadership skills, Asian development knowledge, professional networks, and international exposure.

Program Focus

• In recognition of the growing urgency of the global climate crisis, the 2025 Asia Foundation Development Fellows Program will focus on Climate Action.
• Eligibility will require candidates to demonstrate a career background or vocation focused on addressing climate change and a proven commitment to working toward achieving a resilient, sustainable future.
• The program will remain designed to develop leadership skills, not technical enrichment, and will include a multidisciplinary cohort.
• Fellows may come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including but not limited to environmental science, renewable energy, environmental policy, climate or nature finance, climatology, geoscience, community organizing, environmental law, ecology, wildlife conservation, climate storytelling, sustainable agriculture, sustainable social enterprise, and environmental activism. They may also be journalists, conflict and fragility specialists or women’s rights activists – or any field – whose work crosscuts with climate issues. No professional background is ineligible if a candidate can demonstrate how their work intersects with climate action.

Components

• The 2025 program is comprised of the following components:
  • Spring 2025: Leadership Training Program and Study Tour (Nepal, February 17-28, 2025)
    • The Leadership Training Program and Study Tour presents a series of highly interactive leadership training modules with executive coaches; site visits with leading development practitioners and thinkers, recognized policy leaders, and local innovators; short assignments; and sessions focused on self-care and wellness for leaders. With the larger objective of enhancing leadership skills and potential, the leadership training modules focus on strategic thinking and decision-making, working with participants on developing critical perspectives, solving complicated problems, managing change, and introducing innovative approaches in leadership and management. Site visits will allow fellows to explore approaches that deliver positive impact and advance development knowledge. Under the climate action theme, internal leadership curriculum will address pain points specific to leaders fighting for climate change, and external meetings both in Asia and the US will focus more intently on trends in climate action and meeting with individuals and organizations doing innovative work in the climate space. In previous years, the program has taken place in the Philippines, Mongolia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Korea where local needs and challenges served as a contextual backdrop for exploring theories of change and practice in international development.
  • Fall 2025: Leadership Dialogue and Exchange Program (United States, October 6-17, 2025)
    • The fall Leadership Dialogue and Exchange Program provides Fellows opportunity to extend personal bonds with their cohort, as well as build new international perspectives and networks of support and inspiration in the United States. Over this two-week period, the Fellows will take part in a comprehensive series of sessions, policy discussions, and unique learning and leadership development opportunities organized in and around San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and another city across the U.S.

What you will get?

• An award of up to US$5,000 will be made available to each of the selected Fellows. This cash award will allow each Fellow the opportunity to design individualized plans to further their leadership skills and relevant professional experience in areas of particular importance to their career growth. Each Fellow will be asked to develop a personalized, year-long work plan that can involve such areas as enrollment in specialized training programs or short courses, language study, travel to attend key regional forums or workshops, or engagement in a series of other enrichment activities.
• Duration
  • The Asia Foundation Development Fellows program is not a full-time fellowship. Fellows will typically remain in their occupations throughout the fellowship year while participating in the program modules. The program does require participants travel for two, 2-week modules in-person. The program is fully funded at no cost to the participants.

Executive Coaching & Mentoring

• The Asia Foundation lends valuable perspectives to the field of leadership development, with a proven program history and record of commitment throughout Asia and the Pacific. Building on the Foundation’s regional network and local capacity, the program offers mentorship-matching support tailored to the background and professional interests of each of the Fellows. Additionally, Fellows are offered a fixed number of one-on-one executive coaching sessions throughout their fellowship year.

Eligibility Criteria

• Asia Foundation Development Fellows must:
  • Have a demonstrable record of high achievement, and must show evidence of outstanding potential for professional advancement and significant impact in their chosen field;
  • Have a demonstrable record of experience and accomplishment related to climate action and a proven commitment to working toward achieving a resilient, sustainable future. No professional background is ineligible if a candidate can demonstrate how their work intersects with climate action;
  • Have outstanding personal character and integrity;
  • Be thoughtful, committed, respected and inspirational leaders within their professional fields and within their larger community;
  • Be under 40 years of age by the time of selection: January 1, 2025 (please note there are no exceptions to this rule);
  • Be conversant in English (TOEFL exam results are not required);
  • Be available and able to participate in all program components on specified dates, no exceptions;
  • Be able to secure a visa for travel to the United States; and
  • Be resident nationals or citizens of the following countries and regions where The Asia Foundation has programs: Afghanistan; Australia*; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; Indonesia; Japan, Korea; Laos; Malaysia; Maldives; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pacific Islands Nations; Pakistan; Philippines; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Timor-Leste; and Vietnam.
• For applicants from Australia, this is a First Peoples Identified role only open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The filling of this position is intended to constitute a special measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and from: s 27 of the Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT), s 57 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT), s 105 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld), s 65 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA), ss 25 and 26 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas), s 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) and s 8(4) of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic), s 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA). This appointment is only available to Aboriginal or Torres Strait people who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and are accepted by their community as being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

For more information, visit The Asia Foundation.