In the face of heightened insecurity and disruption, peace and humanitarian diplomacy is a last resort to contribute to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. Based on this shared vision, the Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace have agreed to strengthen their institutional partnership and nurture a next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy, with the generous support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva. 

At a time when the multilateral system is under strain, with armed conflicts at record levels and growing geopolitical fragmentation, the International Geneva Peace Fellowship will support emerging and mid-career professionals with the skills, networks and practical experiences needed to drive innovations for peace. In a pilot phase the Fellowship Programme will offer at least 10 fellowships of a duration of 9 months anchored in collaboration with associated Geneva-based partners, mentoring and innovation. 

The International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme contributes to reinforcing the universality of International Geneva as a space in which global perspectives meet to advance peace and humanitarian diplomacy. 

Beyond the Fellowship Programme, the new institutional partnership between the Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace aims to expand collaboration in the field of talent development, research, and training with the objective to re-enforce Geneva as a global peace hub. 

Professor Marie-Laure Salles, the Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute highlighted that “In these dire times for peace, the Fellowship Programme draws on the unique strengths of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Interpeace and Geneva’s broader ecosystem. It offers outstanding Fellows direct access to cutting-edge research and field operations, while fostering an environment where new ideas in peacebuilding and multilateral diplomacy can take shape. Peace remains the highest expression of collective and human security – let us never forget this. Nurturing the next generation of peacemakers and multilateral diplomats becomes all the more vital at a time when the global climate is increasingly defined by confrontation and war”.  

Itonde Kakoma, President and CEO of Interpeace, stressed that “This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the architecture of peace and humanitarian diplomacy at a time of profound global disruption. Through the International Geneva Peace Fellowship, we aim to support a new generation of leaders equipped not only with strong analytical and technical expertise, but also with the empathy, integrity, and foresight needed to navigate increasingly complex conflict contexts. By linking academic research with the operational realities of peacebuilding in conflict-affected contexts, the Fellowship creates an important bridge between knowledge and practice, offering a platform for emerging leaders to engage and contribute to sustainable responses to global challenges.”

Professor Achim Wennmann, Director for Strategic Partnerships and Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation underlines that “The Fellowship Programme offers a unique opportunity to realise a critical, future oriented and practical project in the service of peace. The Programme provides access to the know-how, expertise and networks for peace and humanitarian diplomacy that are among Geneva’s critical assets in an era of an increasingly networked multilateralism. By connecting this asset to emerging leadership talent for peace, the Fellowship Programme aims to create a brain trust for future peace leadership.” 

Additional information and application procedures for the International Geneva Peace Fellowship will be available in late March 2026.