Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s International Youth Fellowship 2024

Become an International Youth Fellow

Canada is a country of leaders, innovators, and creators – known for embracing their role as citizens of the world. The International Youth Fellowship is one of Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s wide range of opportunities for people from Canada to exercise and express their global citizenship. Through these opportunities, AKFC creates platforms to learn about development contexts and challenges and to partner with local institutions to jointly change people’s lives for the better.

AKFC is searching for individuals who can demonstrate a commitment to international development, are driven by the desire to make a meaningful change in the world, and are ready to apply their skills and experience to a challenging overseas internship.

The International Youth Fellowship Program is a unique opportunity for young leaders in Canada to bring a global dimension to their careers. Through an intensive training seminar and an overseas placement, Fellows get hands-on experience in international development while supporting strong, effective, local institutions.

Each Fellow spends eight months in Africa or Asia working with agencies and partners of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the world’s largest and most respected international development organizations.

Before Fellows depart for their overseas placement, they attend a three-week seminar in Ottawa, which provides a thorough grounding in the skills and knowledge required to contribute effectively to their host organizations. Workshops are facilitated by leading international development professionals, based in Canada and overseas.

Aim and Benefits

It offers a training program and an eight-month overseas placement to recent university graduates and young professionals under 30.

AKFC covers most of the costs associated with living and working overseas including travel, accommodation, vaccinations, health insurance, and a modest stipend to cover the cost of living. Successful candidates are required to make a one-time contribution of CAD $1,000 towards the costs of the Fellowship.

Requirements

To become an International Youth Fellow, applicants must:

Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
Be 30 years of age or younger at the time of the application deadline
Be able to demonstrate qualities and characteristics of global citizens
Hold at minimum an undergraduate university degree

Participants can apply for placements within the International Development Management (IDM), International Microfinance and Microenterprise (IMM), and Young Professionals in Media (YPM) streams that best match their backgrounds and interests, such as:

Fields: Agriculture & Food Security, Civil Society, Climate Resilience, Early Childhood Development, Education, Gender Equality, Health & Nutrition, Work & Enterprise
Placements: Communications, Marketing, Media, Monitoring & Evaluation, Operations, Partnerships, Project Management, Research

Interview date, Process and Venue

Applicants must submit a complete application, along with recommendations (academic, professional, and personal), by February 1, 2024. AKFC assesses all applications received based on skills, experience, and personal suitability for potential placement. Due to a high volume of applications, only successful applicants will be invited for an interview.

Interviews begin in March.

Following the interview stage, successful candidates receive an offer outlining their Fellowship placement.

Please note, AKFC does not offer feedback on applications or interviews.

Timeline

Task	Timeframe
Launch of Online Application	November 1, 2023
Applications Close	February 1, 2024
Application Review	February
Interview Period	March
Offers to Candidates	Late March
Management Seminar	May 22 – June 15, 2024*
Fellows Depart for Field Placements	July 1, 2024
End of Placement	February 28, 2025