Overview
Millennium Fellows join a global network of exceptional peers, receive unrivalled opportunities to meet with world leaders, go behind the headlines to explore global challenges up close, and lead the debate on issues that will shape the century. They complete a comprehensive, year-long leadership curriculum, receive individualised executive coaching, and have access to a range of Atlantic Council events. Through these shared journeys and learning experiences, fellows forge relationships that last a lifetime.
Programme structure
The Millennium Fellowship is a part-time programme consisting of engaging virtual content and a face-to-face Study Visit. To frame their experience, fellows begin by completing a leadership diagnostic assessment developed by our partners at the leadership consultancy firm, Spencer Stuart. This Individual Style Profile helps fellows better understand their leadership strengths and blind spots, as well as develop strategies to chart a personal path for growth. Throughout the programme, fellows complete a comprehensive leadership development curriculum. Through interactive workshops, case work and peer consulting, fellows hone their sense of purpose and increase their ability to mobilise change.
Other key components of the Millennium Exchange programme include monthly master classes with distinguished senior leaders and experts in the field, individualised executive coaching, and intentional networking.
The programme's virtual offerings are accompanied by an in-person Study Tour in which fellows travel to the front lines of a global challenge. The excursions provide fellows with a deep dive into a local issue as a way of exploring broader contemporary macro-trends. Recent visits include a post-conflict trip through the South Caucasus via Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia; Turkey and Greece at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis; Colombia after the FARC peace agreement; and Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity. You can read more about the Study Visits below.
Finally, grantees have access to a menu of Atlantic Council events, such as panel discussions, virtual conferences, face-to-face summits, and much more.
Study visits
Study visits allow fellows to travel to the front lines of a global challenge. Over the course of a week and a half, the fellows dive deep into a local issue as a way of exploring broader contemporary macro-trends.
PAST STUDY TRIPS
Visit to the South Caucasus (October 2021 - due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Study Visit for 2020 was held in 2021).
The fellows travelled to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia for an up-close exploration of leadership in action on the issues of conflict, great power competition, democratic backsliding, climate change and economic change. The group met with five current or former heads of state and government (including Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili of Georgia and Armenian President Armen Sarkissian), four cabinet ministers, five senior advisors to heads of state, four members of parliament, a US ambassador, and numerous leaders from civil society, business and think tanks. Through these meetings, colleagues developed a holistic understanding of the challenges facing the Caucasus and considered how to integrate this knowledge into their respective working environments.
Study visit to Colombia (July 2019)
Exploring the tension between peace and justice shortly after the historic FARC peace agreement, companions toured the cities and jungles of Colombia with stops in Bogotá, Medellín, San Carlos, and Guatapé. They met with twelve elected officials and cabinet members that included both current Colombian President Ivan Duque and former President Álvaro Uribe. In addition, the fellows met with former National Liberation Army (ELN), paramilitaries, and guerrillas to understand their perspectives. The fellows also explored the Venezuelan refugee crisis that was rapidly unfolding at the same time as their tour, meeting dissident leaders in exile in Bogotá. This trip included an immersive leadership retreat with the UN and US peace negotiators who participated in the historic agreement, as well as participation in the Concordia America Summit that coincided with the stop in Bogotá.
Aegean Study Tour (July 2018)
Fellows travelled to Turkey and Greece, the frontlines of the world's largest humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II, to explore the migrant crisis and its layered implications for international cooperation and security. Specifically, the trip examined the complex dynamics linking the situation on the ground to the international community's response and offered a window into the perspectives of government officials, business leaders, non-governmental organisations, and the refugees themselves. The fellows took part in a series of visits and meetings with key stakeholders, travelling to camps in both Turkey and Greece and joining the Turkish coastguard for a demonstration of rescue operations in the Aegean Sea.
Study visit to West Virginia (June 2017)
The fellows travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Morgantown, West Virginia, to explore the relationship between the energy sector, climate policy, and the 2016 US elections.The fellows met with energy and sustainable development experts, business leaders, academics, and individuals affected by the changing energy landscape and national environmental policy. Through these conversations, the fellows gained insights into the relationship between the energy sector and voting patterns, partisanship in industrial communities, and the role of traditional energy sources in the age of renewable energy.
Study visit to Sarajevo (July 2016)
Twenty-five years after the outbreak of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, fellows travelled to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to explore the lessons of the conflict and learn about the current security, economic and political situations in Bosnia and the Western Balkans. On the eve of the NATO Summit, colleagues analysed the case study of Operation Deliberate Force, NATO's first combat operation launched after the Srebrenica massacre. While meeting members of parliament, artists and journalists who covered the war, senior international officials, historians, activists and local businesspeople, the fellows learnt about the causes of the war, the role of the international community in the conflict and the peace process, and the challenges of "winning the peace" after the end of the fighting.
Kyiv study visit (November 2015)
Colleagues travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, for the two-year anniversary of the Euromaidan protests. They met with civil society activists who launched the Revolution of Dignity and led calls for transformational change, defence officials confronting Russia's war in eastern Ukraine, young entrepreneurs seeking to fuel Ukraine's economy, and senior government executives overseeing unprecedented reforms. These government officials included then Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, Trade and Development Minister Aivaras Abromavičius, and MP and Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee Hanna Hopko.
ELIGIBILITY
P: How can I apply for the Millennium Fellowship?
A: To apply for the Millennium Fellowship, please complete our application form online. You'll be asked for demographic information, employment details, answers to some short essay questions, CV, bio, and a current headshot. You can also ask to be considered for a scholarship.
P: I'm still a student. Am I eligible to apply for the Millennium Fellowship?
The Millennium Fellowship is open to anyone aged between twenty-five and thirty-five as of the closing date of the corresponding application cycle, including students.
P: What is the timeline of the application?
A: Our application is open from January to March. For more details on the programme timeline, please review our calendar.
P: How much does the Millennium Fellowship cost and what is included?
A: Grantees employed by the non-profit, academic and/or public sector pay a programme fee of $2,000. Grantees employed by the private sector pay a programme fee of $12,500. The fees cover all virtual programme costs and on-site expenses (accommodation, group meals, etc.) associated with the Study Visit. The programme fees do not cover international and domestic airfares, visas, or any incidentals incurred during travel for the Study Visit.
P: I can't pay the programme fees. How can I apply for a scholarship?
A: Our application includes an opportunity to apply for a scholarship from the programme and explain the reason for your request. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you will complete additional paperwork to waive the programme's financial commitments before signing your official offer letter.
P: Is the Millennium Fellowship a full-time job or a paid position?
A: No. The Millennium Fellowship is a part-time professional development and networking opportunity rather than a paid position. Fellows maintain their position with their employer.
Learn more here.
