Leadership Masterclass Programme

Citizenship

The Asfari Foundation stream is open to citizens of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (State of Palestine), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation stream is open to citizens of any African country.

The programme is open to applicants who are based in London.

Preference is given to applicants who could come to London one day a week (usually Wednesdays) as the programme is designed to be delivered in person.

Career

Eligibility is limited to individuals who meet the selection criteria and works in one of the following fields: academia, NGO, business, government departments, civil society or the media.

Age restrictions

We do not impose age restrictions for applicants.

Duration

Leadership Masterclass participants will join the Academy one day a week (mostly on Thursdays) at Chatham House between October 2024 and June 2025 with a break for the Christmas holidays.

Sessions take place in person on Thursdays between 9am and 4pm. Most weeks, sessions will be 1.5 hours, with some weeks requiring multiple sessions of no more than 6 hours. The programme schedule will be released on a quarterly basis so that participants can plan their time.

Participants are expected to attend a minimum of 70% of the programme activities, and to join sessions in person, unless otherwise agreed before the start of the programme. Participants are expected to contribute to discussions, engage with speakers, and seize networking opportunities over the course of the programme.

Location

The programme will be delivered in person at Chatham House, London. 

Programme structure

Participants will learn and contribute alongside Academy fellows to core elements of the Leadership Programme, which encompasses the following:

• Intensive induction week
  Academy fellowships begin with an intensive five-day induction week at Chatham House to become familiarized with the elements of the fellowships and the Leadership Programme, meet their host research programme, and have their first personal development coaching session.
• Discussion seminars
  In these sessions, fellows meet and discuss current international affairs challenges with subject matter experts from Chatham House and beyond. The sessions cover the principal substantive and skills-based areas vital for informed and effective international leadership. Fellows usually chair these sessions and are expected to contribute to and learn from one another’s experience.
• Leadership workshops
  Every two months, fellows participate in half-day workshops focusing on skills development within specific aspects of leadership such as ‘Leadership in a new role’ and ‘Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship’.
• Project presentations
  Fellows present updates on their research projects which help develop presentation skills, provide a valuable forum for peer-review, and to think about and analyse issues outside their own area of expertise.
• Personal development coaching
  Fellows join the Academy seeking to grow their self-awareness through one-on-one sessions with a dedicated coach, with whom they set personal development objectives which they work to meet during their fellowship and beyond.
• Media training
  Fellows learn how to interview effectively on television and radio, culminating in a mock interview from which they receive feedback on their presentation style and any areas of improvement.
• ‘Leadership in the 21^st Century’ Breakfast Briefings
  Academy fellows have priority in participating in the ‘Leadership in the 21^st Century’ Breakfast Briefings series, giving them the opportunity to discuss leadership experiences and lessons in an informal setting with acknowledged leaders from government, business, media and the non-profit sectors.
• Career mentoring (optional)
  Fellows’ development is facilitated and supported by partnering them with mentors to enhance their career perspective and path.

Remuneration and benefits

The cost of the participation in the programme will be covered by the Academy.

To apply for this fellowship, we need:

• The applicant’s CV/résumé
• A completed application form

Selection criteria:

• Meet the nationality requirements;
• Be based in London, and able to attend in-person workshops in London on one day a week (usually Thursdays) for the duration of the programme;
• Be professionals at an early- to mid-stage in their career;
• Show strong potential to excel in their industry or field, with proven leadership experience or potential;
• Work in, or aspire to work in, positions requiring strong understanding of public policy and influencing policy internationally;
• Show commitment to the Chatham House mission, goals and values and to identifying evidence-based solutions to some of the world’s most pressing international challenges;
• Be able to communicate how the Leadership Programme will enable them to create positive impact, in line with the Chatham House mission and overarching purpose of Academy Fellowships as outlined above;
  Demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English.

Participants will be selected on the basis of their experience, expertise and on how the masterclass opportunity will support them at this point in their career. The Academy team will also take into consideration the background of other Leadership Masterclass participants and Academy fellows to ensure a diverse cohort.

Selection process:

• Stage one: Complete the application. All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and shortlisted by our selection committee.
• Stage two: Participants will be selected based on their résumé and answers to the questions provided in the application form and notified via email.