The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Their fellows are committed to the community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.

Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,300 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.

Rotary Peace Fellowship

Course level: Master’s and Certificate

Fields of study: Professional Development Certificate Program or Masters Degree Program in fields related to peace and conflict resolution and prevention

Scholarship period:

  • Master’s program – 15 to 24 months
  • Professional development certificate program – one year

Institution and country:

Master’s:

  • Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
  • International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
  • University of Bradford, Bradford, England
  • University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Professional Development Certificate:

  • Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Sponsor: The Rotary Foundation

Number of awards: 50 fellowships for Master’s degrees and 80 fellowships for certificate studies

Scholarship inclusions:

  • Full tuition fees
  • Accommodation
  • Round-trip transportation
  • All internship and field-study expenses

Eligibility criteria for the Rotary Peace Fellowship:

Master’s:

  • Be proficient in English
  • Have a bachelor’s degree
  • Have a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and peace as shown through professional and academic achievements and personal or community service
  • Potential for leadership
  • Have at least three years of full-time experience in peace or development work
  • You are not eligible if you are an active Rotary member, employee of a Rotary club, Rotary International, or other Rotary entity.
  • Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the certificate program must wait three years to apply for the master’s degree program.

Certificate program:

  • Be proficient in English
  • Have a bachelor’s degree
  • Have a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and peace as shown through professional and academic achievements and personal or community service
  • Demonstrate leadership skills
  • Be able to explain how their plan to promote peace aligns with Rotary’s mission
  • Candidates for Makerere University: Either be from the region or currently working in the region
  • Rotary Peace Fellows who have completed the master’s degree program must wait five years to apply for the certificate program.

Application deadline: 31 May 2020

How to apply for the Rotary Peace Fellowship:

The Rotary Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Rotary Peace Fellowship program. Candidates have until 31 May 2020 to submit applications to their local Rotary district. Local Rotary districts are responsible for accepting, evaluating, and endorsing candidates to the peace fellowships. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July 2020.

Other useful links:

Rotary Peace Fellowship