The Young Leaders Program was established in 2004 to enhance cross-cultural opportunities for young scholars and foreign policy professionals to improve their policy analysis skills at an early juncture in their careers.

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The program affords Young Leaders an unparalleled opportunity to build their network, observe the foreign policy making process, and voice their generation’s viewpoints within elite circles of policy specialists. They also gain a deeper understanding of serious conflicts and issues in the Indo-Pacific region, learn how experts and leaders deal with these problems, and work to develop their own perspectives. The Young Leaders network now includes more than 1,000 current members from 56 countries.

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Once selected, Young Leaders will have access to the 15-20 conferences and events that Pacific Forum organizes each year. Pacific Forum staff select Young Leaders to participate based on their potential to contribute substantively to a given discussion and their demonstrated ability to serve as an ambassador for themselves, the program, and Pacific Forum. Attendance often requires advance preparation and the completion of a post-event paper, which provides Young Leaders the chance to collaborate with their peers and/or senior experts to publish in outlets including the Southeast Asia Globe as well as Pacific Forum’s PacNet, Issues & Insights, and Young Leaders Blog.

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The Young Leaders program has four primary objectives:

• To facilitate the professional growth of young professionals in international affairs
• To generate a greater exchange of views between young and senior professionals
• To promote cross-cultural interaction and cooperation among young professionals
• To enrich dialogues with generational perspectives for the benefit of all attendees

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The admissions committee convenes once in the spring and once in the fall to review applications received by the following deadlines: 11:59 pm on April 30 and 11:59 pm October 31 (Hawaii Standard Time). 

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You can be as involved as your time permits. Conferences (including travel) are usually 3–5 days and occur as many as 20 times per year. However, while there are 20 opportunities to attend meetings, most Young Leaders do not attend more than one or two annually. There is no maximum or minimum number you can attend. We encourage you to apply to as many meetings as you feel you would benefit from and be able to contribute to.

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Event applications normally open 1–3 months in advance and are announced on the private Young Leaders LinkedIn group and in the Young Leaders Newsletter. Depending on the type of opportunity, Young Leaders may be shortlisted and contacted directly about applying to participate in an event. Generally, if a Young Leader is interested in attending a meeting, they will need to access the event application form provided for a given opportunity and submit their application before the stated due date.

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Pacific Forum receives limited support from various sources to subsidize the cost of Young Leader travel to and participation in our conferences and events each year. The amount of funding available for a given conference can vary widely. Young Leaders whose affiliation with universities, employers, or other organizations that wish to sponsor the cost of their attendance sometimes have an advantage over those who require full funding from Pacific Forum. Young Leaders who are able to self-fund their travel and attendance fully or partially (airfare, lodging, local transportation, conference fees, meals, etc.) should indicate this when filling out the event application form.

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There is no regular quota for conference attendance as the topics, funding, expertise, and demographic considerations that affect the make-up of a Young Leaders delegation vary from meeting to meeting. In the past, we’ve accommodated anywhere from 1 to 15 Young Leaders at a single event.

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Once Young Leaders reach 36 years of age, they automatically become Young Leader Alumni and are no longer eligible to apply for Young Leader conference opportunities. Alumni are encouraged to reference their Young Leaders affiliation based on their cohort year. One’s cohort is the year they were admitted into the program. A Young Leader who was inducted into the program in the spring or fall of 2005 retains a lifelong title of, “Young Leader – 2005 Cohort.”

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Young Leaders who have significant industry experience and are regarded as an expert in their field may qualify to be a senior participant in Pacific Forum’s conferences. Qualified individuals are also welcome to apply to Pacific Forum fellowships. For further information, please email youngleaders@pacforum.org and you will be connected to the relevant Pacific Forum staff member.

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Furthermore, Young Leaders Alumni may be contacted to continue their involvement with Pacific Forum and the Young Leaders Program via other avenues.

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Those admitted to the Young Leaders Program should request to join the private LinkedIn group where they can see updates, connect with other Young Leaders, and view event opportunities. The private LinkedIn group is the best up-to-date hub of program opportunities. Young Leaders who choose not to join the group will be at a disadvantage relative to their peers who have. The program also makes general updates to the publicly viewable Young Leaders Facebook group.

In 2013, Pacific Forum launched Young Leaders Chapters in key cities around the globe. Chapter events are updated on social media. Should you wish to start a chapter in your city, please reach out to youngleaders@pacforum.org for guidelines.

Those best suited for the Young Leaders Program:

• Have completed their undergraduate education in a relevant field of study
• Have several years of experience related to Indo-Pacific geopolitics and security policy
• Have completed or are completing their graduate education (master’s or doctoral)
• Are between the ages of 25-35 (flexible on the low-end based on experience level)
• Demonstrate an aptitude for international diplomacy and an interest in Indo-Pacific affairs
• Wish to learn more about the foreign policymaking process and gain leadership skills
• Possess strong communication, collaborative, research, and analytical skills

Follow the link for more information and please cite Ripple Opportunities in your application.