The Australian Human Rights Institute’s pioneering Global Student Fellowship program is accepting applications from 22 June to 19 July 2026.
A reliance on voluntary and unpaid roles has often meant many students face barriers when pursuing careers in human rights and international development. It’s why the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW established its Global Student Fellowship program in 2021, which opens applications for its latest round on 22 June.
The transformative educational experience provides selected students with the opportunity and funding to build a career pathway and forge connections at a leading international development or human rights organisation in Australia or overseas for six weeks.
A record 24 UNSW students received a Global Student Fellowship in 2025. The program is highly competitive, with more than 200 applications from across all UNSW faculties received last year. For past recipients, the program has been the start of a career in advocacy, policy work and research in human rights and development, including at the UN Mission in Kosovo and the World Bank in Washington DC.
"The fellowship was instrumental in my successful recruitment to the World Bank’s Young Professionals Program," said 2023 Global Student Fellow Alina Malyk.
"I was selected to join the Social Development global unit, and my role will be focusing on integrating human rights principles within the World Bank’s operations. The fellowship gave me a distinctive edge, and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity that opened doors to this exciting chapter of my career.”
Advaita Nitturkar was a 2025 Global Student Fellow and one of four female Engineering students selected to join Engineers Without Borders in locations including Cambodia and Timor-Leste.
“I feel incredibly grateful to be part of the Australian Human Rights Institute’s fellowship with Engineers Without Borders in Cambodia,” she said.
“Throughout my degree, I’ve shaped my studies around my passion for humanitarian engineering and development work, and all of it has led me to this opportunity. It’s the perfect chance to put these learnings into practice through purpose-driven engineering, working alongside local communities, which I am very excited for.”
Applications for the 2026-27 round are open from 22 June to 19 July 2026. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit the Australian Human Rights Institute website.
Picture caption: 2025 Global Student Fellow Dulansa Rajawasam in Sri Lanka with the World Food Programme.
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