GIFTS Fellowship 2026–2027: Apply for the Global Institute Fellowship for Transforming Education Systems ·2027: Apply for the Global Institute Fellowship for Transforming Education Systems

About the Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future

The Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future works with individuals and organisations worldwide to generate and share knowledge about transforming classrooms, schools and education systems.

Its long-term vision is that every child should receive the education, support and opportunity required to shape a better future for themselves and their communities. The organisation contributes to this vision by developing education leaders while generating evidence, insights, tools and resources that can accelerate education-system improvement.

The Global Institute emerged as an initiative of Teach For All. It draws on the experience of Teach For All’s international network of locally led organisations, teachers, alumni leaders and education practitioners.

Its approach is based on cross-border learning, practical evidence, participatory inquiry, human-centred leadership development and collaboration among practitioners, students, researchers and policymakers. Rather than treating education reform as a purely technical matter, the Global Institute focuses on the people, relationships, leadership capabilities and institutional conditions required to produce sustainable change.

What Is the GIFTS Fellowship?

GIFTS stands for the Global Institute Fellowship for Transforming Systems. It is a global programme created for education leaders seeking to transform education systems through collective leadership, innovation and practical system-level action.

The programme recognises that leaders responsible for education reform face increasingly complicated challenges. Education systems must respond to technological change, economic disruption, climate-related pressures, inequality and evolving expectations about the knowledge and capabilities young people need.

System leaders are expected to improve learning outcomes, strengthen institutional performance, mobilise teachers and school leaders, coordinate stakeholders and maintain political and public support for reform. Despite these responsibilities, many education leaders have limited opportunities to engage deeply with peers from other systems or to examine the practical leadership challenges involved in large-scale reform.

The GIFTS Fellowship was developed to address this gap. It will connect education-system leaders from different countries so they can learn from one another, examine real reform challenges, access experienced mentors and develop stronger locally rooted but globally informed visions for education.

Purpose of the GIFTS Fellowship

The central purpose of the programme is to help education-system leaders develop the vision, relationships, leadership capabilities and networks required to achieve transformation at scale.

The fellowship is based on the understanding that education systems should do more than deliver academic content. They should help students develop purpose, agency, leadership and the ability to contribute to a better future.

During the fellowship, participants will investigate major questions concerning education-system transformation, including:

1. What outcomes should modern education systems seek to achieve for every student?
2. How can the practices, structures and institutional culture of an education system be aligned behind a shared educational purpose?
3. What strategies can improve the quality of learning taking place in classrooms?
4. What forms of leadership are required to sustain education transformation?
5. How can system leaders mobilise teachers, school leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders around a common reform agenda?
6. How can change be made equitable, scalable and sustainable instead of remaining limited to individual schools or short-term pilot projects?

The programme therefore combines leadership development with practical inquiry. Fellows will not only discuss education reform theoretically; they will examine concrete challenges from their own professional environments and test new approaches through action, reflection and peer feedback.

Number of Participants and Programme Duration

The GIFTS Fellowship will select 20 influential education-system insiders from diverse countries.

The programme will run for approximately one year, beginning with a virtual launch event in October 2026 and concluding with a virtual graduation in September 2027.

Most of the programme will be delivered virtually through:

• System-change laboratory sessions;
• Masterclasses;
• Leadership-development sessions;
• Peer-learning activities;
• Coaching;
• Mentoring;
• Roundtable discussions; and
• Shared inquiry.

The fellowship also includes a compulsory four-day in-person system immersion in January 2027. Participation in the three-day Better Future Forum in May 2027 is optional.

Who Should Apply?

The programme is designed for influential and innovative leaders working at the education-system level.

Potential applicants may include:

• Senior or rising officials working in ministries of education;
• Government education policymakers;
• Political advisers or officials responsible for education reform;
• Regional or provincial education-system leaders;
• Leaders of government education programmes;
• Professionals responsible for teacher development, curriculum reform or system performance;
• Civil-society leaders working through sustained partnerships with government;
• Leaders of organisations implementing education reform at national or regional scale; and
• Other education-system insiders with credible influence over policy, institutional practices or large-scale implementation.

The programme is not primarily intended for individuals whose work is limited to a single classroom, school or short-term community project unless they also exercise broader system-level influence.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their current position, professional credibility or institutional relationships allow them to influence significant change across a region or country.

Qualities Expected from GIFTS Fellows

The official selection profile emphasises leadership orientation and system-level influence rather than a specific academic degree or number of years of experience.

Competitive applicants are expected to demonstrate the following qualities.

1. Long-Term Commitment to Children and Education Systems

Applicants should show that improving the institutions and systems surrounding children is a sustained professional commitment rather than a temporary interest.

Evidence may include leadership of education reforms, public policy work, institutional development, teacher-support initiatives or long-term government partnerships.

2. Commitment to Holistic Student Development

Fellows should support an educational purpose extending beyond examination results or narrow academic achievement.

The programme seeks leaders committed to helping students develop the knowledge, values, purpose, agency and capabilities required to shape their lives and contribute to society.

This commitment should apply to all students, regardless of their background or economic circumstances.

3. Capacity to Build Collective Leadership

Education-system transformation cannot normally be achieved by one organisation or individual. Applicants should therefore demonstrate an ability to mobilise and develop leadership among policymakers, administrators, teachers, school leaders, communities and partner organisations.

4. Ability to Navigate Complex Political Environments

Government education reform often involves competing priorities, institutional resistance, resource constraints and political considerations.

Applicants should be able to work constructively within these conditions while maintaining focus on long-term education outcomes.

5. Influence at National or Regional Scale

The fellowship is intended for leaders capable of affecting significant system-level change. Applicants should explain the level at which they operate, the institutions or stakeholders they influence and the scale of the reform work they lead.

6. Global Leadership Potential

Selected fellows should have the potential to contribute not only within their own countries but also to the broader international education ecosystem.

They should be willing to share experience, learn across geographical boundaries and contribute insights that may support education leaders elsewhere.

Main Components of the GIFTS Fellowship

Cohort-Based Learning Model

Selected participants will join a curated international cohort of education-system leaders.

The cohort model is intended to create sustained and trusting relationships among fellows. Instead of attending isolated training sessions, participants will learn together over an extended period, examine one another’s reform experiences and provide feedback on real leadership challenges.

This model can help participants move beyond superficial networking and develop a durable community of professional peers.

System Change Lab

Each fellow will explore a practical problem connected to their education-system work.

Through the System Change Lab, participants will investigate the problem, test approaches and generate insights through action, reflection and feedback from other fellows.

The laboratory model is particularly relevant to leaders dealing with problems that do not have straightforward technical solutions, such as:

• Improving learning quality across a large number of schools;
• Aligning different institutions behind a shared reform strategy;
• Strengthening teacher motivation and professional development;
• Scaling successful innovations;
• Building public and political support for reform;
• Reducing educational inequality; or
• Sustaining reforms through leadership or policy transitions.

Required In-Person Immersion Event

In January 2027, fellows will participate in a four-day in-person immersion within an education system undergoing transformation.

The immersion will allow participants to engage with ministers, practitioners, schools and other members of the fellowship cohort.

This component is compulsory. Applicants should therefore consider their professional availability and ability to travel before applying.

Masterclasses and Roundtables

The programme will include private sessions with experienced global education leaders.

These sessions are expected to address not only successful reforms but also the trade-offs, setbacks, implementation failures and political challenges involved in education-system transformation.

The closed-door format is intended to encourage candid discussion of issues that may not ordinarily be addressed in public conferences or formal policy presentations.

Shared Inquiry

Fellows will participate in structured collective inquiry around major education-system questions.

Shared inquiry enables participants to compare experiences across different countries while recognising that education reforms must remain grounded in local history, culture, politics and institutional conditions.

The objective is not to copy policies from one country to another. Instead, fellows will examine underlying principles and determine how global insights may be adapted to their own systems.

Triad Model of Coaching and Mentoring

The published programme describes a three-part support model consisting of:

• Policy mentors, who provide subject-matter and policy expertise;
• Leadership coaches, who help fellows navigate implementation, uncertainty and difficult trade-offs; and
• Peer coaches, who provide accountability, feedback and shared learning.

This structure recognises that system leaders require technical advice, leadership support and credible peer relationships.

Better Future Forum

Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in the Global Institute’s annual Better Future Forum.

The forum is a three-day in-person event scheduled for May 2027. Participation is optional.

It offers participants an additional opportunity to connect with leaders and stakeholders from the wider global education ecosystem.

Lifelong Community

The programme is intended to create relationships extending beyond the formal fellowship period.

Participants will be able to exchange practices across different regions, maintain contact with other system leaders and potentially visit fellow participants in their respective countries.

The lifelong-community element is designed to build an expanding global network of leaders committed to education-system transformation.

Benefits of Participating in the GIFTS Fellowship

The official page presents the fellowship primarily as a leadership-development and professional-learning opportunity. It does not advertise a cash award or personal stipend.

Selected fellows can expect to benefit from:

• Participation in an exclusive cohort of 20 education-system leaders;
• A year-long structured leadership-development journey;
• Virtual masterclasses with experienced education leaders;
• Access to policy mentoring and leadership coaching;
• Peer coaching, accountability and feedback;
• Participation in a practical System Change Lab;
• A required four-day international system immersion;
• Exposure to education reforms operating in other national contexts;
• Closed-door discussions about reform successes, failures and trade-offs;
• Stronger understanding of collective leadership;
• Development of a locally rooted and globally informed education vision;
• Opportunities to strengthen national or regional reform strategies;
• Connections with global education policymakers and practitioners;
• Optional participation in the Better Future Forum; and
• Membership in a long-term global community of education-system leaders.

Important Funding and Cost Information

The official programme page does not currently specify whether fellows will receive:

• A stipend;
• An honorarium;
• Salary replacement;
• Visa sponsorship;
• International airfare;
• Accommodation;
• Meals;
• Local transport; or
• Full or partial financial support for the required immersion event.

Applicants should not describe the programme as “fully funded” unless the Global Institute later publishes explicit confirmation.

Because the four-day January 2027 immersion is compulsory, applicants should review the application form and forthcoming fellowship blueprint carefully for information about travel and participation costs.

GIFTS Fellowship Timeline

The official webpage presents October 2026 as both the selection and launch period and provides 5 October 2026 as the specific selection-announcement date.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for the GIFTS Fellowship is:

4 September 2026

Applicants are advised to submit well before the deadline to avoid technical difficulties or incomplete responses.

The official page refers applicants to a fellowship blueprint containing application guidance. At the time the page was reviewed, one section indicated that the blueprint would be available soon. Candidates should therefore continue checking the official page for the complete guidance document and any clarification concerning programme funding, travel or participation requirements.

How to Apply for the GIFTS Fellowship

Applicants must submit their information through the official online application form linked on the GIFTS Fellowship webpage.

A strong application should clearly explain:

1. The applicant’s current education-system role;
2. The national or regional scale at which the applicant operates;
3. The education challenge the applicant is trying to address;
4. The applicant’s record of influencing policy, institutions or implementation;
5. How the applicant has developed collective leadership;
6. How the applicant has worked through political or institutional complexity;
7. The applicant’s commitment to equitable and holistic student development;
8. The practical problem the applicant may wish to examine during the System Change Lab; and
9. How participation in the fellowship could strengthen the applicant’s capacity to achieve system-level transformation.

Applicants should use concrete evidence rather than relying on general statements about leadership. Quantifiable examples, policy achievements, implementation responsibilities and evidence of institutional influence will make an application more credible.

Nomination Process

The Global Institute also accepts nominations of exceptional education-system leaders.

A colleague, institution or professional contact may nominate a leader considered to be working at the forefront of education transformation.

However, a nomination is not the same as an application. It does not guarantee admission or automatic consideration for the final cohort.

When a nominee appears to meet the eligibility criteria, the Global Institute may invite that individual to submit a full application. Candidates who already know about the opportunity and meet the requirements should therefore submit the formal application rather than relying solely on nomination.

Application Advice for Prospective Fellows

Because the fellowship targets influential system leaders, applicants should present themselves as active drivers of education reform rather than passive participants seeking general professional development.

A competitive application should:

• Identify a defined system-level challenge;
• Explain why the challenge matters for students;
• Describe the applicant’s authority, influence or access to decision-makers;
• Present evidence of reforms, programmes or policies previously led;
• Show how the applicant works with government and other stakeholders;
• Demonstrate an understanding of collective leadership;
• Discuss the political and institutional complexity of the applicant’s work;
• Explain how international peer learning could strengthen local reform;
• Show willingness to contribute experience to the cohort; and
• Confirm readiness for the required in-person immersion.

Applicants should avoid presenting a purely academic proposal unless it is connected to practical education-system leadership and implementation.

Conclusion

The GIFTS Fellowship 2026–2027 offers a distinctive professional-development opportunity for education leaders capable of influencing reform at national or regional scale.

Through a small international cohort, system-change laboratories, masterclasses, mentoring, coaching, peer inquiry and an in-person system immersion, participants will examine the practical leadership required to transform complex education systems.

This programme is particularly relevant for government officials, education policymakers, political-office representatives and civil-society leaders who maintain substantive, long-term partnerships with government. Successful applicants will need to demonstrate more than an interest in education. They must show sustained commitment, system-level influence, political and institutional awareness, collective leadership capacity and the potential to contribute to the international education community.

Applications close on 4 September 2026. Prospective applicants should review the official programme page carefully, monitor it for the fellowship blueprint and confirm the funding arrangements for the required in-person components before submitting their applications.