Applications are invited for the Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme 2025 in Partnership with Huawei. The application deadline is March 31, 2025!
About GCYLP
The Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme (GCYLP) is designed to engage, empower, and inspire the next generation of digital leaders and changemakers. The programme supports young visionaries globally who propose innovative, community-driven projects aimed at building a more inclusive and empowered digital future.
In partnership with Huawei, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) provides guidance, training, and financial support to 30 young fellows annually. This support enables them to implement digital development projects in their respective communities worldwide. Through GCYLP, young leaders gain a unique opportunity to bring new digital development ideas to life or expand the impact of their existing initiatives.
Who should apply?
- Are you a young person aged 18-28?
- Are you interested in making real impact in your communities by leading your own digital development project?
- Are you currently enrolled or recently graduated from a tertiary education institution from a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) or a demonstrably STEM-related academic programme?
- Are you able to communicate in English, the main language of the programme? This language requirement is to ensure that all fellows can benefit from the planned offerings of trainings, networking, and events.
Grants and Benefits
- Virtual mentorship and leadership training sessions from ITU and Huawei.
- Participation in an in-person global Development Week in Geneva Switzerland in July 2025.
- Up to $10,000 USD grant to implement a digital development project of your choice. All 30 selected fellows will receive an initial $5000 USD grant towards the implementation of a digital development project of their choice. The most impactful projects at the end of the year will receive an extra $5000 USD grant to scale up.
A global jury selected the first cohort of GCYLP fellows from a pool of 5,249 applicants from over 200 countries worldwide. Through their innovative projects, these young changemakers from 28 countries across all ITU regions are leveraging digital solutions towards an inclusive, more prosperous digital future for all.
How to Apply?
Interested and eligible candidates can apply via this link.
Deadline
The application deadline is 23:59 CET on Saturday 31 March 2025.
FAQs
Can I apply as a team?
No. GCYLP is a leadership programme for 30 individual young visionaries per year, so only individual applications will be considered. If you have an existing team project to apply with, we recommend having one of the leaders/founders apply for this opportunity.
What will be selection process be? When will I find out if I am shortlisted?
Shortlisting: A first round of applications reading will be completed by ITU and Huawei staff. By May 2025, shortlisted candidates will then be sent an invitation to quickly [within a week] provide ID documentation, a video and 2 different references for the final round of selection.
Final selection: the GCYLP Jury, will then hold a final selection meeting to choose the 30 fellows of the cohort. We aim to announce the fellows by June 2025.
What kinds of applicant profile and projects would really stand out?
Applicant profile: a young visionary demonstrably willing to champion digitalization for equal and equitable empowerment through ICTs especially for people in vulnerable situations.
Projects: a digital development project can be defined as a project using digital technologies to create, improve, or transform aspects of society, such as communication, education, healthcare, commerce, and more. It involves leveraging digital tools and platforms to innovate, streamline, and/or enhance overall effectiveness, efficiency and/or human experiences.
Applicants can be creative in the ideation of their digital development projects, but to really stand out, we would recommend linking the proposed project to one of the ITU 2023-2025 Regional Initiatives.
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