StudyDesk Scholarships
About the program
The Hansen Leadership Institute, funded by the Fred J. Hansen Foundation, brings together emerging leaders from the United States and around the world for an intensive three-week summer program at the University of San Diego, California. Its stated mission is to promote world peace and international cooperation by training the next generation of leaders in communication, mediation, conflict resolution and cross-cultural understanding.
The program blends classroom instruction with hands-on workshops, interactive activities and educational field trips. Participants explore leadership topics including conflict resolution, mediation, intercultural dialogue, social entrepreneurship, public speaking and international cooperation — while living and working with peers from different cultural and national backgrounds. It is a summer leadership program, not a degree: the reward is training, mentorship and an international network, not academic credit.
Eligibility
- Be 20 to 25 years old on 1 July 2027.
- Have completed at least one year of university — an upper-division undergraduate, or a graduate student / recent graduate with a professional interest in international relations, diplomacy, international economic development or a related field.
- Show demonstrated leadership potential outside the classroom in the community, nation or region.
- Have an academic adviser or professor verify your English proficiency in writing — no IELTS or TOEFL score is required.
- Hold a valid international passport (or be able to obtain one before the program starts).
- Be available for the entire three-week program — late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.
- Preference is given to applicants who have never visited the United States.
Benefits
- International airfare to and from San Diego.
- Accommodation and meals for the full program.
- All programmatic costs — training, materials, visits and activities.
- Health-insurance assistance for the program period.
- Visa documentation support — letter of acceptance, letter defining financial support, DS-2019 issued by the University of San Diego, and a receipt for paid SEVIS fees.
- Intensive training in leadership, communication, public speaking, mediation and conflict resolution.
- Meetings and networking with political and business leaders, plus a certificate of participation.
Documents required
- Completed online application — academic, leadership and personal background, with every section filled.
- Academic transcripts confirming your completed year(s) of study or graduation.
- Academic reference — from a professor or academic adviser who also verifies your English proficiency.
- NGO / community / public-service reference — from an organization you have genuinely worked with, speaking to your leadership and service involvement.
- Valid international passport details.
How to apply
- Confirm you meet every eligibility lineCheck your age, education status and availability for the full three weeks before you begin.
- Create an account on the official portalGo to hansencenter.org/apply and register for the 2027 application. You may submit only one application.
- Complete every sectionFill in your academic background, leadership experience and community involvement in full — incomplete applications are not reviewed by the selection committee.
- Request your two references earlyContact your academic referee (who verifies your English) and your NGO/community referee well ahead of the deadline, because their forms are part of your completed application.
- Submit before the international deadlineAll materials, including references, must be in by 15 January 2027, 11:55 PM Pacific Time.
FAQs
No. The Hansen Leadership Institute is a three-week summer leadership program — training in leadership, communication, mediation and international cooperation — not an academic degree.
No. Instead, an academic adviser or professor must verify your English proficiency in writing as part of your reference.
The foundation’s eligibility text opens the program to graduate students with a professional interest in international relations, diplomacy, international economic development or a related field. Some trackers phrase this differently — check the current wording on hansencenter.org before you apply.
International airfare, accommodation and meals, all program costs, health-insurance assistance, and visa documentation support (DS-2019, SEVIS fee receipt). You pay for your passport and personal spending.
The selection committee begins reviewing international applications in February 2027, and results are expected to be emailed in early March 2027.
Yes — but preference is given to applicants who have never visited the United States.
Verified 23 Oct 2026: opportunitiesradar.com (Sep 2026) — deadlines 15 Jan 2027 (international, 11:55 PM PT) and 15 Mar 2027 (US), program late Jun–late Jul 2027, coverage (airfare, accommodation, program costs, training) and exclusions (no visa support claim vs passport/personal expenses), eligibility (20–25 on 1 Jul 2027, one year of university completed, full attendance required); globalsouthopportunities.com (23 Oct 2026) — official site hansencenter.org with apply page hansencenter.org/apply; o4af.com — official FAQ wording (graduate students with professional interest eligible; English verified by adviser/professor; visa documentation incl. DS-2019 and SEVIS fee receipt; preference to never-visited-US). Queue title “Hansen Leadership Exchange Program 2027” retitled to the foundation’s official program name, Hansen Leadership Institute.
