About this opportunity
Most leadership courses end the day the certificate arrives. The Hansen Leadership Institute is built on a different idea, that young people from countries in conflict should be put in the same room long enough to become actual friends. For three weeks each summer the Fred J. Hansen Foundation brings people aged 20 to 25 to the University of San Diego to train in leadership, mediation and conflict resolution, and the whole experience is fully funded.
The 2027 institute runs from 29 June to 20 July 2027. Fellows are trained in the principles, practices and psychology of ethical and visionary leadership, in public speaking, and in hands on mediation, with human rights and gender in leadership woven through the programme. Attendance is strict: every fellow must be there for the full three weeks, with no late arrivals and no leaving early. That rule is the design, because the bonds that matter tend to form in the third week rather than the first.
International applicants have the earlier
Application timeline
All materials, including references, are due by 11:55 PM Pacific Time on 15 January 2027, while United States applicants have until 11:55 PM Pacific Time on 15 March 2027. You must be 20 to 25 years old on 1 July 2027, which means at least 20 and not yet 26 on that date, and you must have completed at least one year of college or university. If you are no longer enrolled, you need to be a 2025 or 2026 graduate.
There is no programme fee. The foundation covers international airfare, room and board and all programme costs, and a selected fellow receives a letter of acceptance, a letter defining the financial support, a DS-2019 issued by the University of San Diego and a receipt for the paid SEVIS fee to support the visa process. You pay only for your passport and your own spending money. One application per person, and you do not have to wait for your referee to finish before you submit your own sections.
What you receive
- Full funding of international round trip airfare, room and board and every programme cost, with no participation fee
- Three weeks of residential training in ethical leadership, public speaking, mediation and conflict resolution
- Teaching from human rights practitioners, plus the institute's growing focus on gender issues in leadership
- Visa documentation if you are selected: a letter of acceptance, a letter defining the financial support, a DS-2019 issued by the University of San Diego and a receipt for the paid SEVIS fee
- Lifelong membership of the Hansen fellows and alumni community, which continues to connect and support members' projects of peace and community building
- Three weeks living and working with peers from zones of conflict across the world, which the institute treats as the core of the experience rather than a bonus
Who can apply
- You must be 20 to 25 years old on 1 July 2027, that is at least 20 and not yet 26 on that date
- You must have completed at least one year of college or university at the time of application
- If you are not currently enrolled in college or university, you must be a recent graduate from 2025 or 2026
- You must be able to take full part in the programme in English
- You must be available for the entire programme from 29 June to 20 July 2027
- Open to applicants from any country, including Nigeria and other African countries, and you do not need a United States visa in order to apply
Who should not apply
- No participant may arrive late or leave early, since fellows are required to attend the whole three weeks
- Each applicant is limited to one application, and the institute asks that you do not start two applications at the same time
- Anyone who will already be 26 or older on 1 July 2027 is not eligible
- Applicants who have not completed at least one year of college or university are not eligible
- Passport fees and personal spending money are not covered
Documents to prepare
- A completed online application in the Hansen Leadership Institute portal
- The name and email address of an academic referee, who automatically receives instructions to submit a recommendation and a questionnaire that verifies your English proficiency
- All reference material submitted by the deadline, since for international applicants the references must also be in by 15 January 2027
- A valid passport, which you obtain at your own cost if you are selected
How to apply
- Check the current deadline and the eligibility answers on the institute's own page at https://hansenleadershipinstitute.org/faq/
- Open the official application portal at https://hansenleadershipinstitute.awardsplatform.com/ and register an account
- Begin the online application and save your work as you go, since you do not have to complete it in one sitting
- Enter your academic referee's name and email address so the recommendation form and the English proficiency questionnaire are sent automatically
- Submit your own sections once each required part is complete. You do not need to wait for your referee to finish before you submit
- Make sure your referee submits everything before 11:55 PM Pacific Time on 15 January 2027 if you are applying from outside the United States
- Start the application page again at https://hansenleadershipinstitute.org/apply-now/ if you need the current portal link
Selection process
- The selection committee begins reviewing applications from international students in February 2027
- Results are emailed to all applicants in early March 2027
- Selected participants receive their United States visa documentation, including the DS-2019 issued by the University of San Diego and proof that the SEVIS fee has been paid
- Fellows then join the institute for the full three weeks from 29 June to 20 July 2027 at the University of San Diego
- Afterwards fellows remain part of the Hansen alumni community, which the institute describes as a continuing network rather than a mailing list
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
Is the Hansen Leadership Institute really free?
Yes. The programme is fully funded by the Fred J. Hansen Foundation, which covers international airfare, room and board and all programme costs. The only expenses left to a fellow are passport fees and personal spending money.
Can I apply from Nigeria?
Yes. The institute brings young leaders together from around the world and does not restrict applications by nationality. You must meet the age and study requirements and be free for the whole three weeks in San Diego.
Do I need a United States visa to apply?
No. You apply without one. If you are selected, the institute provides a letter of acceptance, a letter defining their financial support, a DS-2019 issued by the University of San Diego and a receipt for the paid SEVIS fee to support your visa application.
Exactly when does the international deadline fall in Nigerian time?
All materials, references included, are due by 11:55 PM Pacific Time on 15 January 2027, which is 8:55 AM West Africa Time on 16 January 2027. United States applicants have until 11:55 PM Pacific Time on 15 March 2027.
Do I need an IELTS or TOEFL score?
No. English proficiency is verified through your academic referee, who automatically receives a questionnaire to complete with the recommendation form. The institute states there is no extra information for the applicant to provide.
I graduated in 2024 and am not in school. Can I still apply?
Not under the stated rule. If you are not currently enrolled in college or university, you must be a recent graduate from 2025 or 2026, and you must still be between 20 and 25 years old on 1 July 2027.
Can I miss a few days at the start or leave early?
No. The institute is explicit that all fellows must attend the entire programme and that no participant will be allowed to arrive late or leave early.
When will I hear back?
The selection committee starts reviewing international applications in February 2027, and results are emailed to all applicants in early March 2027.
What does the programme actually cover?
Three areas the institute names as its pillars: leadership, meaning the principles, practices and psychology of effective, ethical and visionary leadership, plus communication and public speaking; mediation and conflict resolution, including reconciliation, restorative justice and human rights; and international cooperation, which is the point of putting fellows from different countries in one residential community.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
