Youth Policy Forum launches fellowship for professionals

The Youth Policy Forum (YPF) is slowly but steadily turning into a household name for the young policy and development enthusiasts of the country. 

The platform that started off as a policy discourse group on popular social media Facebook has now expanded to a full-fledged policy-learning and advocacy platform, hosting 160 webinars on multiple issues, one national conference to upgrade the economy, establishing multiple policy networks along with specialised ones. 

The platform has also arranged the youth to be in touch with real life politicians and policymakers by conducting apprentice programs. 

However, one initiative that stands out and showcases the organisation's farsightedness and dynamicity is the YPF's Fellowship Program.

YPF Fellowship Program

Launched in April 2021, on the 50th anniversary of the country's independence, the YPF fellowship program started off with 100 fellows in 12 key policy areas such as Education, Economy and Jobs, Environment and Climate Change, Foreign Policy, Gender and Inclusion, Healthcare, Energy and Infrastructure, Law, Rights and Justice, Technology and Big Data, Civil Servants, Journalism, Grassroots, Local Development Initiative etc. 

The idea behind the fellowship program is a unique one, proven to be effective and useful for even some of our neighbouring emerging economies.

The motivation behind the fellowship program was to bring together the brightest and most knowledgeable Bangladeshi professionals and academics working both home and abroad as "YPF Fellows" to connect them with our budding policy learners. 

The aim was to create a symbiotic environment, where the youth had an immense learning opportunity to be mentored by some of the bests in their respective fields while the fellows contributed to the development of the country through their ideas, research, guidance, advisory or just by helping the country in building a conscientious and educated future generation. 

The program also invited foreign nationals whose research or work focus on Bangladesh's development journey in a significant way. 

Over the past year and a half, the fellowship program has been one of YPF's most powerful propositions till date uniting and creating a talent pool which can be harnessed in a never done before way. 

It is a platform that has guide potential only waiting to be unleashed and achieved.

What the Fellows do

YPF is a platform largely driven and managed by the youth. Majority of their core members are students at the university level who are highly motivated, energetic and passionate about the work they do. But they also require a lot of guidance and counsel in their activities and efforts. 

Their fellows support and directpeople in regards to respective networks and teams carrying out research, documentation and creating dialogue within the relevant scope. 

Fellows also facilitate and deliver capacity building sessions for the YPF core team and guide teams consisting of young students and professionals willing to do ground-breaking work. 

Their fellows have helped people from the very basics of idea generation to moderation and participation in webinars/dialogues on current affairs, review of policy briefs prepared by their envoys. 

Their fellows have broadened our network, introduced people to relevant connections or organisations to further their efforts and above all have been there for others not only on a professional level but even at a personal level. 

It is a special platform and the bond that they have built over time with the fellows is even more special.

Invitation to be a Fellow 

As the organisation grew rapidly and garnered the attention and admiration of the public, practitioners and academicians around the world, YPF now wants to broaden their network of intellectuals, it is time to welcome new fellows to support their vision of a Bangladesh better served.

To meet that goal, YPF is currently inviting applications for new fellows to join their team.

While YPF aims to continue to be the facilitator between their knowledgeable fellows and bunch of promising young policy enthusiasts, this can be your chance to contribute to a dynamic organisation and work on various policy issues in order to properly equip the country on both the global and internal fronts to meet, deal with, and tackle new and gradually evolving challenges.

Eligibility: Anyone who has work experience of more than 5 years in any of the policy areas mentioned above (or any relevant field) or holds a Doctoral degree can apply to be a fellow.

Anyone with more than 15 years of work experience (or a Phd+10 years of work experience) can apply to be a senior fellow.

Why should you join YPF as a Fellow

As a YPF fellow, you will have access to a cross-disciplinary network of experts, professionals and students as well as YPF's current Fellows. YPF has been able to create strong goodwill and accumulate formidable levels of resources along with influence in a very short time. 

As a fellow, you will have the chance to tap into their resources and manpower. You will be in a position to shape innovative and effective work carried out by groups of bright young students and professionals who will be working with academics, CSOs, businesses, NGOs, politicians, policymakers, and government bodies. 

By doing so, you will be able to nurture talented protégées who, in turn, will be able to make significant contributions on the global stage.

Above all, it is an opportunity to be part of something bigger, something that has a lot of probabilities and to work with people who truly care about taking the country above and beyond.

Apply here to join YPF as a Fellow. Join the vision of Bangladesh better served.

Application deadline: 10th September 2022