The Government of the UK has announced the opening of applications for a new John Smith Trust Fellowship Program. According to the British Embassy in Chisinau, the Program is intended for young people from Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine, IPN reports.

The aim of the Fellowship Program is to give the next generation of leaders from the region the chance to explore issues of governance, social justice and the rule of law through an intensive series of workshops, visits and placements in the UK, reinforced by follow-up mentoring and support.

The age band of John Smith Fellows will normally be 25 to 35 years. The applicants must speak and write fluent English, demonstrate their potential as a leader in the chosen professional field and be committed to the positive future development of their country. They must also demonstrate a clear professional interest in the areas of good governance, rule of law or social justice and propose an Action Plan addressing a policy or organizational issue of importance in their field of work which they intend to implement on return to their home country.

The application process consists of two stages – submission of two application forms and an interview. The deadline for the submission of the first form is November 10, 2017, while for the second form is November 24, 2017.

The program will be run between May 19 and June 15, 2018.