International Leadership Programme

Leadership for global changemakers

 

We believe that every person has the potential for leadership

Leadership is an expression of our willingness to engage in the issues and challenges we see around us. It is about finding creative solutions to local and global problems. It is about recognising our own potential and harnessing these qualities for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Our International Leadership Programme is a 12 day intensive training, where participants from many different cultures, religions and socio-economic backgrounds come together to form an international learning community.

The programme provides an opportunity to experiment with new models, creating a holistic view of the world we live in that is underpinned by the need for shared values and an awareness of our ultimate interconnection. Programmes are run for 18 - 35 year olds who are able to participate fully in an English-language programme.


Who is the programme for?

The International Leadership Programme is for people who are interested in leading positive change in the world to make a lasting difference.

We actively select participants to create a programme that is highly diverse, with participants from many countries, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and perspectives in order to provide a rich opportunity for learning. People who are selected say they are looking for:

  • A place to learn how to lead themselves and others to create change in the world.

  • A space to explore their big questions and find a deeper sense of purpose.

  • Time for themselves and the opportunity to gain a sense of clarity.

  • A supportive process to make choices about their next career or life transition.

  • An opportunity to connect with a global perspective.

  • A global learning community and gain a sense of the bigger picture.

  • A time to challenge themselves and have their ideas challenged.

  • Time for personal development to experiment with different points of view and new ideas.

  • Connection with a global network of over 2000 alumni who are interested in making a positive difference in the world.

 
 

Content of the International Leadership Programme

  • The development of a learning community that challenges and inspires new thinking.

  • A focus on personal leadership – learning to lead yourself well, before leading others.

  • An opportunity to develop a visionary and social entrepreneurship approach to addressing global problems.

  • Experiences that help identify values and guiding principles in order to gain a sense of balance, purpose and life direction.

  • Tools and experiences for discovering potential through all learning modalities, including team projects, physical activities, reflection, discussion and the arts.

  • An opportunity to develop an international network of people who wish to collaborate and make a positive difference in the world.

  • An emphasis on active global citizenship and the role of international organizations such as the United Nations.

  • Individual coaching sessions to support your learning during the programme.

Alumni coaching programme

A free optional 6 month coaching programme is provided to all alumni of the International Leadership Programme. The coaching programme is designed to support graduates to embed and apply their learning when they return to their homes. Coaches provide a series of sessions with the aim of; processing personal objectives from the ILP, supporting alumni projects, clarifying insights, testing application of learning and supporting reflection on experiences. The coaching faculty is made up of staff from the International Leadership Programme and external professional accredited coaches. 

The Alumni Coaching Programme is led by Tamara Hofman, member of the International Leadership Programme faculty. Tamara is a leadership development professional and Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. Originally from the Netherlands, Tamara is based in Shanghai, China, and offers her time on a pro-bono basis to oversee the Alumni Coaching Programme, co-ordinating an international team of pro-bono coaches to support emerging leaders who have attended the ILP.  

"After 6 months of coaching, I have made great improvements in setting clear, realistically timed goals and motivating myself to work towards them. I have improved my emotional intelligence and am now more skilled at seeing things from an outside view and communicating how I feel. When I first decided to take coaching sessions I was unaware of how much it could add to my life, I was surprised to see so much progress in 6 sessions."

Ghadeer, Kuwait

 
 

Upcoming International Leadership Programmes

Italy

28th July - 8th August 2024

 

All programmes involve the same content and experiential learning process in each location. When you are considering which course to apply for you can be assured that you will experience the same quality programme, and high level of diversity, wherever it's held. We recommend that people select as many locations as possible in order to give themselves the best chance of getting a place. Typical progamme costs that we ask participants to cover are approximately £990 GBP (slight variations across the regions). This rate is highly subsidised as there is no cost charged for tuition - please see the information on Bursaries below.

 

If you want to hear more about the programme, get in touch with a Regional Ambassador who has attended one or more WYSE programmes. They will be happy to tell you about the programme and answer your questions.


Bursaries and funding support

The programme is delivered by our international team of highly experienced leadership development and education professionals. They provide their services on a pro-bono basis, meaning WYSE can offer full tuition scholarships to all selected participants. Along with the coaching which is offered after the programme, this in kind donation of services from the staff team has been valued at over £7500 per participant.

The final cost to participants is £990 to cover food, accommodation and administration.  As part of our efforts to include as many young leaders as possible from diverse backgrounds, WYSE provides a bursary scheme for those in most need to support the costs of their programme fees. The bursary scheme is highly competitive and only covers a proportion of the £990 programme fee (normally ranging between 20% and 45% of the programme fee)

As part of our efforts to include young people from diverse backgrounds, WYSE also conducts an additional bursary scheme for its international programmes, to cover food and accommodation costs. As our programmes are heavily over-subscribed, the bursary scheme is competitive and only covers a proportion of the programme fee. Priority will be given to those who can demonstrate:

  • A true commitment to making a significant impact in their own communities

  • Economic hardship

  • Efforts and success in raising funds, for example by sponsorship from their own governments or educational bodies, as well as from private businesses and industry where appropriate

We are not able to cover the costs of travel under any circumstances. Exceptional candidates are invited to contact the programme administrator to request a bursary application as part of their application to the International Leadership Programme.

Requirements

Bursary applicants will be expected to undertake a social impact project within 6 months of completing the International Leadership Programme, and will be supported to do this through the Alumni Coaching Programme. Beneficiaries of the Hardship Bursary are expected to provide evidence of their project and the social benefit they have contributed once their project has been completed.

Bursary Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a bursary? Please request a bursary application from the Programme Administrator

How are decisions about bursaries made? A panel of the leadership team of each International Leadership Programme reviews each bursary application and bursaries are awarded on the basis of need, and the extent to which applicants are able to demonstrate their current social impact and the future change they wish to lead in their community.

Will you offer a 100% Hardship Bursary - i.e. offer the whole of the International Leadership Programme for free? Our aspiration is to remove any economic barriers to attending the programme so that talented emerging leaders who are working for global change can access our programmes regardless of their financial circumstances, and we are working towards this. If you would like to support this vision please donate here. We do not currently offer a bursary that covers 100% of the food and accommodation costs and ask all applicants to use their leadership skills in finding the resources to make a financial contribution (for example, many alumni have undertaken individual fundraising activities)