2021 Penn-UNESCO Fellowships for Developing Country Scholars

Application Deadline:1st April 2021

A master’s program that prepares you to work in international educational contexts and promote global equity. 

The International Educational Development master’s program (IEDP) prepares students with distinctive skills for working in the field of education in developing and marginalized contexts worldwide. A key element is our international internship, where students gain on-the-ground experience in educational development.

Working in the field of educational development in the 21st century requires an understanding of the complex interrelationships between local and global political, economic, and cultural dynamics. In the International Educational Development program, you will draw on the program’s strong interdisciplinary foundations to examine the interplay of these dynamics and their impact on education systems that serve politically and economically marginalized populations worldwide.

The International Educational Development Program (IEDP) provides students with unique skills, knowledge, and qualities in the field of international educational development, with a special focus on low and middle-income countries. This is a field that requires strong interdisciplinary foundations, and the program focuses not only on education, but also on the interplay of politics, economics, and culture.
Students examine issues such as:

• early childhood education
• human rights
• language policy
• learning and instruction
• migration
• non-profit leadership and management
• public health
• teacher professional development and curriculum design
• technology for development

For students, including international students, who are looking for ways to support their education, learn more about scholarships and fellowships at Penn GSE Funding Opportunities and External Funding Opportunities. In addition to these options, the program has an internal fellowship program—the Penn GSE-UNESCO Fellowship for Development Country Scholars.

Overview: Penn GSE offers up to two full tuition International Fellowships under the Penn GSE–UNESCO Chair, founded in 2012. This Fellowship, under the auspices of the International Educational Development program, is designed to support promising professionals devoted to international education in the developing world.

Award: 

The Fellowship covers all Penn tuition (up to 10 course units) associated with the master’s degree program of study. The Fellowship does not cover other costs associated with attending graduate school, such as room and board, books, health insurance, travel, etc.

Eligibility: 

Priority will be given to applicants who are citizens of countries defined by the World Bank as low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Naturalized U.S. citizens and permanent residents who originate from low-income and lower-middle-income countries (i.e., were born in one of these countries and whose parents are not U.S. citizens) may also apply.

Application process:  Interested persons should first complete a program application to Penn GSE’s International Education Development Master’s program.  Once this application is complete and under review, interested persons should complete the Penn GSE-UNESCO Fellowship application. Penn GSE typically announces the UNESCO Fellowship award(s) by mid-May, before the beginning of the next academic year.

IEDP’s immersive international internship experience allows students to apply their academic knowledge to policy and practice, as they conduct hands-on, on-the-ground work with organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, the Aga Khan Foundation, the Research Triangle Institute, and other organizations.

If you face any barriers to applying for the program please contact Lauren Scicluna, [email protected]. 

Apply Now for the 2021 Penn-UNESCO Fellowships

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the 2021 Penn-UNESCO Fellowships