Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University (2025-2026 cohort)

Scholars participate in an immersive program that brings together academic, skills-based and experiential learning, designed by Columbia University in consultation with the Obama Foundation. Key components of the program include: 

• A Weekly Seminar that runs the length of the academic year, exploring questions in tandem with key global trends including inequality, technological developments, the diffusion of power, population movements, and climate change. 
• Personal and Professional Development Workshops designed to strengthen practical skills to enhance Scholars’ ability to lead. Previous workshop topics include conflict management and resolution, public speaking, data analysis and interpretation, and resilience.
• An Experiential Learning component that engages Scholars in the work of Columbia World Projects.
• Audited Coursework that provides Scholars with the flexibility to select and enroll in up to two graduate level courses each semester at Columbia.
• A Thought Leadership Speaker Series that introduces Scholars to seasoned practitioners from the NGO community, philanthropy, government, and international organizations to expand Scholars’ networks and perspectives to help advance their work.
• Partnership with a Columbia faculty adviser selected for their subject matter expertise to provide Scholars with new insights and perspectives to inform Scholars’ work.
• Meaningful opportunities for Scholars to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus and gain exposure to different perspectives by engaging with the Columbia University community. 

Scholars participate in a robust, immersive program that includes networking, guidance from Columbia faculty advisers, and values-based leadership development, among other activities. These experiences enable the Scholars to learn from some of the world’s most innovative leaders and build connections with the Obama Foundation and Columbia University.

“Witnessing the powerful impact of this program on the remarkable individuals participating as Obama Scholars, and the communities they are dedicated to changing, has left Columbia even more deeply invested in this special endeavor and all that it can accomplish.”– Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger

Obama Foundation Scholars reside at Columbia World Projects (CWP), an initiative that mobilizes the university’s researchers and scholars to work with governments, organizations, businesses and communities to tackle global challenges. Scholars participate in CWP activities during the academic year. The program is central to CWP’s mission of putting Columbia research into action by training the next generation of global leaders to bring about worldwide change.

Upon completion of the program, Obama Foundation Scholars, empowered by their experience, return to the regions where they have been working and continue along a path of service. The purpose of the program is to help Obama Foundation Scholars take the connections and skills they acquire during the program and apply them for the benefit of their communities, countries, and regions. Obama Foundation Scholars are expected to remain engaged with the Obama Foundation and Columbia World Projects after the conclusion of the program.

Cohort Profile 

Since 2018, the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University has welcomed:

• 70 rising leaders from 54 countries who have demonstrated a commitment to finding solutions to challenges in their communities, countries, and regions
• Scholars who were, on average, 33 years of age, with ages ranging from 26 to 45
• Emerging institutional and movement leaders addressing a range of challenges, including strengthening governance, increasing access to high-quality healthcare, environmental sustainability, and promoting women’s rights and ending gender-based violence

How to Nominate a Candidate

Please see the link below to a short form to complete to tell us about the candidate you are nominating. With the submission of this form, an automated email will be sent to the person you are nominating to provide the nominee with more information about the program and an invitation to complete an online application. If you are interested in learning more about the program’s eligibility requirements or what the online application process entails, please visit the program application page.

Please note the following: 

• Nominating a candidate does not increase their chances of being selected for the program and multiple nominations of the same candidate will not increase their chances of being accepted.
• Applicants do not have to be nominated to apply. 
• You may complete this form more than once if you know more than one candidate who meets the eligibility requirements. 
• Please do not nominate yourself. If you are interested in being considered for the program, please complete and submit an application. Visit our application page to learn more.    
• Those running for public office during the program year are ineligible to apply.