The Australian Human Rights Institute’s Global Student Fellowship Program enables UNSW students  from any faculty to undertake a paid fellowship with a leading international development or human rights-based organisation. The fellowship provides students with experience in building a career pathway into human rights and development, and to grow their network.  

The Institute will provide AU$6,500 to each student selected to support their six-week fellowship. The fellowship provides students with an opportunity to experience first-hand how leading rights-based and international development organisations operate. Students will be actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the organisation, with a focus on research and/or policy development. Fellows will not receive academic credit for this program.

Fiji

2022 Global Student Fellow Sherine Al Shallah with colleagues at the Citizen’s Constitutional Forum, Fiji.

The Institute is grateful for the support of its generous philanthropic donors and UNSW partners, including: 

  • The Ingram Fund for International Law and Development (established by James Ingram AO, former Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme) 
  • The Louise Brown Memorial Award (established to remember the life and work of UNSW student Louise Odette Brown
  • Kate Harrison (Advisory Committee member of the Australian Human Rights Institute and partner at Gilbert & Tobin)
  • Scientia Professor Louise Chappell (former director of the Australian Human Rights Institute)

Funded by the Disability Innovation Institute, the 2023 program also supports an identified fellowship for a student with a disability. For this fellowship, additional funding is available on top of the standard fellowship award to cover the costs of necessary disability support.

Key dates 2023/24

  • Monday, 11 September – applications open 

  • 5pm Sunday, 8 October – applications close 

  • Monday, 23 October – Thursday, 26 October – shortlisted interviews 

  • From Friday, 3 November – successful candidates notified 

  • From the week of 13 November – Global Student Fellowship Information session 

  • December 2023 – February 2024 – Fellowship period 

The Institute is committed to supporting an engaging and inclusive learning environment for all fellowship recipients, and the Institute Program Team will be on hand to support all fellows throughout the program.

How it will work  

Once students have been selected to participate in the Global Student Fellowship Program, the Institute Program Team will advise them of the host organisation they have been selected for. They will be introduced to the relevant host and will be required to attend the Fellowship Information Session in November. The dates/timing of the placement will be determined in coordination with the relevant organisation. Fellowships will be completed between December-February.

Support the Global Student Fellowship Program

You can support our work here by selecting 'Australian Human Rights Institute' under the 'I want to give to' menu.