Aspen Africa–UK Catalyst Fellowship
Collaborating across continents – reshaping global leadership.
Aspen Institute UK and Aspen Initiative Africa are proud to launch
the Africa–UK Catalyst Fellowship, a groundbreaking leadership programme
for mid to senior-career professionals working at the forefront of diplomacy, trade, and international development.
This unique Fellowship brings together 10 rising leaders from the UK and 10 from across Africa to build the ethical leadership, cross-cultural fluency, and strategic insight needed to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges; from reshaping global trade to advancing democratic cooperation and development.
Application and programme timeline
- Applications open from 1st – 4th July 2025
- Application review and selection – July 2025
- Applicant interviews – week commencing 7th July 2025
- Fellows selected by end of July 2025
- Fellow onboarding from August 2025
- UK seminar (Cambridge and London) – 19th-23rd October 2025
- Online seminar – November 2025, December 2025 and January 2026
- Kenya seminar (Nairobi and Nanyuki) – 27th January – 1st February 2026
What to expect
The programme runs from August 2025 to February 2026 and includes:
Two in-person seminars:
- UK Seminar (19th–23rd October 2025), held at the historic Madingley Hall in Cambridge, ending with a day in London for high-level visits.
- Kenya Seminar (27th January – 1st February 2026), hosted at the Mount Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki, including a visit to Nairobi.
The seminars will be moderated by Aspen UK and Aspen Africa Faculty members.
Virtual seminars:
Focusing on comparative challenges in development, diplomacy, and trade.
Collaborative leadership project:
Participants will co-design and present practical cross-border initiatives, such as policy proposals, trade strategies, or knowledge-sharing platforms.
Alumni network and engagement:
Fellows join Aspen UK’s and Aspen Africa’s global networks, with ongoing events, activities, and cross-cohort collaboration.
Who should apply
We’re looking for exceptional UK-based professionals who:
- Work in or alongside government, civil society, think tanks, or the private sector in diplomacy, trade, or development
- Aged around 30-40 and have 5 to15 years of experience
- Are eager to collaborate across borders and disciplines to shape a fairer, more interconnected world
- Have a focus on UK – Africa relations
Fees and logistics
UK participants
The programme cost is heavily subsidised, thanks to support from the Aspen global network and our partners. UK participants are asked to contribute:
- £2,750 participation fee
- Travel to Cambridge for the UK seminar
- International return flights to Kenya for the final seminar
- The fee will cover all seminar materials and activities, 4 night’s accommodation, all meals and visits as part of the UK seminar, 4 night’s accommodation, meals, travel to Nanyuki, cultural events as part of the Kenya seminar – and ongoing alumni events and activities.
Limited scholarships may be available for UK participants who require additional financial support.
Why apply?
- Build a lifelong global network of changemakers across the UK and Africa
- Engage with top thinkers and leaders in trade, diplomacy, and development
- Gain a platform to influence policy and practice across continents
- Grow as a reflective, values-based leader through Aspen’s renowned seminar method