Now open: fellowship opportunities under Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Program

Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Network Program

The Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Network Program (MTT), supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), aims to work with national and regional knowledge-based policy influence organizations (KBPIOs) in the Mekong Region to enhance their capacities to effectively engage stakeholders involved in policy processes. 

Knowledge-based policy influence organizations (KBPIOs) are "organizations that produce and disseminate policy-relevant knowledge, such as think tanks, research institutes, advocacy groups, and academic centers." They differ from other types of policy actors in their degree of independence, specialization, and legitimacy.

The program views that investing in diverse entry- or mid-level professionals of all genders working in research and policy engagement is essential to enhance their capacity to produce and promote practical and sustainable solutions. The program will spearhead capacity building for entry- or mid-level professionals through fellowships and trainings.

The first round of fellowships, launched in April 2023, successfully awarded seven fellows. This call is seeking to recruit at least 13 high-quality fellows.

Fellow Qualifications

Required:

1. Entry- or mid-level professionals of all ages and genders.
2. Citizen of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, or Vietnam.
3. Education qualification as appropriate for the role, but preference for:
   1. Master's degree with at least 2 years experience; or
   2. Bachelor’s degree with at least five years’ experience.
4. Available to commit to a 12-month fellowship full-time or a maximum 17 months part-time to end no later than June 2025.
5. Be physically based in the same city with a host institution (that you are currently not employed by) for at least six months during the fellowship period. For exceptional circumstances, other arrangements may be negotiated upon request and subject to approval by SEI (Program Secretariat).

Preferable:

1. Experience in working in at least one of the thematic areas:
   1. Water security
   2. Energy security
   3. Climate change mitigation or adaptation
   4. Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion
   5. Water, energy, and climate nexus
2. Applicants currently employed by or affiliated with a program partner (see Annex 1) are invited to apply to be hosted by other partner organizations of the program or other KBPIOs in the region. Please note that the fellow cannot be hosted by their existing employer.

For more details of the call, please download the attached pdf and submit your application online.