TOGETHER TOWARDS TOMORROW, ASHOKA CHANGEMAKERS CHALLENGE

Application Deadline: July 01, 2024

LOCATION: Multiple Regions

Join their global innovation challenge: Together Towards Tomorrow, a collaboration between Ashoka and HSBC, which invites changemakers from around the world with initiatives that unite people across generations to activate young people as leaders. 

ELIGIBILITY:

Participants must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

The “Together, Towards, Tomorrow” Challenge is open to individuals driving impact in Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vietnam.

Your leadership structure requires at least one member born in 1994 or later, who has held a leadership position for at least 12 months. If your organization is less than one year old, at least one founding member must be born in or after 1994. 

Entries must be submitted in English and an Applicant is not allowed to submit more than one application.

Employees of HSBC, advertising agencies, promotion agencies and other service providers for this Challenge, their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, regardless of where they reside) are not eligible. 

Partners or past HSBC challenge winners or initiatives that are already financed or supported by HSBC, its affiliates, subsidiaries or joint ventures are not eligible.

Your venture must be at an early- or mid- stage.

Your initiative must be incorporated (as a non-profit, for-profit, or hybrid organization).  

You must be 18 or above at the time of submitting this application.

Entries will only be accepted in English (winners will be expected to engage in activities that require English proficiency). 

If your solution has not been implemented at scale; you must have a clear business plan and a minimum-viable solution (prototype, pilot, or another proof of concept).

Only one application per individual/venture will be accepted.

BENEFIT:

All eligible applicants will receive:

Receive feedback from Ashoka and/or HSBC representatives.

Have a chance to connect with a community changemakers through this challenge (by providing/receiving feedback, and meeting them through community events).

Early Entry Applicants will receive:

Those who get their application in by June 3rd 2024 will have the chance to be selected as Early Entry Winners.

All Early Entry Applicants will receive feedback ahead of the final entry deadline.

3 Early Entry Winners will be awarded $1,500 each  

Note: Being selected as an early entry winner does not mean that you will be selected as a final challenge winner. 

Winners Awards:

Up to 12 winners, will receive a minimum of $15,000 and up to $25,000.  

We will select a minimum of 3 winners at Early Stage (0-3 years since registration), and a minimum of 3 winners that are at an Established Stage (3+ years since registration).

The top winner in each of these two categories will receive a prize of $25,000.

APPLY

MOFCOM SCHOLARSHIP-CSC PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, CHINA

Application Deadline: Varies by participating Institutions

LOCATION: China

Degree Education Programs sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China is designed to foster high-end business officials and managerial personnel for the recipient countries, offering one-year and two-year master programs as well as three-year doctoral programs for the purpose of educating high-end and inter-disciplinary talent working in the applied fields of government, trade, foreign affairs, agriculture, technology, education, culture and health, building intellectual capacity and facilitating the economic and social development of the recipient countries.

ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible, applicants must:

be a citizen of a developing country other than the People’s Republic of China, and under the age of 45;

be healthy physically and mentally with a physical examination report issued by a local public hospital, and not having any disease or situation listed below:

Diseases prohibited by Chinese Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Laws and Regulations

Other severe chronic diseases like high blood pressure, cardio-cerebrovascular disease, diabetes; psychological diseases; or other infectious diseases which may harm public health

In recovery period after major surgery or acute disease attacks

Severe physically challenged

Pregnancy

with at least three years’ working experience, and be a bachelor’s degree holder when applying for master’s program; be a master’s degree holder when applying for doctoral program;

be incumbents with a relevant educational background or working experience to the applied program are preferred;

be public officials of division level and above (or corresponding level) in government sectors, or senior management staff of organizations and enterprises, or academic backbones of universities and research institutions;

be sufficient in English which meets the academic requirements of the program, be equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 and above level;

be with the potential of professional development, and is committed to promoting the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the host country and China;

be neither studying in China nor being admitted to other scholarship programs provided by Chinese government.

BENEFIT:

Students are exempt from tuition fee, teaching material fee, research and survey fee, allowance of English-taught program, dissertation guidance fee;

Free on-campus accommodation;

Monthly stipend:

36000RMB per year per master student,

42000RMB per year per PhD student;

One-off resettlement fee: 3000RMB per person;

Free medical insurance for international students;

One-time round-trip international airfare for all the students (First time fly to China after enrollment, and Fly back to home country while graduation), and a maximum of “n-1” (“n” is for the length of schooling year which is set while the student was enrolled by the program, “n” is maximally to three) round-trip international airfares for home visits (one time per year set at the end of an academic year);

The annual review is compulsory for all students. Those who pass the review may continue to enjoy full scholarships in the next year.

Other expenses shall be managed and used by the Ministry of Commerce or the universities as a whole, and shall not be distributed to students. The Ministry of Commerce only provides students with financial assistance within their enrolled academic duration. Students who postpone their graduation will not receive the continuing sponsorship.

APPLY