Who are the Fellows?

The Fellows are a global community of diverse religious leaders, educators and dialogue practitioners from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other religious backgrounds. The international cohort includes Fellows from different parts of the world, while regional cohorts draw Fellows from their respective regions and use the regional languages. The content and the format of the training, resources, and the opportunities offered are the same in all cohorts.

What do the Fellows study?

The Fellows Programme includes three intensive residential trainings which cover theory and history of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, skills training in dialogue planning and facilitation, and project sustainability and evaluation. Throughout the trainings, Fellows engage with diverse religious communities, sacred sites, interreligious organizations, and local government and cultural leaders. KAICIID also provides Fellows with small seed grants to implement dialogue projects tailored to the needs of their institutions and communities. Past initiatives have included interfaith youth projects, trainings in interreligious/intercultural dialogue for future religious leaders, hate speech awareness campaigns, and initiatives designed to empower women at the global policymaking table.

What is the KAICIID Fellows Alumni Network?

The KAICIID Fellows Alumni Network connects programme graduates with a vibrant community of global changemakers. The Network has helped Fellows expand and deepen the impact of their initiatives, allowing them to share best practices with one another and find funding and resources. The Network also provides continuing learning and professional development opportunities to reinforce lasting outcomes in the field.

Who Can Apply?

Each year, the KAICIID Fellows Programme selects a new group of extraordinary leaders and educators, with a proven ability of advancing interreligious dialogue in their institutions and communities. While the minimum age is 21, most fellows are mid-career, with several years of experience and graduate education in their field. 80% of Fellows have been in higher education or religious leadership, while the rest have worked in international development, peace and reconciliation, dialogue organizations, as policy-makers, and in other fields. 

The acceptance rate in 2025 was 4%. 

For more information about the application process and the programme in general, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

Requirements:

• Ability to Engage in Complex Dialogue: Capacity to engage in dialogue on complex topics in English.

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  Institutional Support: Representation or endorsement by an organization or institution.

• Relevant Background: Experience or education in a field related to religion, interreligious or intercultural dialogue, international development or peacebuilding, or working with religious leaders.

• Openness to Diversity: Willingness to collaborate with individuals from diverse religious, cultural, and ideological backgrounds.

• Commitment to Full Participation: Availability and commitment to attend all components of the Programme, including training sessions and online activities.

• Additional Requirements:

For the global-international cohort, none.

For the youth services cohort, that you be international, regional, or national-level staff or volunteer with a youth service organization, agency, or network.

We are revising our application process. The applications for the 2026 Fellows Programme will be opened in May 2025. 

APPLY HERE

Please visit our frequently asked questions for more information