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The Global Leadership Challenge 2026/27 is free to join. It is a five-day online leadership programme run by the University of Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium, where 100 young leaders from around the world work in teams on real-world challenges set by the partners. There is no application fee.
The challenge itself runs fully online. The winning team is then invited to the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland, with travel and accommodation fully covered. Everyone who takes part earns a Certificate of Achievement from Oxford and St. Gallen.
Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisers | University of Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium |
| Format | Five-day challenge, fully online |
| Dates | 10 to 14 December 2026 |
| Prize | Winning team attends the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland, travel and accommodation covered |
| Who can apply | Young leaders worldwide (100 places) |
| Application fee | None |
| Deadline | 5 November 2026, reviewed on a rolling basis. See the Deadline section. |
What is the Global Leadership Challenge?
The GLC is a joint initiative of the University of Oxford, through its Social Sciences Division and the Oxford Character Project, and the St. Gallen Symposium. Each year it brings together 100 young leaders and about 20 senior advisors from more than 80 countries for a five-day online challenge built around responsible leadership.
You work in a small team on a real-world challenge set by the partners, guided by academics and industry experts through dialogues, masterclasses, and workshops.
What you get
- A five-day online programme with leading academics and practitioners
- A Certificate of Achievement from the University of Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium for every active participant
- For the winning team, a fully covered trip to the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland as Leaders of Tomorrow
- A place in a global network of emerging leaders
To be clear, the programme is online. The funded trip to Switzerland goes to the winning team only, not to every participant.
Who can apply
- Young leaders from any country
- People ready to work in a team on real-world challenges
- Those who can take part across the five days in December
Is there an application fee?
No. It is free to apply and free to take part. You only need the time to commit to the five days and the preparation around them.
How to apply, step by step
- Open the official Global Leadership Challenge website.
- Complete the online application.
- Submit early, since applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
- If selected, take part in the online challenge from 10 to 14 December 2026.
Selection process
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so earlier is better. The organisers select 100 participants balanced across countries and backgrounds. During the challenge, teams build impact projects, and the strongest project wins the trip to Switzerland.
Deadline
5 November 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so do not wait.
The challenge runs 10 to 14 December 2026. Apply early for the best chance, and confirm the date on the official GLC website before you submit.
Have a question?
Drop your question in the comments and we will help. Tell us your field and your country and we will point you in the right direction.
Related reading
More opportunities to explore on the site:
- Yale World Fellows Program 2027
- Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship 2027/28 at Oxford
- Korea Youth Summit 2027
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