Global Leadership Challenge 2026 (University of Oxford and St. Gallen Symposium)

The Global Leadership Challenge (GLC) is a five-day, fully virtual programme run by the University of Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium. It brings together 100 young leaders to work on real-world challenges set by partners such as Swiss Re and Schwarzman Scholars. You'll use character education and design thinking to build action projects, and talk with senior academics and business and policy leaders. It is for Master's or PhD students, or young professionals aged 21-30 who have finished their undergraduate studies. Every discipline and country is welcome, and you can join from anywhere. You should already have shown commitment to responsible leadership through extracurriculars or work. You need to be free for about five half-days between 10 and 14 December 2026. Active participants receive an official Certificate of Achievement from Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium. You also get leadership training and mentorship from the Oxford Character Project, and you can apply for further mentoring afterwards. The three top-performing teams are invited to the 56th St. Gallen Symposium in April 2027 as Leaders of Tomorrow, with travel and accommodation fully covered. Applications open on 29 September 2026 and close on 5 November 2026, but they are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early. Prepare your CV, a portrait photo, proof of enrolment if you are a student, a 40-second video and a short answer on how you practise responsible leadership.