Applications are now open for the Fully-funded Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Green Foreign Policy Fellowship

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Closing Date: 31 May 2025

Applications are now open for the Fully-funded Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Green Foreign Policy Fellowship

The Heinrich Böll Foundation’s (hbs) Thessaloniki Office is pleased to announce the first iteration of its Green Foreign Policy Fellowship.

Overview

Decades after the first green party entered parliament, and more than 20 years after the adoption of the Global Greens Charter, green foreign policy remains an open-ended question. The international order established after the end of WWII is in free fall with unforeseeable consequences for global peace, stability and justice. At the same time, old alliances are put into question amid rising tensions and destabilizing trade war practices, all while the planet swiftly approaches a tipping point towards catastrophic climate change. In this backdrop, the Greens are evolving, expressing more and more a renewed vision for security and foreign affairs.

The Green Foreign Policy fellowship aims to support scholars, practitioners and experts from across the world to galvanize these critical discussions, provide space, access and experience in the realm of progressive foreign & security policy. The programme will focus critically on how to best advance a green foreign & security policy, elaborating on the points of reference found and exploring new pathways in this process. The fellowship will cover participants’ travel and accommodation costs to attend relevant events, it will provide a stipend during the first semester when material will mainly be produced, while supporting the presentation of the participants’ work along with networking activities during the second semester.

The key objectives of this fellowship opportunity are:

To provide a learning and networking experience for emerging thinkers in green foreign policy and progressive foreign & security policy narrative more broadly. As a result, participants will be better able to pursue their policy, research and advocacy aims and tap into a global network of like-minded change-makers;
To enable a more data-based and cross-regional debate on green foreign policy and progressive foreign & security policy more broadly;
To serve as a mechanism through which emerging progressive thinkers can identify issues that require further debate and/or advocacy, and where exchange between relevant actors can be facilitated.
To produce new material and codify data for practical, complete and convincing foreign & security policy alternatives to the realist approach in international relations.

What is expected

Plan ahead: Once selected, fellows will be asked to provide an analytical strategy outlining what goals they are aiming at and how they plan to achieve them. Please note that the material should be produced mainly during the first semester of the fellowship. The second semester should emphasize on presentation of your work, exchange and networking.
Material: The formats of material produced can vary, from articles, to papers or anything else deemed necessary or appropriate.
Reporting: Short progress reports will be required monthly.
Social media & Communication: Participants are invited to actively engage with the Heinrich Böll Foundation over social media channels to report on their experiences and findings. Fellows should be able to provide quick and concise statements and messages from any events they attend in the auspices of this fellowship, sharing lessons amongst each other and with a broader public. The Foundation will also publish a profile of each participant on the website of the Thessaloniki Office.
Language: Please note that fluency in English is required.

What is offered

Stipend: A sum of 6.000,00 euros (brutto) will be provided in instalments during the first semester of the fellowship.
Travel Costs: To the extent possible, the Heinrich Böll Foundation will cover the cost of travel within the auspices of this fellowship
Visa Processing: If needed, the Foundation will support the visa application process by providing an official letter of invitation. Please note that the Foundation cannot guarantee that visas will be processed in time.
Visibility & Dissemination: Selected fellows will be promoted on social media and other media channels to create a visible online presence around their aims and to amplify important political messages related to their work.
Alumni network: Candidates should apply with the goal of becoming part of a growing network of progressive thinkers who support each other in advancing a new vision for foreign & security policy. Upon completion of their fellowship, participants will be awarded the title of Green Foreign Policy Scholar and will be part of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thessaloniki Alumni Network.

Experience and applicant profile:

Heinrich Böll Foundation encourages young graduates with a bachelor degree in international relations or political science to apply. Heinrich Böll Foundation also welcomes more experienced profiles, such as practitioners, prospective or current PhD students and PhD holders in pertinent fields.

Regional background:

Heinrich Böll Foundation seek candidates from all continents.