ABOUT THE 2022 FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMme
Overview
The Karman Fellowship Programme is a one-year leadership programme designed to foster trust, independent dialogue and cooperation between 15 selected Karman Fellows who are below the age of 45 and have achieved outstanding accomplishments in space. Over the course of the Programme, Fellows strengthen personal relations, meet with global leaders in technology, science, business, politics and the arts, and take personal commitments to further advance space-related agendas for the betterment of humanity.
Karman Fellows are entrepreneurs, industry leaders, educators, artists and ecosystem builders - and as such, the Programme is designed to respect their busy schedules.
Objectives
The Fellowship Programme is designed to facilitate personal engagement, trust-building, inspiration and most importantly, impact. We connect the Karman Fellows with leaders, trailblazers and industry experts - leveraging the varied learnings and experiences of our professionally, culturally, discipline-rich community for ongoing personal and professional development.
We aim to:
- Accelerate the Karman Fellows' acquaintance with key decision-makers in space and adjacent industries.
- Provide a safe and confidential forum for strategic discussion regarding the future of space (all exchanges abide by Chatham House Rules).
- Facilitate the opportunity for the Karman Fellows to educate one another on their sectors and regions.
- Maximise the Karman Fellows’ impact through leadership development and the formulation of a Karman Commitment dedicated to driving positive impact or cooperation in their field.
- Establish a life-long Fellowship community, characterised by mutual support and the promotion of international cooperation in space.
Key Activities & Dates
Fellows participating in the Programme will engage in regular activities (conducted under Chatham House Rules), such as:
- Karman Week & Annual Gala Dinner: The flagship event of the foundation, Karman Week gathers global leaders for a series of social activities, strategic discussions, workshops and fun. The four-day event culminates in the foundation’s annual invite-only Gala Dinner, where Fellows are invited to present their Karman Commitments to key decision-makers in space and adjacent industries.
- Strategic Roundtable Discussions: A forum for curated, topical and solution-oriented strategic discussions regarding key challenges in space.
- Mentorship Programme: Karman Fellows are matched with senior Karman Community members according to needs, challenges and interests, including members from our Selection and Advisory Boards, Fellowship Alumni and Keynote Speakers.
- Karman Commitments: Karman Fellows are supported in taking a personal commitment - a pledge - to further advance a topic of their choice focused upon impact or cross-disciplinary/cross-regional cooperation within space. Fellows may embark upon a new project or focus upon a commitment that maximises impact in their leadership, work environment or community. You can explore the Agendas and Commitments of the 2020 Karman Fellows here.
- Karman Oath: Karman Fellows are asked to take an oath focused upon promoting support and accountability within the Karman Community, advancing international cooperation and the peaceful exploration of space, and placing space at the service of humankind.
Given the global nature of our community the majority of the programme is conducted online, apart from Karman Week (including the Gala Dinner), which changes location each year. Karman Week 2022 is set to take place in Paris, France from 14th-17th September 2022.
FELLOWSHIP SELECTION & CRITERIA
Our Selection Board consists of highly respected and successful professionals who represent a fine intersection of disciplines, industries and cultures. In the course of curating the group of 15 Karman Fellows, our Selection Board discusses each shortlisted candidate in reference to five Selection Criteria.
Selection Criteria
- Exceptional professional achievement and impact in space or a space-related field.
- Track record of successful cooperations or projects (ideally cross-border or cross-disciplinary).
- Demonstrated strategic thinking in relation to critical global issues that space can contribute to solving and/or challenges that exist within the space sector.
- Motivation to join the Karman Fellowship Programme and the Karman Community (including potential future contribution).
- Complementary potential in relation to other Fellowship candidates (e.g. diverse representation of nationalities, sectors and disciplines among Fellowship cohort).
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be considered for the Karman Fellowship Programme, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Aged 45 years or younger (as at the application deadline of 31st March 2022).
- Complete both the short website application form and the video submission (this will be requested by the Karman Team upon completion of the website application).
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
Application Process
Applications for the 2022 Fellowship Programme have now closed. Candidates will be notified by the 14th of April as to whether their application has been shortlisted for presentation to the Karman Selection Board, which will convene on the 30th of April. The new cohort of Fellows will be welcomed onboard shortly thereafter and the Fellowship may commence!