LeadNext: Ambassadors for a Global Future is The Asia Foundation’s flagship youth leadership program, running since 2022. Each cohort brings together emerging leaders aged 18–25 — half from the United States and half from across Asia and the Pacific — to build skills in cross-cultural collaboration, communication, and leadership.
The 2026 edition ran from June to September and combined a virtual leadership-training intensive, expert masterclasses, one-on-one mentorship, and a culminating in-person Global Leaders Summit. The deliberate U.S.–Asia cohort design emphasizes reciprocal exchange and long-term network-building between future leaders across the two regions.
Benefits & funding
- Fully funded participation, covering all travel, accommodation, and meals
- A virtual leadership-training intensive plus expert-led masterclasses
- One-on-one mentorship with experienced leaders
- A week-long in-person Global Leaders Summit
- Membership in an ongoing cross-regional network of alumni leaders
Eligibility
- Aged 18–25 at program start
- Fully conversant in English
- Able to commit to all 13 virtual sessions (about 2 hours each, scheduled across Asia and U.S. time zones) and the week-long in-person summit
- U.S. applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
- Asia-Pacific applicants must be nationals of a country where The Asia Foundation has a presence — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and — in the Pacific — Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tonga
- Asia-Pacific applicants must be able to secure a visa to travel to the U.S.; applicants from Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Laos must currently be based in the U.S.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
USA · Afghanistan · Bangladesh · Cambodia · India · Indonesia · Japan · South Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia
+ 14 more
Myanmar · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Vietnam · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Marshall Islands · Palau · Tonga
Age requirement
18–25 yrs
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Application process
- 1Review the program brief and eligibility on the official call-for-applications page.
- 2Complete and submit the online application through the Foundation’s application portal before the deadline.
- 3Shortlisted candidates are selected for the cohort, split evenly between the U.S. and Asia-Pacific.
Program timeline
Applications open
Apr 5, 2026
Application deadline
May 5, 2026
Program runs — virtual training, masterclasses, mentorship, and the in-person Global Leaders Summit
2026-06 to 2026-09