POLICY AGORA
OVERVIEW
A two-month, in-person fellowship in New Delhi for graduate students and early-career professionals aiming to enter the public policy sector. Small cohorts ensure close faculty interaction, peer learning, and personalised feedback. The fellowship is a short, high-intensity programme where commitment and participation are critical. If you are ready to meet high professional standards and work at the pace of real policy practice, we invite you to apply.
The Programme
Policy Agora is an immersive and intensive, in-person programme in New Delhi for motivated and committed graduate students and early-career professionals seeking to work in the policy ecosystem. Sessions are designed to build both foundational understanding of policy processes and the professional skills needed to work effectively in real-world settings. Unique career-oriented features include access to policy practitioners for career advice and structured avenues to showcase innovative ideas
FORMAT
Regular Weeks: Classes run on Saturday for three weeks, with roughly 6 hours of runtime each week
Intensive Weeks: Classes run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for three weeks, with a cumulative of around 18 hours of runtime each week
Sprint Weeks: The last two weeks are run like a sprint, with sessions running through both weekends for 12 hours of runtime each week
Assignments: Fellows are given assignments and readings every week, which will take a minimum of 6-8 hours to complete each week
Counselling and Feedback: Fellows will also have access to core faculty for feedback and career counselling sessions
LOCATION:
Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
Batch Size:
~25
Focus areas
Contemporary policy themes including tech, climate, and international relations, job-ready skills, and sector-specific knowledge
Outcomes
Graduates leave with the skills, networks, and applied experience to begin or advance a career in public policy
Why Apply
Learn directly from policy practitioners with diverse sectoral experience
Apply concepts through assignments and projects mirroring real policy work
Access structured opportunities to build and test innovative ideas.
Gain access to influential global communities and impactful multistakeholder convenings
Key Dates
Application deadline: 20 May 2026
Interviews: 01-10 June 2026
Final selection announcement: 15 June 2026
Programme start: 03 July 2026
Who can Apply
The fellowship is open to recent graduates as well as early-career professionals who wish to enter, transition into, or advance within the public policy sector.
Applicants must have:
Completed an integrated five-year undergraduate degree, or
Completed a minimum one-year postgraduate degree
In exceptional cases, applicants with strong public interest or professional achievements may be considered even if they do not meet the formal academic thresholds.