Youth Opportunities Hub Internships, Learnerships, & Career Development
2022 IMF Youth Fellowship Program: Apply by 21 August 2022
About the 2022 IMF Youth Fellowship Program (Archive)
This post is shared as an archival reference, describing the IMF Youth Fellowship Program as it ran in 2022. The programme continues annually in a similar format, so if you’re interested in applying today, check the IMF’s official site for the current year’s cycle, since eligibility criteria and application windows can change from year to year.
About the Programme
The 2022 IMF Youth Fellowship Program gave young professionals from around the world the chance to become part of the global effort to build forward better, joining the IMF at the forefront of the response to the pressing economic challenges of that time, including inflation, food insecurity, and the ongoing global recovery.
That year’s edition drew a huge wave of interest, with the IMF receiving more than 4,200 applications from young people around the world. From that pool, 30 young professionals were ultimately selected to take part as IMF Youth Fellows.
How the Programme Was Structured
The 2022 fellowship followed a familiar two-phase structure:
Phase I: Application
Interested candidates applied through an online application form available on the official fellowship contest website. That year’s deadline fell on 21 August 2022.
Phase II: Capacity Building During the Annual Meetings
Selected fellows took part in a 3-day virtual workshop led by IMF senior management and staff, held around the IMF’s Annual Meetings in October. The workshop covered pressing global economic issues of the time, including:
- Inclusive growth
- Food insecurity
- Inflation
- Climate change
The programme also included a dedicated session on global development trends, led by a senior editorial figure from Devex, helping fellows sharpen their understanding of how development issues are communicated to the wider world. Fellows were also encouraged to attend the broader Annual Meetings seminars and events, and the workshop closed with group presentations where fellows shared their perspectives on selected topics.
Who the Programme Was Designed For
The 2022 IMF Youth Fellowship Program was aimed at young people generally between 20 and 35 years of age, drawn from a range of academic and professional backgrounds, including:
- Students and graduates in international relations, development, communications, journalism, or economics
- Young professionals with demonstrated experience in social activism or engagement with civil society organisations
- Individuals with entrepreneurial experience, including involvement in start-ups
- Applicants with a solid working knowledge and interest in global economic issues, particularly inclusive growth, food security, inflation, and climate change
Basic English proficiency was required, since the training programme and Annual Meetings coverage were conducted in English. The fellowship was open to applicants from across IMF member countries.
What Fellows Gained From the Experience
Fellows selected for the 2022 cohort walked away with several meaningful benefits, including:
- Direct engagement with scholars, activists, global leaders, and IMF experts
- Lasting connections with fellow young professionals from around the world
- Virtual access to the IMF’s Annual Meetings seminars and events
- Membership in the IMF Youth Network, keeping them connected to future opportunities, events, and publications
For many fellows, the experience offered a rare and valuable platform to bring their generation’s voice into some of the most important economic conversations happening at the time.
A Programme That Has Continued to Evolve
While this post focuses specifically on the 2022 cohort, the IMF Youth Fellowship Program has continued running every year since it first launched in 2020. Later cohorts have expanded well beyond a fully virtual format, incorporating in-person engagements at the IMF’s Washington D.C. headquarters and other international locations.
If a programme like this interests you, it’s worth searching for the IMF’s current Youth Fellowship cycle to confirm the latest eligibility requirements, application process, and deadlines, since these are refreshed and reopened each year.
