Spotlight

  • An independent and non-partisan executive programme for twenty-four political, business and civic leaders working in Northern Ireland.
  • Formulated in response to the legacy of the Troubles and the various complexities that have arisen in the world due to globalisation, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • An opportunity to reimagine complex political, business and civic challenges in Northern Ireland.

About

The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has provided a general template for the political progress in Northern Ireland. Since its establishment in 1998, however, the Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended on five occasions and the legacy of the Troubles remains a divisive issue. Governance arrangements in Northern Ireland continue to be fragile.

Globalisation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the UK’s exit from the EU have simultaneously introduced additional complexities that require non-traditional skills for political leaders and communities to navigate. The complex decision-making skills that political, business and civic leaders need to prevent higher levels of distrust, fear, and conflict are more critical than ever.

There is an opportunity to reimagine complex political, business and civic leadership in Northern Ireland through innovation and capacity building.

The Fellowship Programme is an independent and non-partisan executive programme for twenty-four political, business and civic leaders working in Northern Ireland. It aims to strengthen democracy and to ensure that leaders in Northern Ireland are best placed to lead into the next decade and navigate through complexity.

The Fellowship Programme is delivered by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB) working with key stakeholders, policy makers and facilitators from leading academic institutions, including the University of Oxford, with support from its Advisory Board.

Fellowship 2023-2024 Details

  • 24 public leaders: political, business, public sector and civic society
  • Duration: 7 months (September – March)

  • Residential sessions in Oxford and Dublin
    12 – 15 September 2023 (Oxford)
    24 – 26 January 2023 (Dublin)

  • Symposium day in Belfast
  • Executive Coaching
  • Graduation at Hillsborough Castle
  • Registration fee: £750 + travel cost (Oxford and Dublin)
  • Scholarships and financial support available on request by application
  • Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Allstate NI, Devenish, FinTrU, Fujitsu NI, NIE Networks and Ulster Carpets

Programme Outcomes

  • Gain knowledge and skills from leading academics and practitioners from leading academics and practitioners to increase your confidence and ability to address political, economic and social challenges facing Northern Ireland
  • Improve the ability to deliver outcomes that matter to the people you serve, produce better outcomes, advance the public interest and build a culture of integrity in your organisation and sector

  • Communicate effectively within your own organisation and across different sectors
  • Develop relationships and join a unique network of leaders across political, business and civic society sectors
  • Enhance your leadership capability and performance at an individual and collective level by engaging in executive coaching throughout the programme

Upcoming Fellowship 2023 – 2024 Highlights

The Oxford Experience

Participants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world as well as the top-ranked university in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings). Here in the ‘city of dreaming spires’, Fellows will enter an oasis of learning, where the world’s greatest leaders and thinkers have studied for over 900 years and where research breakthroughs continue today.

The Dublin Experience

In Dublin, the UNESCO City of Literature, participants will have the opportunity to work with pioneers in their own fields of politics, business and civic society as well as engage with policy development, international relations and diplomacy, in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy.