A cool breeze drifts across the misty Nilgiri foothills as Kyna Gulia, an 11th grader at Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, closes her laptop after a late‐night video call. Just minutes earlier, she had been in a briefing alongside global experts at the UN Summit—a stage few teenagers ever reach. Though already one of India’s brightest—having participated in Model UN and swept several awards in interschool fests—Kyna’s worldview took a radical turn when IFSPD Europe handpicked her to represent the nation.
Kyna’s transformation is exactly why IFSPD Europe, a U.N consulting partner and a European consortium of over 60 nations, launched its Fellowship program in India. Designed to nurture the top 10% of students from ten elite schools—including Good Shepherd International (Ooty), Welham Girls (Dehradun), Lawrence School Lovedale (Ooty), Ashok Hall Girls (Kolkata), Sarala Birla (Bangalore), CL Gupta World School (Moradabad), Sherwood Hall (Chennai), Cygnus World School (Baroda) and Sri Sri Academy (Hyderabad) —this intensive accelerator demands just 2–3 hours monthly but delivers an education far beyond textbooks.
As a partner of the United Nations and one of the largest pan-European institutions dedicated to sustainable leadership, IFSPD Europe brings unmatched global networks and expertise to the brightest minds in both STEM and the humanities. From multi-stakeholder simulations and diplomatic enclaves to mentorship by Fortune 500 executives and UN envoys, the program immerses fellows in real-world scenarios that mirror international forums and corporate boardrooms alike.
“By blending academic excellence with hands-on problem solving, we’re preparing students not just to survive, but to thrive in tomorrow’s world,” says Mr. Jacob Thomas, President of the Good Shepherd International School, Ooty. “Our partnership as a Champion school of IFSPD Europe ensures that India’s brightest have both the tools and the platform to drive meaningful change—locally and globally.”
At the heart of the Fellowship is a series of higher order, multi-dimensional continuous capacity building exercises designed to sharpen critical thinking, diplomatic finesse, and innovation. Fellows convene in Global Sustainability Councils, where they collaborate with their peers to dissect real-world crises using the IRAC framework—Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion—mirroring the analytical rigor of leading academic institutions including Harvard. In Diplomatic Enclaves, they negotiate and navigate challenging topics ranging from entrepreneurship to circular economies, learning to balance competing interests and forge consensus under pressure.
Beyond simulations, each Fellow gains direct access to expert masterclasses, where industry titans share first-hand insights into leadership, global governance, entrepreneurship, and portfolio building. These interactions offer rare mentorship opportunities, enabling students to pose questions, challenge assumptions, and refine their own leadership philosophies.
“Watching our students engage with global experts and then return to implement pilots in their own schools has been incredibly rewarding,” reflects Ms. Divjot Kaur, Principal of Ashok Hall Girls’, Kolkata. “This Fellowship doesn’t just teach leadership—it activates it, empowering young minds to think critically, innovate responsibly, and lead sustainably.”
Echoing this sentiment, Ms. Vibha Kapoor, Principal of Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun, shared: “At the inaugural session of the IFSPD Europe Fellowship, I witnessed a level of insight and commitment among students that was truly inspiring. This initiative is a step towards bridging the gap between classroom learning and global responsibility—it is exactly the kind of future-facing education our students need.
Meanwhile, as monsoon clouds gather once more over the Nilgiris, Good Shepherd International’s first cohort of IFSPD Europe Fellows is getting to work—transforming insights into action, forging cross-continental alliances, and charting new courses for a more resilient, equitable future.
Aspiring schools and student-leaders can learn more at ifspd.eu/fellowships.
