Global Governance Fellowship
The Global Governance Fellowship (formerly the World Citizen Fellowship) is an exclusive program at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. A two-semester program that provides undergraduates with hands-on experience in international policy and global advocacy, learning directly from experts and practitioners as they explore solutions to today’s most urgent global challenges.
The fellowship was created through a shared vision between Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), the World Service Authority, and Trinity’s Global Affairs Department to equip Trinity students with the tools and experiences needed to engage meaningfully in international affairs.
Piloted during the 2022–2023 academic year, the program quickly exceeded expectations. Students expressed overwhelming enthusiasm not only for the content and structure, but also for the opportunity to engage with civil society leaders and contribute to real-world discussions on United Nations reform and attending UN conferences in New York as delegates.
Workshop Series
The Fall Semester is structured as a five-week workshop series featuring thematic seminars hosted by CGS and its partners. These workshops focus on two core strategic themes:
Deepening students’ understanding of international institutions
Emerging models for democratic global governance
Each workshop is designed to build upon academic learning while fostering critical thinking, global awareness, and policy literacy.
Capstone Experience
The Spring Semester is dedicated to the Capstone Series, during which students complete an applied, experiential learning program.
This includes:
Attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference in New York City as delegates
Preparing and presenting a panel at the CSW NGO Forum
Developing a policy brief intended for Capitol Hill
Workshop Series
The workshop series forms the core experiential component of the Fellowship Program, providing fellows with direct engagement in global governance challenges and opportunities for practical skills development. Covering topics ranging from world citizenship and UN reform to international law and peacebuilding, the workshops are led by subject-matter experts and practitioners from partner institutions. Sessions feature interactive lectures, simulations, case studies, and group discussions, all aimed at preparing fellows for the Capstone project.
Capstone Experience
In the Spring Semester, students complete an intensive Capstone experience that brings together research, advocacy, and hands-on diplomacy. The Capstone includes attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference in New York as delegates, designing and presenting a student-led panel at the CSW NGO Forum, and presenting a policy brief on Capitol Hill.
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
As part of their capstone experience, students attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York as delegates, actively engaging in official side events and NGO-organized parallel events. This immersive experience provides firsthand exposure to global diplomacy, civil society advocacy, and multilateral policymaking at the UN.
NGO Forum Panel
As part of their capstone, fellows organized and led their own NGO CSW Forum panel events, taking responsibility for all aspects of the program, including research, communications and outreach, keynote development, moderation, and event execution.
An Intergenerational Panel, Confronting Poverty Through Diverse Lenses
On March 18, 2024, the Fellows hosted a parallel event to the NGO Forum convening alongside the 68th United Nations Conference on the Status of Women (CSW68). The event brought together Trinity Washington University students and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for an intergenerational dialogue on the feminization of poverty.
Intergenerational Panel:
Directly Confronting Gender-Specific Violence & Promoting Justice & Peace
On March 14th, 2025, the Fellows hosted a parallel event to the NGO Forum convening alongside the 68th United Nations Conference on the Status of Women (CSW69). The discussion examined violence against women and girls and persistent barriers to justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, while reflecting on how the Beijing Declaration can be more effectively implemented to achieve transformative, long-term solutions.
Program Partners
We are deeply grateful to our partner organizations and facilitators for generously sharing their expertise, time, and leadership throughout the first semester of the Global Governance Fellowship. These workshops provide fellows with rare access to civil society leaders, cutting-edge research, and real-world policy experience, bringing global governance reform to life. Together, our partners made it possible for students to engage critically, build practical skills, and envision their own roles in shaping a more just and democratic world.
We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Allen Pietrobon and Trinity Washington University for serving as the academic and institutional hub of the Fellowship. Through Allen’s leadership and Trinity’s deep commitment to inclusive excellence, the university has created a welcoming home for rigorous dialogue, experiential learning, and youth leadership in global governance reform. Trinity’s role as a hub ensures that diverse student voices remain at the center of shaping a more just and democratic international system.
Trinity Washington University
Trinity Washington University was founded by and is rooted in the social justice mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur. Trinity is a liberal arts higher education institution prioritizing the commitment to the education of women, especially committed to women of color to thrive.
The Center for Peace and Global Governance
The Center for Peace and Global Governance is a virtual think tank and online forum that pools and proposes principled solutions to pressing global problems through publications, podcasts, videos, lectures, workshops and targeted consulting.
World Service Authority
Founded in 1953, the World Service Authority is the political embodiment of world citizenship linked to world law. Dedicated to World Citizenship, Human Rights and a Sustainable Earth.
Stimson Center
The Stimson Center promotes international security and shared prosperity through applied research and independent analysis, global engagement, and policy innovation. For three decades, Stimson has been a leading voice on urgent global issues. Founded in the twilight years of the Cold War, the Stimson Center pioneered practical new steps toward stability and security in an uncertain world. Today, as changes in power and technology usher in a challenging new era, Stimson is at the forefront: Engaging new voices, generating innovative ideas and analysis, and building solutions to promote international security, prosperity, and justice.
Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
The IEP aims to create a paradigm shift in the way the world thinks about peace. IEP develops global and national indices, calculating the economic cost of violence, analysing country level risk and fragility, and understanding Positive Peace. Their research is used extensively by governments, academic institutions, think tanks, non‑governmental organisations and by intergovernmental institutions. The Institute has offices in 6 countries, and our research reaches people across 150 countries each year.
Green Hope Foundation
Green Hope Foundation inspired students through a powerful exploration of youth-led action at the United Nations and beyond. Kehkashan Basu highlighted how young people, women, and marginalized communities can shape international decision-making and drive sustainable, justice-centered change worldwide.
World Federalist Movement Institute for Global Policy
WFM-IGP works to create a more effective, transparent, and accountable global governance leading to democratic world federation.
The Article 109 Coalition
The Article 109 Coalition mobilises UN Member States to call a General Conference to review and update the UN Charter, as envisioned by Article 109 of the UN Charter.
