Civic Fellowship Program

The Hyphen Resource Center (HRC) and the Playground at Habib University are thrilled to launch the Civic Fellowship, offering undergraduate and graduate students across Pakistan the chance to actively engage and drive meaningful social change.

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The Hyphen Resource Centre and The Playground at Habib University are excited to invite undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Pakistan to apply for the Civic Fellowship—an eight-month transformative program. This fellowship is designed for passionate young leaders ready to address some of the most critical challenges facing our nation: Education, Health, and Climate Change.

During the program, fellows will develop sustainable, community-driven initiatives aimed at creating long-lasting impact. Through hands-on experience, they will engage with stakeholders and experts to better understand the nuances of these issues, devise actionable solutions, and implement them within their local communities. A vital part of the Civic Fellowship program is the establishment of Civic Clubs at participating fellows’ universities. These clubs serve as long-term platforms for student-driven civic engagement and action, ensuring that the work initiated during the fellowship is sustained and expanded beyond the fellowship period.

What Are Civic Clubs?

Civic Clubs are student-led organizations formed at universities across Pakistan, inspired by the Civic Fellowship program. These clubs are designed to be centers of ongoing community service, leadership, and advocacy. They enable students to address pressing societal challenges in Education, Health, and Climate Change, while also fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Purpose of Civic Clubs:

Sustainability: Provide a structure for the continued implementation of fellowship initiatives, allowing projects to evolve and adapt as needed.
Community Building: Act as a gathering point for students, faculty, and external stakeholders interested in addressing local and national issues. The club fosters partnerships and encourages dialogue.
Student Leadership: Give students the opportunity to develop leadership, project management, and communication skills as they plan and execute civic engagement projects.
Collaboration: Civic Clubs will connect with other universities and organizations, enabling shared learning, resources, and efforts to maximize impact.
Long-term Impact: Civic Clubs ensure that the solutions developed during the fellowship don't end with the program but continue to grow, creating sustainable change at the local level.

Program Overview:

The fellowship is structured in three phases:

What you will gain:

Deeper understanding of social issues through expert-led sessions
Skill development through hybrid workshops
Networking with like-minded individuals passionate about social change
Engagement with experts and practitioners from your chosen focal area
Experience of developing and executing a pilot intervention
Certificate of completion upon successful completion of the fellowship

Applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an HEC-recognized university in Pakistan.
Students from all academic disciplines are welcome to apply.
All applications submitted until October 31, 2024 will be considered.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis if open spots remain until November 15, 2024.