Leadership & Innovation Lab
  • Sign In

  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • My Account
  • Sign out

  • Home
  • Entrepreneurship Programs
    • Programs Overview
    • LIL Intensive
    • LIL Extended
    • LEE Program
    • LIL Ongoing
    • LIL Expert Add-On
    • UN Leader Accelerator
    • Medicine Internship
  • LIL Ecosystem
    • Ecosystem Overview
    • Student Org Marketplace
    • LIL Venture Fund
    • IdeAction Competition
    • Virtual Student Club Fair
    • Student Showcase
    • Healthcare, Med & BioTech
    • Speaker Series
    • Scholarly Review
    • Legacy Gazette
    • Concord Review Assistant
    • Golden Quill
    • International Youth Forum
    • LIL Digital Lab
  • LIL Alumni
    • Results & Testimonies
    • Featured Projects
  • Blog & Media
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
  • Apply
    • Apply
    • Contact Us
  • More
    • Home
    • Entrepreneurship Programs
      • Programs Overview
      • LIL Intensive
      • LIL Extended
      • LEE Program
      • LIL Ongoing
      • LIL Expert Add-On
      • UN Leader Accelerator
      • Medicine Internship
    • LIL Ecosystem
      • Ecosystem Overview
      • Student Org Marketplace
      • LIL Venture Fund
      • IdeAction Competition
      • Virtual Student Club Fair
      • Student Showcase
      • Healthcare, Med & BioTech
      • Speaker Series
      • Scholarly Review
      • Legacy Gazette
      • Concord Review Assistant
      • Golden Quill
      • International Youth Forum
      • LIL Digital Lab
    • LIL Alumni
      • Results & Testimonies
      • Featured Projects
    • Blog & Media
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Partners
    • Apply
      • Apply
      • Contact Us
Leadership & Innovation Lab

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • Home
  • Entrepreneurship Programs
    • Programs Overview
    • LIL Intensive
    • LIL Extended
    • LEE Program
    • LIL Ongoing
    • LIL Expert Add-On
    • UN Leader Accelerator
    • Medicine Internship
  • LIL Ecosystem
    • Ecosystem Overview
    • Student Org Marketplace
    • LIL Venture Fund
    • IdeAction Competition
    • Virtual Student Club Fair
    • Student Showcase
    • Healthcare, Med & BioTech
    • Speaker Series
    • Scholarly Review
    • Legacy Gazette
    • Concord Review Assistant
    • Golden Quill
    • International Youth Forum
    • LIL Digital Lab
  • LIL Alumni
    • Results & Testimonies
    • Featured Projects
  • Blog & Media
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
  • Apply
    • Apply
    • Contact Us

Account


  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • My Account
Ready to Lead Global Change?

united nations global leader accelerator

 The UN Global Leader Accelerator is a high-impact, 7-session virtual experience designed to train the next generation of global leaders using real-world UN challenges.

Apply Today

What You Will Gain From This Bootcamp

 Certificate Signed by Top UN Leaders

  •  Receive a prestigious certificate signed by top UN Leaders.

 

Coveted Recommendation Letter

  • Stand out with a personalized recommendation letter from the Chair of the Project Decision-Making Committee.


Master the Skills that Matter

  • Develop a rock-solid foundation in critical thinking, cost-benefit analysis, real-world policymaking, charisma, and communication.

 

Unlock UN-Level Mentorship

  • Get personalized guidance from top UN experts who have extensive international experience.

Hear from past participants

Accelerator Highlights

Two Specialized Tracks 

  • Geopolitics & Sustainable Futures
  • Digital Transformation & Impact Finance


Intensive Capstone Project

  • Participants collaborate on a team project, applying their learning to a real UN case study.


Elevated Mentorship

  • Teams receive personalized, UN-level guidance and feedback across two dedicated Live Workshopping sessions.


Final Presentation

  • The program culminates in a presentation to a UN Panel of Experts, offering invaluable exposure and feedback on shaping global policies.

Check out past capstone projects

Program Dates

All sessions are virtual. 


  • Session 1: February 23, 2026, 9pm PT / February 24, 2026, 1pm Beijing time
  • Session 2: February 26, 2026, 9pm PT / February 27, 2026, 1pm Beijing time
  • Session 3: February 28, 2026, 9pm PT / March 1, 2026, 1 pm Beijing time
  • Session 4: March 2, 2026, 9pm PT / March 3, 2026, 1pm Beijing time
  • Session 5: March 5, 2026, 9pm PT / March 6, 2026, 1pm Beijing time
  • Session 6: March 9, 2026, 10pm PT / March 10, 2026, 1pm Beijing time
  • Session 7 (UN Expert Panel): March 12, 2026, 10pm PT / March 13, 2026, 1pm Beijing time

apply now

UNited nations Expert Faculty

Dr. Jafar Javan

Dr. Jafar Javan

Dr. Jafar Javan

  • Former Director, United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), with over 30 years in various UN functions
  • Chair of Advisory Board, The Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change featuring UNSSC, Nelson Mandela Foundation and worldwide top universities
  • Professor of Practice, IE University, Spain
  • Leader in Residence, Collin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, CCNY, New York

full bio

Erik Solheim

Dr. Jafar Javan

Dr. Jafar Javan

  • Former Under-Secretary-General of UN and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Former Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development
  • Experienced peace negotiator, notably for the Sri Lanka peace process
  • President Europe - Asia Center

full bio

David Guhl

Dr. Jafar Javan

David Guhl

  • Director of UNESCO International Jazz Day, promoting global dialogue and cultural exchange through music
  • Former diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, assistant to Ambassador Terry Branstad, recognized for his leadership in crisis management and international coordination, supporting the safe return of hundreds of citizens in emergency situations

full bio

Jiaqi Chen

Dr. Jafar Javan

David Guhl

  • Founder, Next Impact Learning Hub
  • Founded Catalyst Next and served as Associate Director
  • Former Strategy & Business Development Manager at Catalyst Advisory, supporting various UN reform initiatives
  • Began UN career with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation & Change Management Unit with a digital transformation project

Hear From Past Participants

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to learn and collaborate with you, the UN officials, and my peers at the UN Bootcamp. From the very start, I was inspired by the caliber of the instructors and the depth of the topics we covered. The capstone project, in particular, was a highlight for me. It was a chance to apply everything we learned in a hands-on way, and the late-night work sessions with my teammates were invaluable. I learned so much about effective project management, from initial brainstorming to refining a final presentation. This experience has left me feeling energized and inspired to build on this momentum, especially with the connections I've made and the new skills I've gained. Thank you again for this truly incredible experience.


- Student A

My experience at the UN Bootcamp has been incredibly rewarding, and I truly appreciate and cherish everything I've gained. The program gave me a deeper understanding of pressing global issues and how to tackle them with practical, actionable strategies. I particularly valued the collaborative nature of the program, as working alongside my peers on our capstone project allowed me to see different perspectives and learn from their insights. The discussions with UN officials were a highlight, as they provided real-world context to the academic concepts we were studying. I now feel much more confident in my ability to turn passion into purpose and am eager to apply the skills I've gained to make a tangible impact.


- Student K

This has been a very meaningful and valuable experience. The UN Bootcamp provided a unique platform to learn from experts and engage with a diverse group of peers who are all passionate about making a difference. I was particularly impressed by the practical skills we developed, such as effective project brainstorming and resource matching. These tools have given me a clear roadmap for how to translate my passion for global issues into a concrete project. I am hopeful for the chance to stay connected with the instructors and experts in the future to continue expanding my knowledge and skills, as their insights have been a source of great inspiration. I feel that this is just the beginning of my journey, and I am excited to see where these new connections and skills will take me.


- Student C

My experience at the UN Bootcamp was incredibly rewarding, especially the research I did to prepare for our capstone project. I found myself diving into topics I had only a surface-level understanding of before, and the process of gathering data and synthesizing information was deeply engaging. The program provided a perfect environment for this kind of deep-dive learning, giving us the tools to not only research effectively but also to translate our findings into a compelling project. The collaboration with my peers was another highlight, as we worked together to refine our ideas and build a cohesive presentation. I am hoping to continue building on what I learned, using the skills and knowledge from the bootcamp to pursue further projects and research in this field.


- Student J

My experience at the NextGen UN Leaders Bootcamp has been incredibly rewarding. During the first session, when the instructor displayed a world map showing global hunger rates, I was deeply moved--I just knew then that I had come to the right place! Throughout the program, we engaged in discussions on pressing global issues such as climate change, poverty, and hunger. These conversations made the idea of a "community with a shared future for humanity" feel vivid and real to me. Having just returned from volunteering in Mathare, one of Kenya’s largest informal settlements, I was full of passion and eager to contribute in meaningful ways to support local children. The Bootcamp equipped me with practical skills: how to brainstorm a project effectively, identify and match resources to my initiative, refine project details, and translate ideas into reality by learning from existing project experiences. What made the experience especially valuable were the like-minded peers I met along the way. Even though the program was conducted entirely online, that didn’t stop my teammates and me from working late into the night—almost pulling an all-nighter—to polish the final version of our project presentation. Lastly, I want to sincerely thank all the instructors and professors for their guidance and support throughout this inspiring journey.


- Student F

past capstone projects

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

The "Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative" successfully delivered a functional prototype and compelling video pitch, demonstrating a novel rewards system designed to incentivize sustainable

actions and promote awareness of UN SDG 13: Climate Action. Through rigorous research, collaborative design, and technical execution, the team developed a user-friendly app prototype integrated with a robust carbon coin calculation model, effectively translating everyday sustainable behaviors into tangible rewards. The final two-minute video pitch, accompanied by a comprehensive presentation and project report, effectively communicated the project's vision and potential impact, showcasing a powerful tool for youth engagement in climate action.

Microfinance IVR for Lending Access

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

This project proposed a voice-based micro-finance system designed to make financial services more accessible for women borrowers in the Global South. The initiative introduced an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform that allows clients to check loan balances, repayment schedules, and request

support using any basic mobile phone - without the need for internet or literacy skills.


By simplifying access to micro-finance information, this initiative enhances transparency, reduces the workload of field officers, and strengthens women’s participation in local financial systems. The project contributes to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by promoting

digital inclusion and economic empowerment through low-tech innovation.

AI for Social Goods

Youth-Driven Carbon Coin Initiative

AI for Social Goods

The "LinguaViva: Latin Learning Chatbot" project successfully developed a functional AI-powered chatbot prototype, designed to facilitate the learning of endangered languages, specifically Latin,

through engaging daily scenarios. The team, consisting of a Linguistic/Content Lead, AI/Technical Lead, and Design/User Experience Lead, meticulously researched Latin grammar, vocabulary, and cultural context, creating a comprehensive database and engaging learning scenarios. The AI/Technical Lead then implemented these elements into a functional chatbot, leveraging NLP capabilities and training the model to handle user interactions effectively. Finally, the Design/User Experience Lead crafted a user-friendly interface and conducted user testing, refining the chatbot for optimal usability. The final presentation, supported by a demonstration video, highlighted the chatbot's potential as an innovative educational tool, directly contributing to SDG 4: Quality Education by promoting inclusive and technology-driven learning opportunities. Additionally, by integrating advanced AI techniques to support cultural and linguistic preservation, the project underscored the transformative role of technology in addressing global educational challenges.

HOW THE un global leader accelerator WORKS

EN UN Global Leader Accelerator (pdf)Download
CN UN Global Leader Accelerator (pdf)Download

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Execute. Elevate. Expand.

Copyright © 2025 Leadership & Innovation Lab - All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

DeclineAccept