Rotary District 9620 and the University of Queensland host one of only seven Rotary Peace Centres worldwide. Other programs are based at:

• Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand (Certificate program)
• Duke University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
• University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
• Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
• Makerere University, Uganda (Certificate program)

Rotary scholarships are available for study at these Rotary Centres but cannot be undertaken at a university in the candidate’s home country. 

Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities.

Fellows can earn either a master’s degree in one of the following: international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, conflict resolution or a related field. Alternatively, they can earn a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution.

Rotary Peace Fellow Counsellors play a critical role in supporting the fellows during their course. 

Being a counsellor is an extremely rewarding experience and an opportunity to meet these Fellows from many other countries of the world. The average age of our Peace Fellows is 30+ years and they have varied but interesting backgrounds in their previous field of work. They are only at the Rotary peace Centre for 18 months less University breaks.

Counsellors are allocated a Rotary Peace Fellow and carry out a variety of tasks including:

• corresponding with them by email, providing information about Brisbane, themselves and their families.
• inviting them to stay with you until suitable accommodation is found (2 – 3 weeks).
• assisting them with accommodation (whilst being aware that they generally have fairly tight budget requirements).
• giving them as many websites about Brisbane, most importantly accommodation and suburbs of Brisbane near to the university or bus routes. 
• finding out their date of arrival, flight details and arrival time.
• meeting the student (and others who sometimes may accompany them) when they arrive in Brisbane and assisting them with their orientation to Brisbane.
• taking them to the University, assisting in opening a bank account (A scholarship payment would have been forwarded to them), assisting with setting up their mobiles and assisting them to obtain their student ID card.
• inviting them to your Rotary Club Meetings particularly for special occasions.  Lectures for Peace Fellows usually commence around 5.30 pm and go to 8.00 pm or 9.00 pm.

Counsellor positions will be advertised via “The Gist” on an annual basis.

For prospective Peace Fellows – How to apply

Interested candidates must apply for a Rotary Peace Fellowship through their local Rotary club. Applications for fellowship are called for at the start of each calendar year and close on 31 May.

Applicants may then be interviewed by the Rotary District, normally sometime in June and from there recommendations for endorsement, or otherwise, are forwarded to the Rotary Foundation for consideration.  The scholarships are extremely competitive and unsuccessful applicants often resubmit.

Applicants selected for the fellowship will be informed of their selection in late November each year.

Please contact PDG Eric Wood, Host Area Coordinator Peace Fellows, or liaison officers Michelle Davis, David Field and Leslie Smith, if interested in being a Rotary Peace Fellow or Counsellor or if you require further information. 

Learn More about Peace Fellowships