Become a Fellow

The GINGKO Interfaith Fellowship recognises that religion not only unites people to work together for a common good but can also be used to justify violence and stand in the way of justice. Scholars and faith leaders who join the GINGKO Interfaith Fellowship critically reflect on their own tradition and its impact. As an interreligious encounter, the Fellowship is important not only because mutual stereotypes can be reduced but because faith leaders from different traditions face similar questions and might learn from one another. Successful candidates commit to take part in two residential Retreats, one in the MENA region and one in Europe over two consecutive years.

Each year there are around 20 Fellows, with roughly equal numbers from MENA and the West. GINGKO recruits about 10 new Fellows each year to join the returning Fellows. Potential Fellows can apply at any time, as we accept Fellows on a rolling basis. Applications to join the 2027 cohort of Fellows should be submitted by the end of February 2027, with interviews completed and outcomes communicated by the end of March 2027.

Fellows also gain access to the network of current and past Fellows. GINGKO also hopes to hold Fellowship events at, for example, relevant academic conferences (such as BRISMES and MESA). Fellows also benefit from exclusive access to the Fellowship Collaboration Prize, which funds a collaborative project by two or more Fellows. 

Candidates for the Fellowship can be nominated or apply to GINGKO directly.

Please fill out the Application Form and return it to gingko@gingko.org.uk to apply. 

Fellowship Criteria

1. The Fellowship is designed to be an early career scheme for scholars and faith leaders from MENA and the West, giving them a transformative encounter at a crucial time and enabling learning and network-building with long-term effects.
2. Fellowship is for scholars from master’s level up to early years of postdoctoral research, and for faith leaders engaged with interfaith dialogue.
3. Academic Fellows should be researching religion / religious studies, broadly defined, including theology, comparative religion and interfaith studies, and must be affiliated with a higher education institution.
4. Fellows must have a good command of English to be able to benefit fully from the Fellowship. This means an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher or an equivalent qualification.
5. GINGKO Fellows are usually adherents of one of the religions of the MENA region, especially the three Abrahamic faiths.
6. GINGKO aims to recruit people who are, or are going to be, faith leaders (perhaps becoming priests / imams / rabbis etc), community leaders, thought leaders (in academia or outside it) or public servants.
7. Fellows must have curiosity and openness towards the other.
8. Applicants must fill out an application form and make themselves available for a face-to-face or virtual interview.
9. GINGKO does not discriminate against anybody in its selection of suitable candidates for the Fellowship and aims to be as inclusive and diverse as possible.
10. GINGKO’s selection decision is final.