Opportunity: East-West Center Jefferson Fellowship
11 February 2026
The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Asia Media Centre is offering a new opportunity in the Asia-Pacific. We are supporting New Zealand-based journalists in mid-career or senior roles to apply for the East-West Centre’s 2026 Jefferson Fellowships.
East-West Center 2025 Jefferson Fellows in Chiang Rai, Thailand
About Jefferson Fellowship
The Jefferson Fellowship is a three-week reporting and study tour that aims to enable news media to enhance public understanding of cultures, issues, and trends in the Indo-Pacific region. This programme is for full-time journalists only.
For 2026, the theme focuses on “New Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence: Navigating AI’s Impact on Societies and Economic Security in the Asia-Pacific Region.”
The fellowship runs from October 25 to November 12, 2026.
The selected participant will travel to Hawai‘i, Tokyo, and Seoul.
This year’s Jefferson Fellowship will explore the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in the region.
AI is a multifaceted phenomenon. It can be a tool for growth and efficiency in fields such as public administration, healthcare, and natural-disaster preparedness and mitigation. In terms of economic security, AI is expected to inject nearly US$1 trillion in economic gains across Asia over the next decade and could raise annual GDP growth in the region by about 2%, according to the United Nations. AI is also enhancing manufacturing, agriculture, and finance. Countries with a high proportion of services and professional roles—such as Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and Japan—are best positioned to benefit from the AI revolution.
However, AI also raises significant concerns. Some predict that it could deepen the divide between advanced and developing economies, which may be left behind due to limited connectivity, unreliable power grids, and shortages in technological skills. There are also concerns that millions of jobs could be at risk because of AI-driven automation, alongside fears about cultural, social, and ethical implications, including data privacy, surveillance, impacts on Indigenous communities, and pressures on natural resources.
The 2026 Jefferson Fellowship will explore how AI is shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific, both economically and socially. During visits to Honolulu, Japan, and Korea, Fellows will interview experts, researchers, and leaders from government, NGOs, and business, and see first-hand the effects of AI through visits to healthcare facilities, laboratories, schools, AI-driven manufacturing sites, semiconductor manufacturers, and AI-enabled farms. Journalists will also have opportunities to network and learn from one another’s expertise and perspectives.
Eligibility
Applicants must be:
Full-time journalist working in a New Zealand newsroom.
Possess at least 5 years of professional journalism experience.
New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
In good health
Preference will be given to journalists who clearly articulate the relevance of the theme to their areas of coverage and how they intend to use the knowledge gained to enhance the perspectives of viewers, readers, and listeners. Journalists are strongly encouraged to generate content during and after the program in the form of formal print and broadcast stories, blogs, and social media communications.
Participants Obligation
An essential element of the Jefferson Fellowships is its journalist-to-journalist professional exchange. Each Fellow is required to:
Prepare and submit a short paper (1,000–1,500 words) several weeks prior to their arrival at the Center. Papers should address the theme and discuss how the journalist’s home country or region/field of coverage – at the government, private sector and/or socio-cultural level – is responding to the issue.
Prepare an oral presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes) based on the previously submitted paper and participate in discussion of his or her topic. The purpose of the presentations is to leverage the knowledge and experience of participating journalists in ways that are professionally useful to fellow participants as they study, assess, and report on the theme of the fellowship as well as the Indo-Pacific region.
What's Covered?
The Asia New Zealand Foundation through the Asia Media Centre will cover all the cost related to this fellowship.
Programme fee
Return economy flights
Accommodation
Per diem
Visa related cost
Travel insurance
Key Dates
Application will open on Monday, 16 February 2026.
Application closes on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
Shortlisted applicants will be notified by the last week of March .
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview.
The successful candidate will be advised in April.
The fellowship runs from October 25 to November 12, 2026.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit each of the following documents to be considered:
Complete an online application form (opening soon)
A letter of interest (maximum 3 pages, double-spaced). Letter should include: (1) a brief description of your news organisation, job duties and experience; (2) what you expect to accomplish and what issues you want to explore during the programme, including specific story ideas; (3) the relevance of the theme to your audiences and areas of coverage; (4) how participation will benefit your work as journalist. Please also include a proposed topic for the paper and presentation you will share as part of the Fellowship. (see Participant Obligations above).
Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages).
An employer's statement of support completed by the applicant's supervisor/employer indicating that the applicant has the support of their media organisation to attend the Fellowship.
Two (2) professional references with letters of recommendation.
Terms and Conditions
Successful applicants will be required to agree to the standard terms and conditions for Asia New Zealand Foundation funding recipients.
Reporting requirements
Selected Fellow is expected to write a 600-700-word article (with accompanying photos) on their fellowship that will appear on the Foundation’s website to be submitted within two weeks of returning.
They are also expected to seek opportunities to share their experiences on returning to New Zealand, and to remain engaged with the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Questions
If your question is not answered, email Graeme Acton, Asia Media Centre manager: [email protected].
-Asia Media Centre
