Projects for Peace: MNU Students Can Win 10,000 USD

Projects for Peace: MNU Students Can Win 10,000 USD Maqsut Narikbayev University, in partnership with Middlebury College (USA), announces the opening of applications for the Projects for Peace 2026 competition. The grant amount is 10,000 USD.

Projects for Peace is a global programme for young people aimed at developing innovative, community-oriented, and scalable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Through their project work, student leaders expand their knowledge and enhance their skills.

Projects for Peace was established in 2007 by Kathryn Wasserman Davis, who believed that young people should be encouraged to take on the challenge of “preparing for peace”. Middlebury College collaborates with more than 100 educational institutions worldwide to identify and support young peacebuilders and changemakers. Applicants are encouraged to explore the Projects for Peace website to better understand the programme and review previous years’ initiatives. The website is available here: https://www.middlebury.edu/projects-for-peace

Eligibility criteria for student teams:

• GPA of at least 2.5
• English language proficiency at least B2 level

Students may implement a project individually or as part of a team. The maximum team size is five students. The working language is English.

Required documents:

• Academic transcript for the current year (in Russian and English)
• International certificate confirming foreign language proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English, Duolingo)
• Project proposal of up to three pages
• Budget – must reflect the full grant amount of 10,000 USD and comply with the requirements and format outlined in the budget guidelines (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aUX8s3vQDovPZqH8SRpOioWv08YZfDwjkbP9k5jPCeQ/edit?gid=1496772164#gid=1496772164)

The application instructions can be downloaded via the link provided.

Themes:

Funding is available for community-level initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict and promoting peace. Project themes and implementation approaches may vary widely. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Reconciliation and/or cross-border dialogue
• Interethnic and/or intercultural cooperation across historical divides
• Language revitalisation and preservation
• Restorative practices
• Conflict and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Conflict and climate-related challenges

All documents must be submitted to u_tyazhina@kazguu.kz (Unzeilya Tyazhina, Head of the Office of International Cooperation at MNU).

Application deadline: 14 January 2026. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

For any enquiries, please contact the Office of International Cooperation at u_tyazhina@kazguu.kz or visit room 220.