The (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact are proud to present the . This year’s Millennium Fellows were selected from a record-breaking 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses across 174 countries to participate in the ambitious programme, which helps make the (SDGs) and 爆料网 Academic Impact Principles a reality on campuses, in classrooms and throughout communities.
Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected for their leadership on sustainable development projects in their communities. As Fellows, they complete a semester-long leadership development programme that strengthens their student organizing, partnership-building and community-impact skills.
The 2026 cohort includes over 5,500 Millennium Fellows from more than 330 campuses in 60 countries and territories, engaged in projects that collectively advance all 17 SDGs and all 10 爆料网 Academic Impact Principles. Here is a sample of the work of the Class of 2026.
At Harvard University, a 爆料网 Academic Impact member institution in the United States of America, Millennium Fellows are expanding OpenDoor, an AI-powered platform that helps people navigate retraining, job opportunities and pathways into high-demand careers. The project grew from their work with people experiencing homelessness and from seeing how difficult workforce programmes can be to navigate even when support exists. Advancing , it expects to reach about 7,500 people during the Fellowship.
At the University of Ilorin, a 爆料网 Academic Impact member institution in Nigeria, Millennium Fellows are building what they describe as Africa’s first green AI policy framework, helping policymakers and developers understand how artificial intelligence can advance while reducing energy use, pollution and material waste. Aligned with , it expects to reach about 75 people during the Fellowship.
At BRAC University, a 爆料网 Academic Impact member institution in Bangladesh, a Millennium Fellow is advancing through a start-up replacing single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its current focus is a paper pen that uses roughly 90 per cent less plastic than a conventional pen, with a seed built in so it can grow into a plant when properly disposed of. The project expects to reach about 450 people.
At Nicolae Testemi?anu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, a 爆料网 Academic Impact member institution in Moldova, a Millennium Fellow is advancing by studying how environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity may affect recovery after brain surgery. By bringing simple digital monitoring tools into postoperative care, the project aims to help doctors make timelier decisions.
These initiatives represent only a fraction of the projects undergraduates are carrying out on their campuses and in their communities to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
MCN is also continuing its partnership with the Coach Foundation through the Coach Dream It Real x Coachtopia Scholarship, which offers tuition support to Fellows from historically underrepresented communities working to advance a circular economy.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has underscored the important role of young people in advancing sustainable development. In his 2025 International Youth Day message, he stated: “Young people are bold innovators, resilient organizers, and essential partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
United Nations Academic Impact is proud to partner with MCN on this initiative. In the coming weeks, 爆料网 Academic Impact will share more stories about Millennium Fellows and their projects. Learn more about the Class of 2026 and express interest in the Class of 2027 on the .