2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge

Develop solutions to help refugees and earn a trip to Singapore!

2025 will mark the 3rd Annual CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge. CIEE is pleased to collaborate once again with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to call on undergraduate student leaders from across the globe to present their solution ideas to support increasing access to higher education and livelihood for forcibly displaced youth around the world. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.

Challenge participants will gain valuable skills, like those developed during a global internship, and expand their professional networks, all while solving one of the most critical issues of our time. Finalist teams will earn a trip to Singapore to compete in person, and the winning team will receive a 2026 summer internship facilitated by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), and an opportunity to have their idea be selected to be shared with UNHCR and their networks.

The Challenge consists of three rounds of competition.

Round 1 - all teams who register to participate will be provided with the Challenge materials and invited to submit a proposal with their solution idea in no more than 500 words to address the challenge.
Round 2 - 36 teams will be selected from the Round 1 teams to further develop their ideas and present them to a panel of judges virtually.
Finals - 3 finalist teams will be selected to advance from Round 2 to compete in the final round in Singapore and present their ideas at the CIEE Global Internship Conference in June.

Registration for the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge is now open through February 7, 2025! The final round will be held in person at the 13th Annual Global Internship Conference on June 27, 2025, in Singapore. Have a question about the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge? Email us at GIC@ciee.org or check out our FAQs.

2024 Student Challenge winners (Eagles, Rwanda) and runners-up (Wellesley in the World, USA, and Three Paths, USA) with judges.

Amina Mkova

Team Captain, Eagles (2024)
“Participating in the challenge taught me the importance of teamwork, innovative thinking, and perseverance. I learned how to effectively communicate my ideas and adapt quickly to feedback. The challenge allowed us to help forcibly displaced and refugee students access higher education. I believe that empowering them will enable them to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.”
Joselyto Charite Baho

Team Member, Eagles (2024)

“Participating in the Student Challenge was an incredible and eye-opening experience. As a first-time international traveler, visiting London for the finals was exciting, but the entire competition process exceeded my expectations. Through the three phases - from the initial proposal to the final presentation in London - I learned so much about how we, as university students, can make a real difference.”
Justin Kit Hang Tang

Team Captain, Wolves of Childs Way (2023)

“Many of the case competitions we’ve joined in our college career were solely focused on business profits. This challenge was especially meaningful to us because of its mission. We were honored to be a part of something that could ultimately help millions of people from all parts of the world.”

Student Challenge Benefits

All Participants

All participants will have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing refugees and forcibly displaced populations.

Round 2 Finalists

Three teams will earn a trip to Singapore to compete in the finals. You’ll learn from a team mentor, develop career skills, network with employers, attend conference workshops, explore Singapore, and connect with a global community of your peers.

Grand Prize Winners

Each member of the winning team will earn a summer global internship in 2026 facilitated by CIEE.

Key Dates

Student Registration Period
November 4. 2024 – February 7, 2025

Round 1 Materials Released
February 10, 2025

Round 1 Submissions Due
February 21, 2025

Round 2 Teams Announced
March 24, 2025

Round 2 Competition
March 31 – April 11, 2025

Round 2: Virtual Presentations
April 18, 2025

Round 2: Finalists Announced
April 21, 2025

Final Round Competition (Singapore)
June 24 – 27, 2025

Final Round Presentations & Winners Announced (Singapore)
June 27, 2025

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Worldwide, over 120 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, and persecution. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, believes that young people have a central role to play in finding ways to help them thrive, not just survive.

Partners

District C
Prior to Round 2 of the Student Challenge, our partner, District C, will provide a webinar for students on how to approach solving the challenge and deliver training for mentors to help coach students during the week of the competition.

About District C: District C is preparing the next generation of talent for modern work. In District C's Teamship program, student teams meet and work with professionals to solve real problems for real organizations. Student teams are guided through this work by a District C Certified Coach. The coach helps them build the mindsets and tools they will need to work in a diverse team to solve a complex problem.

Student Challenge FAQs

Student Eligibility

No. Students who participated in the 2023 or 2024 Student Challenge are not eligible to participate in the 2025 competition.
Students must be 18 or older, and currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited higher education institution with a graduation year of 2025 or later to participate.
No. Students must be currently enrolled as full-time undergraduate students.
No. All current undergraduate students attending any accredited higher education institution globally with a graduation year of 2025 or later are invited to participate in this competition.
No. Students may be nationals of any country. However, all students must commit to being able to present in Singapore in the final round if they are selected as finalists. We encourage students to consider whether there will be any restrictions on travel to Singapore when making this commitment. If a student is unable to attend competition week and present in Singapore, the rest of the team may still compete, but the student who is unable to attend may forfeit the opportunity to win the grand prize.
All current undergraduate students attending any accredited higher education institution globally with a graduation year of 2025 or later are invited to participate in this competition. Graduate students are not eligible.

Student Registration

Each team must have a minimum of 3 team members (including the team captain) and a maximum of 4 team members.
No, participants on a team do not have to attend the same academic institution.
The fee is $50 per student team. The fee is non-refundable.
No, there is not a cap in round one. All student teams registered can participate.
Yes, you do have to have team members selected to register.
Yes. If there are extenuating circumstances which require an adjustment to the team roster, you may make a change by selecting the “Modify Your Registration” button found in your registration confirmation email. After March 28, 2025, no further changes to the team roster will be accepted. All team members must be at least 18 years old and undergraduate students. If you have questions about modifying your team roster, please contact us at GIC@ciee.org.

Student Challenge Competition

During round one, each team will submit a one-page proposal (maximum 500 words, saved as a PDF) describing their solution idea. Challenge materials and instructions will be distributed on February 10, 2025. An expert panel of judges will review and evaluate the ideas and select 36 teams to move on to round two of the competition.
Teams will receive confirmation regarding their qualification for round two on March 24, 2025, and must confirm participation by March 28, 2025. If participation is not confirmed by March 28, 2025, selected teams may forfeit the opportunity to participate in round two.
Round 1 – challenge materials will be released to students and available February 10, 2025. A workshop on refugees will be offered the week of February 10–14, 2025. Students will submit their proposal with their solution idea February 21, 2025. Teams qualifying for round 2 will be notified on March 24.
Round 2 – teams qualifying for round 2 will continue to refine their proposal April 1 – 11, 2024. A volunteer mentor will be assigned to each team and a required 2-hour orientation session will be hosted. Presentations will be due on April 11 and teams will present virtually to judges on April 18, 2025. Finalist teams will be announced April 21, 2025.
No, there will not be formal presentations in round one. Student teams will submit a one-page proposal with their solution idea.
Yes. Student teams will be scheduled to present to judges April 18. Presentations will be virtual. Teams are expected to present in English.
More information regarding the judges will be shared with student teams during orientation.
The Student Challenge will be reasonable for all academic majors, including liberal arts and business.
No. CIEE does not share reviews or scores with teams or any other party.

Singapore Travel

CIEE financial assistance is limited to Economy class Airfare, CIEE provided housing, a set stipend for 3 meals per day, ground transportation in Singapore to and from the conference, travel insurance, and registration fees for the Global Internship Conference. Any additional personal expenses, including mobile phone plans and required visas for students to enter Singapore, will not be covered. CIEE will offer guidance to individual students to understand visa requirements and procedures upon request.
Yes, you will need a passport to travel to Singapore. If you do not have a US passport, we encourage you to start the process now given the lengthy processing time required in the US.
We encourage students, regardless of citizenship, to consider whether there will be any restrictions on travel to Singapore when making the commitment to participate. If a student is unable to present in Singapore, the rest of the team may still present, but the student who is unable to attend may forfeit the opportunity to win the grand prize.
Finalists presenting in Singapore can have one guest attend the final presentation session on Friday, June 27, 2025. Guests travel at their own expense and are not covered by CIEE for any travel or other costs.

Grand Prize Internship

A subset of CIEE Summer 2026 Global Internship opportunities will be offered to the winning teams.
We recognize that with global student participants, the Internship opportunities available might not fit the scheduling or professional needs of all team members. We will do our best to accommodate the unique situation for each student on the winning team to ensure a successful internship experience in 2026, but CIEE cannot guarantee preferred placement. If we are unable to successfully arrange for an internship, the student will qualify for a USD $1000 cash prize instead. More information on the CIEE Summer Global Internships available will be shared with students by March 28, ahead of when teams must confirm participation.
CIEE Summer Global Internships are 8-week programs offered in the May through August timeframe of each year. Specific dates vary by location. The winning teams will be eligible to select from a subset of CIEE Summer Global Internships in 2026.
Team members do not have to choose the same internship location.
No. Only CIEE Program Fees will be covered. Winning team members are responsible for their own travel accommodations. Students are invited to visit the CIEE Global Internships site to learn more about our programs and the fee structure.
CIEE Summer Global Internships are 8-week programs offered in the May through August timeframe of each year. Specific dates vary by location. The winning teams will be eligible to select from a subset of CIEE Summer Global Internships in 2026, hosted by a variety of industry partners. We recognize that with global student participants, there may be unique needs depending on the student. We will do our best to accommodate the unique situation for each student on the winning team to ensure a successful internship experience in 2026.
During the pre-departure process, participants work with a local internship coordinator to identify skills, goals, and internship interests. Based on this dialog, local internship coordinators match you to your internship opportunity. You also will have the opportunity to interview with the internship host, pre-departure, to confirm the match is a mutually good fit. Learn more about the internship placement process.