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Why apply to be a 
London Shaper?

Why apply?
 

When you ask London Shapers about the benefits of membership, the first answer is invariably about the other people involved. We are proud of the diversity, quality and intimacy of membership of the London hub. Whatever your passions and ambitions, there will be members of the hub who share and complement your interests. Shapers is not about superficial networking; real friendship is the foundation of what we do and why it works.

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As Shapers, we have the unique opportunity to launch and participate in projects with support from the community and WEF. You can see examples of the types of projects hubs from around the world have participated in here.

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Examples of some of recent London projects include: a COVID-19 campaign for youth to take action, organising a public youth consultation on the Future of Work for young people for formal presentation to G7 policymakers at the 2018 G7 Summit, and Gender Parity events in London highlighting the voices of successful women from underrepresented backgrounds to share stories and champion success of others. If you have a proposal for a hub project please share it in your application — concrete suggestions only please!

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Aside from projects, the extraordinary convening power of both WEF and our own members allows us access to organise and attend events with world-class speakers and other participants. Moreover, membership of the hub provides access to engage with the broader World Economic Forum community, including the opportunity to apply to attend the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos and other major events.

What we're looking for

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There are two basic eligibility criteria: you must be >= 18 years old and <= 27 years old at the time of nomination, which is the 1st July of each year in the London Hub; and you must live or work in London or have sufficiently strong ties to London to be able to fully participate in the hub’s activities.

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Beyond this, we assess applications on four criteria:

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· Impact motivation: A key part of the Shapers’ mission is to be a community that cares about having a positive social and environmental impact in our communities and the world. We believe this can be manifested in many different ways, but we expect candidates to be able to articulate what they care about and how they make a difference (whether in their jobs or otherwise).

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· Commitment & Community Mindset: An active membership is the lifeblood of the London hub. We require a minimum of 1–2 hours per week of time for the hub, additional commitment in terms of attending local and regional events, and active leadership and/or participation in hub projects. Please be mindful of your ability to commit and contribute to the hub — if you don’t have enough time or bandwidth, please be honest about this. Every year we struggle with more amazing applicants than available spaces and it’s important that every hub member contributes to our community.

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· Achievement: What this looks like will vary by age and sector. We’re looking for candidates who have established a track record of leadership and demonstrated impact in their field, or who are firmly on a leadership trajectory.

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· Leadership Potential: Again, we calibrate potential depending on age and sector. We’re seeking people who can demonstrate potential to be leaders in their fields.

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To receive information and updates about the application process, sign up below.

  • What's the age limit?
    The Global Shapers must be aged 18 to 27 (inclusive) at the time of nomination, which for the London hub is the 1st July of each year.
  • I'm not in London very often, is this a problem?
    Whilst we appreciate that many Global Shapers are also global jet-setters, we expect Shapers in the London Hub to spend the majority of their time in London, so as to benefit and contribute fully to the hub.
  • What's the time commitment?
    In reality, it will fluctuate a lot depending on how many Shaper events you attend, projects you organise or activities you engage with. The expectation is to be able to contribute at least 2 hours per week.
  • I have applied before, can I reapply?
    Of course you can! However, we suggest that if you were unsuccessful in the past, we recommend you have a reason as to why you reapplied. A new job, your startup has launched, the impact of your work was realised etc. Being a year older is unlikely to be sufficient.
  • What's your diversity policy?
    We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, genders, nationalities and abilities. We do however take into account the make up of the hub as a whole, and every year we may target specific groups and areas to improve on.
  • How are the applications assessed?
    Each application is assessed by at least four Shapers, based on a broad range of criteria and the mean score is taken. Where there is significant variability in the scores put forward by the reviewers, those applications are re-assessed. Where a Shaper knows an applicant, socially or professionally, they are unable to assess the application or interview the applicant.
  • What is meant by achievement?
    Each person will achieve in different ways, and this will vary across sectors. Acheivements do not exclusively mean university degrees, international prizes or funded companies. Achievements can equally be being a brilliant member of your local community, a well respected individual in your sector, or a skilled and talented artist.
  • What is the application process for transfers?
    Given the volume of applications in London, transfers from other Hubs need to undertake the same application process as new Hub applicants. A letter from support from your current Hub can be included as part of the application process.
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