Scholarship Programme

A scholarship for the European Forum Alpbach 2026

Forum: 24. August – 4. September

Arrival in Alpbach: TBA

Application Period: 1. March until 6. April

Club Alpbach Salzburg enables young, committed people with a connection to Salzburg to participate in the European Forum Alpbach for the entire duration of the event. Special thanks go to our sponsors who provide the financial means for this.

Key Dates:

 

Photo: Elisabeth Mandl, European Forum Alpbach

A Club Alpbach Salzburg scholarship includes:

  • Participation fee for the European Forum Alpbach
  • Guaranteed accommodation directly in the center of Alpbach
  • Accommodation costs except for a deductible of €150
  • Contact people on site
  • Joint framework program
  • Fireside chats with interesting personalitiesn
  • Club membership
  • Alumni network and events throughout the year
  • Possibilities to shape the club and the European Forum Alpbach

Requirements

  • Salzburg connection (Salzburg as place of origin, place of residence, place of study or place of work – either currently or in the past)
  • Age: 18 to max. 30 years (can be exceeded in exceptional cases with good reason)

Application

Your application consists of four categories: Motivation, Personal, Thematic, and Creative.

Disclaimer: We focus on ideas and reasoning, not phrasing. If one of the tasks feels too challenging or not feasible for you, please reach out to us — we will gladly assign an alternative task.

At the end of your application, please indicate whether you used generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT), and if so, how.

Motivation (150 words)

What unique perspective will you bring to the European Forum Alpbach, and why do you want to participate in the forum?

Personal (max. 350 words)

Think of a place that is important to you (your home, workplace, study space, favourite café or bar).

What do you see when you look out the window? How does this reflect or connect to your life?

Thematic (max. 350 words)

Write an opinion piece on ONE of the following questions:

Finance

What kinds of social, economic, or ethical changes would you expect if an unconditional basic income became reality?

Democracy

What is something you once misunderstood about democracy, and what changed your perspective?

Security

What shapes a society’s sense of security, and how may it be misleading?
What matters more for Europe’s security today: military deterrence or societal resilience?

Climate

What is Europe’s role in fighting the climate crisis?
Will technological innovation help solve the climate crisis, or will the growth of energy-intensive infrastructure such as data centres outweigh these benefits?
Is the future of climate action more about innovation or about changing consumption patterns as a society (through ethical revolution and/or bold policy-making)?

Arts

Imagine an artistic practice of the future that does not exist yet. What is it, and what purpose does it serve?

Creative

Showcase your passion:

EITHER
– on a post-it (approx. 10 × 10 cm)

OR
– in a reel/video (max. 10 seconds), without showing yourself or your voice.
If you provide a link, it must remain accessible until April 30.

Additionally, include a short description (max. 100 words).

The application is closed

Application starts on 1st until the 6th of April.

Application documents

Format: pdf File

Naming Convention:

 “Resume_FirstName_LastName”

 “MotivationLetter_FirstName_LastName”

 “Transcript_FirstName_LastName”

 “PostIt_FirstName_LastName”

The European Forum Alpbach will take place from the 24th of August to 4th of September – you can send in your application between 1st and 31st of March. Make sure not to miss any updates by following us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

We will inform all applicants by mail as soon as the selection has been made.

Photo: Tabea Hahn, European Forum Alpbach

Further Information

Scope of the sponsorship package

The cost of a scholarship or sponsorship package is made up directly of the cost of Forum Alpbach participation fees and accommodation and catering costs. A scholarship for participation in the Forum currently costs 2,000 euros. The participation fee for scholarship holders at the European Forum Alpbach accounts for 800,- Euro of this, as the European Forum Alpbach supports each scholarship with 50% of the regular participation fee. The remaining 1200,- Euro will finance accommodation during the Forum, organization and other possible costs.

Selection process

Club Alpbach Salzburg takes the awarding of scholarships very seriously and tries to be as conscientious as possible when awarding scholarships. The pre-selection on formal criteria is done by the Club Alpbach Salzburg scholarship team, the final selection by the Club’s Executive Board. Relevant criteria include diversity of interest, creativity, diversity of background, voluntary commitment and critical engagement with topic, as well as a personal point of view on the subject. Applications from people with a diverse background are encouraged.

All complete applications will be considered.

“The Forum Alpbach is inspiring in more ways than one. It is challenging – both intellectually and personally – it is exciting, and it forces everyone attending to try standing in someone else’s shoes, to see things from new perspectives.”
Lena Marie Schmidlechner

Former scholarship holder

“The days were filled with illuminating moments – exciting discussions, inspiring people and a fascinating mountain backdrop. Everything was new and intense – a flood of ideas and perspectives that left a lasting impression on me.”
Prosper Tonderayi Mageza

Former scholarship holder and former extended board member

„When you’re on the spectrum and when you’re a woman with most of her working history in male-dominated jobs, you spend a lot of time being silenced. EFA, and, more importantly, Club Alpbach Salzburg, helped me find my voice again“
Samantha Deddeh

Former scholarship holder and current member of the extended board

We are looking forward to your application! Our scholarship team will be happy to answer any questions you may have: stipendium@club-alpbach-salzburg.org.   

Photo Header: Ioana Cirlig, European Forum Alpbach