Yale Young Global Scholars empowers the next generation of leaders by building a global community and designing interdisciplinary programs that foster intellectual curiosity, deepen understanding and inspire creative action across all borders.
Our Vision:
An unparalleled academic and leadership program at Yale and abroad,
Founded on the tenets of liberal arts,
Renowned for its diverse and inclusive community, and
Committed to increasing education access.
Our History:
The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program was founded in 2001 as a small pre-collegiate summer program under the name Ivy Scholars.
In 2013, YYGS admitted 310 students to the Politics, Law, & Economics session and Studies in Grand Strategy session. In summer 2014, the Science, Policy, & Innovation session was added to the mix and the program expanded to accommodate 600 participants. Summer 2016, due to overwhelming interest in STEM subjects and entrepreneurship, ran six distinct sessions, four were science and entrepreneurship focused and two were the flagship sessions - Politics, Law & Economics session and International Affairs & Security session. Building off the success of 2016, YYGS is offering six sessions with two new focuses in 2017: The Frontiers of Math & Science session and Sustainable Development & Social Entrepreneurship.
The 2012 name change from Ivy Scholars to Young Global Scholars reflects the program’s continuing mission to educate increasing numbers of international students and to expose students from the United States and abroad to global issues, international affairs, American government in comparative perspective, and policy leadership. In the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2017 participants represented all 50 states and over 120 countries. Countries represented included China, Brazil, Turkey, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, as well as Myanmar, Tunisia, Kenya, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Poland, Afghanistan, and many more.
Yale University directly administers the program through the Yale Office of International Affairs. The members of the program leadership team are all employees of the university and most of our instructional support staff are Yale affiliates, including current Yale undergraduates, recent Yale College graduates, and Yale graduate students. Those few who are not Yale degree holders have backgrounds at schools like Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and Brown University.
The program is highly selective and gives students an unforgettable summer experience. To give students room to flourish in a new learning environment and to explore new academic interests, YYGS does not offer course credit, nor do students receive any quantitative evaluation during or after the program.