John Smith Trust

Who we are

The John Smith Trust supports the development of sustainable, fair and inclusive societies in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. We do so by supporting leaders and change-makers who share a commitment to improving governance, rule of law and social justice and who want to make a positive contribution to society. We run month-long Fellowship Programmes twice a year in the UK for young professionals aged 25-35 from Eastern Europe and the Caucuses (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The residential programme provides unique insights into the institutions of a mature democracy, individual professional meetings and leadership skills development. We support our network of Fellows further by running online and in-person events, enabling Fellows to continue connecting, sharing and collaborating with each other and with counterparts in the UK.