#USA #Stanford University #Knight-Hennessy #Stanford, California #2026 Cohort

Knight-Hennessy Scholars Welcomes 2026 Cohort

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) program at Stanford University has announced its 2026 cohort, which will include 87 new scholars, reflecting the most international representation seen in the program's history. These scholars hail from 31 different countries and will pursue advanced degrees across 45 graduate programs within Stanford's seven schools. This groundbreaking cohort features students for the first time from Croatia, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is a fully funded, multidisciplinary initiative designed to foster leadership skills among graduate students. Scholars from around the globe receive financial support for up to three years while pursuing their education and gaining experiences to prepare them to become visionary and collaborative leaders capable of tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges.

As the Emeritus President of Stanford University and the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, John L. Hennessy stated, "Each year, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars community becomes stronger by incorporating more disciplines, nationalities, and perspectives. Consequently, our collective capacity to address the world's most difficult challenges also increases."

The program's King Global Leadership Program offers a wide array of workshops, lectures, projects, and experiences that complement the scholars' studies, allowing them to enhance their commitment to community service while striving to meet their leadership goals. According to Tina Seelig, Executive Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, the unique aspect of KHS is the ability for scholars to transcend their disciplinary boundaries, creating tools and approaches that enable them to work collaboratively across fields. "It's inspiring to see individual achievers evolve into true leaders," she remarked.

Among the 2026 cohort, 51 percent hold non-American citizenship, marking the largest number of international scholars to date. Additionally, 47 percent of U.S.-based scholars identify as people of color, and 9 percent have served in the U.S. military. These scholars come from 58 different institutions, including 23 internationally, with 21 being represented for the first time. Furthermore, 21 percent are the first in their families to attain a higher education degree.

With this ninth cohort, the total number of Knight-Hennessy Scholars has now reached 682 since the program's inaugural cohort began in 2018. Aspiring scholars interested in applying for the 2027 cohort can submit their applications beginning June 1, 2026, until October 6, 2026. There are no quotas or restrictions regarding region, alma mater, field of study, or career aspirations.

Launched in 2016 and officially begun in 2018, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is named after Phil Knight, MBA '62, philanthropist and co-founder of Nike Inc., and John Hennessy, Chairman of Alphabet Inc. and former President of Stanford (2000-2016). This program holds the distinction of being the largest, university-wide, fully funded graduate scholarship in the world. For more information, please visit kh.stanford.edu.