Curatorship and Elections Last updated: November 2025

We believe in the power of teams. Our hub model brings young people together to collaborate, test new ideas and take joint action. Hubs are led by our Curatorships. The Curatorship is the leadership team of Curator, Vice Curator and Impact Officer. Their role is to inspire, empower and connect their members to create change in their local community as per the strategic objectives of the Global Shapers Community.

  • Curators are responsible for the hub governance and are the main contact point for the Global Shapers HQ. They develop youth leaders by supporting their members to reach their full potential.
  • Vice-Curators facilitate hub activities and work hand in hand with the Curator to engage their members in their community and amplify youth voices.
  • Impact Officers are responsible to accelerate the hubs' youth action. They ensure that each hub implements at least one hub project per year that is shared on Forum Spaces.
All hubs must elect a new Curator, Vice-Curator and Impact Officer before 1 March each year for a mandate that begins on 1 July and ends on 30 June.

Hub Curatorship Responsibilities

Curators, Vice-Curators, and Impact Officers share the collective responsibility of ensuring that hubs adhere to our Charter which outlines the standards that all members and hubs are responsible to uphold. This is fundamental to ensure inclusion and accountability across our community.

Curator Responsibilities

  • Charter: Ensure hub members read and acknowledge the Charter and align with community values.
  • Global Shapers Annual Summit: Attend the Global Shapers Annual Summit to be equipped and prepared for the new mandate, or nominate a replacement before April 1st.
  • Official Guides: Ensure all hub members are familiar with the Official Guides of the Global Shapers Community to maximize hub engagement and impact.
  • Governance: Establish good governance practices, including distributed leadership roles, membership expectations, communication channels rules, conflict resolution mechanisms etc. as part of the local charter.
  • Distributed Leadership: Ensure hub members have leadership positions in the hub based on hub goals (for example – activities, financial, recruitment, wellbeing, inclusion, alumni and/or other officers to advance key initiatives).
  • Hub Membership: Ensure all members are engaged and growing in their Global Shaper journey with updated profiles on Forum Spaces at all times, and track members contributions.
  • Safe Space: Ensure all members feel like they belong and respect the Membership Commitments and Responsible Behaviour guidelines shared in the Charter.
  • Recruitment: Support the Vice-Curator to run successful hub recruitment
  • Projects and Impact: Support the Impact Officer to implement and report at least one project per year
  • Partnerships and Finances: Oversee hub partnerships and finances, and integrate local stakeholders into hub activities, including local donors, beneficiaries, supporters, decision-makers and media.
  • Forum Spaces: Ensure the hub's information is up to date.
  • Community Champion: Seek support from the sub-regional Community Champion and participate to sub-regional meetings with other peers.
  • Elections: Facilitate fair and transparent hub elections to identify a new Curator, Vice-Curator and Impact Officer, and ensure an easy leadership transition for the hub.
  • Annual Review: Fill the Curator section of the Annual Review in June, to report on hub progress, and ensure maximum responses from hub members.
  • Curatorship Transition: Ensure the newly elected Curatorship team is onboarded by providing access to all hub documents and credentials, including the collaborative inbox, and facilitate a comprehensive handover of ongoing projects and essential information to maintain continuity and effectiveness within the hub.

Vice-Curator Responsibilities

  • Hub Engagement: Support the Curator* and Impact Officer to advance the hub and members on their growth and impact journey.
  • Hub Activities: Engage hub members in fun and insightful activities and ensure all hub gatherings are accessible for all members in terms of financial costs, transportation etc.
  • Hub Meetings: Convene members at least once per month to align on the hub’s purpose, projects, goals and activities and communicate meeting dates clearly and well in advance (Hub meetings should be collaborative and inspiring).
  • Recruitment: Oversee the recruitment and selection process of the Hub at least once a year to reach a minimum of 20 members.
  • Twin Cities: Oversee the implementation of the Twin Cities Programme and facilitate the exchange of best practices, insights, ideas, learnings and solutions between hubs.
  • Leadership: Step in for the Curator's and Impact Officer's roles and responsibilities when needed and inform HQ about any governance change.
  • Annual Review: Fill the Annual Review to report on hub progress in June, and ensure maximum responses from hub members.

*Each hub can define how to distribute tasks between the Curator and Vice-Curator.

Impact Officer Responsibilities

  • Hub Projects: Ensure that the hub implements at least one quality project that meets the needs of the local community.
  • Project Reporting: Upload and Update Hub Projects on Forum Spaces to keep track and report on hub impact with clear impact metrics.
  • Capacity Building: Strengthen individual and hub capabilities on project planning, impact measurement, beneficiary engagement etc. to properly identify issues, plan and implement tangible solutions.
  • Project Showcase: Participate in the Project Showcase organized by the Community Champion and engage all Hub members to celebrate the hub's impact.
  • Innovation Prize: Ensure hub projects meet necessary criteria related to impact, innovation, inclusivity, feasibility and scalability to potentially access Innovation Prize funding.
  • Annual Review: Fill the Impact Officer section of the Annual Review in June to report on hub impact, and ensure maximum responses from hub members.

Leadership Journey

While the Curatorship brings big responsibilities, it also brings special rewards. By joining the Curatorship, you will develop two dimensions of leadership: self and others.

  • Our leadership journey starts with self: understanding your motivations and values, as well as your desire to lead, learn and understand the perspectives of others. You will be pushed out of your comfort zone to discover who you are as a leader and what you stand for.
  • You will also learn about mobilizing individuals, hubs, local stakeholders and communities. A particular focus of our hub based model is developing the mindset and skills required to create a shared vision for change as well as facilitating engagement to achieve it.

As a dedicated leader of your Hub, you'll enhance your emotional and social intelligence and gain the following set of skills:

  • Self-Awareness: Emotional Self-Awareness.
  • Social Awareness: Achievement Orientation, Adaptability, Emotional Self-Control, Positive Outlook.
  • Self-Management: Empathy, Organizational Awareness,
  • Relationship Management: Conflict Management, Coaching and Mentoring, Influence, Inspirational Leadership, Teamwork.

Purpose of Elections and Considerations

Our model is based on collective action. Elections ensure we live by our principles of diversity, inclusion and collaborative decision-making, and that hub leaders are elected by the hub, for the hub. Only with consensus and the support of all members can Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers cultivate a shared vision for change. Elections allow hubs to test various leadership models in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment, and enable as many hub members as possible to assume a significant leadership role. Finally, elections also serve as a benchmark. Depending on the fairness, efficiency and transparency of elections, we can assess the quality of a hub’s governance and how well members are able to work together.

Hubs opened before 1 July 2025 should hold elections in 2026 (512 hubs in total).

Hubs opened after 1 July 2025 should not hold elections in 2026. In these cases, Founding Curators will continue to lead until 30 June 2027. A new Curator, Vice-Curator and Impact Officer should be elected during the next elections cycle (by 1 March 2027).

Elections Checklist and Timeline

Make sure to follow the following steps to make sure that your 2026 elections are smooth and successful:

  • Step 1: Between December 2025 and January 2026, host a hub meeting to define your elections process and timeline, review our guidelines and identify prospective candidates.
  • Step 2: Watch the recording of the Elections Session hosted by HQ.
  • Step 3: Ensure your hub has 20+ members on Forum Spaces by 1 February 2026. Only members who are on Forum Spaces are eligible to run as candidates and vote in hub elections (election results from hubs that do not meet minimum membership requirements may not be accepted).
  • Step 4: Onboard all active members to Toplink before 1 February 2026. Remember that new hub members must be between 18 - 27 years old at the time of Forum Spaces onboarding.
  • Step 5: Identify at least 2 members to run for Curator who will not age-out of the community before 30 June 2027. Candidates should post their Leadership Plans in your hub's Activity Feed on TopLink by 5 February 2026 and tag your Community Champion).
  • Step 6: Identify at least 1 member to run for Vice-Curator. Candidates must not age-out of the community before 30 June 2027. A Leadership Plan is not required but encouraged!
  • Step 7: Identify at least 1 member to run for Impact Officer. Similarly, candidates must not age-out before 30 June 2027.
  • Step 8: Communicate the elections date to all hub members. Elections can be run through an anonymous online voting mechanism or via an in-person hub meeting.
  • Step 9: Before 1 March 2026, submit results to HQ through the submission form linked below. Only results submitted on time and through this form will be considered.
  • Step 10: Ensure a successful leadership transition. Current Curators, Vice Curators and Impact Officers will end their mandate on June 30 2026. Newly elected Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers in 2025 will begin their mandate on 1 July 2026 and end their mandate on 30 June 2027. Between 1 March and 1 July, the incoming Curatorship Team should shadow and learn from the outgoing Curatorship Team to ensure a successful leadership transition. True leadership requires listening, and at times, taking a step back.

If your hub doesn't meet the above requirements, contact your Community Champion today.

Eligibility and Candidacy

Global Shapers can run for CURATOR if they:

  • Understand our Charter and the global standards outlined in our Official Guides.
  • Did not serve as Curator or Founding Curator in 2025-2026 nor have been elected as Curator more than once (Curators can serve a maximum of two nonconsecutive terms).
  • Will not age-out of the community before 30 June 2027 (Alumni are not eligible).
  • Will not serve on our Expert Body or as a Champion from 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027.
  • Will live in the city where the hub is located for the entirety of the 2026-2027 term. Should a Curator relocate, please inform HQ to discuss a succession plan.

Shapers can run for VICE-CURATOR if they:

  • Understand our Charter and the global standards outlined in our Official Guides.
  • Did not serve as Curator, Vice-Curator or Founding Curator in 2025-2026.
  • Will not age-out of the community before 30 June 2027 (Alumni are not eligible).
  • Will not serve on our Expert Body or as a Champion from 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027.
  • Will live in the city where the hub is located for the entirety of the 2026-2027 term. Should a Vice-Curator relocate, please inform HQ to discuss a succession plan.

Shapers can run for IMPACT OFFICER if they:

  • Are ambitious about the impact the hub can make to improve the state of its city.
  • Can make a one-year commitment to the role (1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027).
  • Will not age-out of the community before 30 June 2027 (Alumni are not eligible).
  • Understand our Hub Project guidelines.
  • Engage in hub activities and have experience managing at least one hub project.
  • Demonstrate interest in collecting and showcasing data from past and new hub projects.
  • Will live in the city where their hub is located for the entirety of the 2026-2027 Curatorship term. Should the Impact Officer relocate to a different city during the term, please inform your Community Manager to discuss a succession plan.

NOTE: If an Impact Officer is not elected by 1 March 2026, the new elected Vice-Curator will be automatically allocated this role beginning on 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027.

What happens if a hub leader STEPPED DOWN last year?

If you assumed the role of Curator, Vice-Curator or Impact Officer in 2025-2026 because someone else stepped down from this role, you are eligible to run for this position again. Remember:

  • Leadership positions are for a 1-year term. If you served less than 1-year because you stepped up when someone else stepped down, you are eligible to run for elections again.
  • For example, if you were elected as Vice-Curator in 2025 and your Curator stepped down and you assumed their place, you are eligible to run for the role of Curator again in 2026.
  • Nevertheless, you must still be elected. Hub members should achieve consensus and collectively agree that this is the right decision for the hub moving forward.
  • If a Curator steps down during their mandate, the Vice-Curator becomes Curator. Elections can be run for a new Vice-Curator or the Impact Officer may be considered.
  • If a Curator or Vice-Curator steps down in your hub, contact your Community Manager to ensure a transparent and successful succession plan for interim leaders.
Important!

NOTE: Elections should favor candidates who have demonstrated leadership in the hub (for example, those who have served as project leads, recruitment leads or other important roles). It should not be assumed that Outgoing Vice-Curators should automatically be elected to Curators. They must put their candidacy forward alongside other interested hub members.

How to Run

Candidates for Curator must submit a Leadership Plan to Toplink by 5 February. Leadership Plans outline your objectives for the position and include insights related to:

  • Governance: What updates are needed to your hub's overall structure and operations? Are new roles needed to achieve your hub's goals? What approach will you take to facilitate inspiring hub meetings and/or create a safe space for members to contribute?
  • Projects: What is your vision for impact? What approach will you use to facilitate projects in your hub and community? What projects would you like the hub to take forward? What new ideas do you have for creating change locally with relevant stakeholders or partners?
  • Capacity-building: What development, training or networking opportunities would you like to provide hub members with? Are you planning a hub retreat or team-building exercise? What unique learning opportunities would you like to work towards this year?

To run for Curator, follow these four simple steps and submit your leadership plan:

  1. Create your plan: Ask fellow Shapers and build your vision for your candidacy.
  2. Save your plan as: FullName_LeadershipProposal_Year.
  3. Log onto Forum Spaces and navigate to the Activity Feed of your hub's page.
  4. Begin your post: "Hi, hub! Here is my election leadership plan..."
  5. Tag your @Community Champion, attach your plan and post!

NOTE: Candidates for Vice-Curator and Impact Officer do not have to submit Leadership Plans.

Eligible Voters

Hub members onboarded to Forum Spaces before 1 February 2026 are eligible to vote.

Important!

NOTE: Global Shapers who are on probation and who do not have a Forum Spaces account are not eligible to vote. Founding Curators and Alumni outside of the Global Shapers age range are not eligible to vote. To verify if your members can vote, check if their profile appears on your hub's Forum Spaces page. Apply the membership age age rule: they should be below 33 years old if they joined the community before 1 July 2020 or 30 years old, if onboarded thereafter.

Global Shapers Headquarters may reject election results if they do not meet these criteria. Hubs are expected to hold elections in good faith. If it is discovered that the above criteria have not been upheld, election results may be overturned, and hubs may have to hold new elections.

Elections-day Guidelines and Results Submission

All Global Shapers with Forum Spaces accounts created before 1 February 2026 must be provided the opportunity to vote. Please note:

  • There must be a minimum 51% participation rate.
  • Track the number of eligible voters in the hub and votes per candidate.
  • This comprehensive data is required to be shared in the results submission form.
  • Elections can be held in-person or online (nevertheless remember that a fair and transparent process still allows members who cannot participate in-person to vote).
  • Voting should be anonymous. No retaliation against voters will be tolerated.
  • The candidates for Curator, Vice-Curator and Impact Officer who amass the most votes, win the election.
  • In case you have only one candidate for Vice-Curator or Impact Officer, there should be an option to vote for "none of above" to make sure more than 50% of voters support their candidacy.

Any hub that does not complete a successful election and submit results by 1 March 2026 may face closure and forfeit its Curator’s invitation to the Global Shapers Summit 2026.

Submitting Results

Hubs must share election results with Global Shapers HQ before 1 March 2026 through the Election Results Submission Form. Please note that the Election Results Submission Form will be active as of 1 February 2026. Results sent by email are not valid.

Submit Election Results

Handling Unsuccessful Elections

Curatorship Election Sessions

We encourage you to join our Curatorship Elections Session organized on Wednesday 10 December from 15:00-16:00 (CET).

You can also attend one of the below Elections Open House Sessions for one-on-one mentorship and coaching:

If your hub's elections are unsuccessful (i.e. you experience conflict or no clear winner emerges), Community Champions are here to support you: Raise your concern directly to your Community Champion.

NOTE: Community Champions will uphold your privacy and anonymity. If a resolution cannot be found, HQ may proceed with hub closure or appoint a member to the unfilled role directly. HQ may also veto candidates who do not meet our Elections Eligibility Criteria.

Important!
  • The time-frame for a resolution is one month after the elections, by 31 March 2026.
  • If required, HQ may grant a maximum 2-week extension to hold elections.
  • Any Global Shaper who is unhappy with their Champion's decision may challenge the outcome by contacting their Community Lead.
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