Ilham Tohti Journalism Fellowship
A reporting fellowship for early-career bilingual journalists, published by Közet.
Fellows report in Uyghur, English, or Chinese, work with a Közet editor, and publish their stories on kozet.org. Applications are open to anyone, anywhere.
The fellowship is now being designed. The application period and the start date of the first cohort will be announced on this page and on Közet’s social channels.
Why his name
İlham Tohti is a Uyghur economist who taught at Minzu University of China in Beijing, formerly known in English as the Central University for Nationalities. In 2006 he founded Uyghur Online, a Chinese-language website that published reporting and discussion on Uyghur life for both Uyghur and Han readers. Chinese authorities shut the site down and detained him in January 2014. In September 2014 a court in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s far west, sentenced him to life in prison on a charge of separatism. He has remained in prison since.
He received the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award in 2014, the Martin Ennals Award in 2016, and the Sakharov Prize and the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize in 2019.
His work rested on documents, interviews, and open argument between communities. That is the practice this fellowship teaches. The fellowship carries his name with the agreement of his family.
What fellows do
Fellows report and publish with Közet throughout the fellowship. Their work includes:
- Reported news stories
- Explainers
- One investigation, reported as a team with other fellows
- Witness accounts, verified and labeled as personal accounts
- Briefs for Radar, Közet’s daily media roundup
- Multimedia or data pieces, or adaptations of their own work into a second language
Fellows meet online in regular sessions led by Közet editors, members of Közet’s board, and visiting journalists, and work between sessions in small groups and with an assigned Közet editor. Fellows write in whichever of the three languages they report in.
Who can apply
- You can report and write in at least one of Uyghur, English, or Chinese, and you use a second language at a working level.
- You are at the start of a career in journalism, or want to begin one. You do not need a journalism degree or prior bylines.
- You live anywhere. For applicants’ safety, Közet does not accept applications from inside the People’s Republic of China.
You may publish under your own name, a chosen byline, or Közet’s institutional byline. Fellows with family in the Uyghur region can decide this with their editor before their first piece.
What fellows receive
- A monthly stipend for the length of the fellowship
- An assigned Közet editor and regular one-to-one check-ins
- Online sessions on reporting, verification, documents, interviewing, digital security, and writing in each language
- Digital-security setup and training before any reporting begins
- Publication on kozet.org in the language you write in, with the strongest pieces published in all three
- On completion, a certificate and standing as a paid Közet contributor
Applications
The first call for applications will be announced on this page and on Közet’s social channels. Applicants will be asked for a short writing sample in Uyghur, English, or Chinese, one story pitch, and one reference. No CV or cover letter is required.
Stay informed
Leave your email address to be notified when applications open, or write to fellowship@kozet.org.
Get notified when applications open
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be Uyghur?
No. The fellowship is open to anyone who meets the language requirement.
Do I have to speak Uyghur?
No. One of your languages must be Uyghur, English, or Chinese. Your second language can be any language.
Is my name published?
Only if you choose. You can publish under a chosen byline or under Közet’s institutional byline.
Will my family be at risk?
Közet cannot remove that risk. We train every fellow in digital security before reporting begins, never publish a fellow’s location, and let you decide with your editor how you are identified. We will tell you honestly when we think a story is not safe for you to report.
Can I keep my job or studies?
Yes. The fellowship is designed to run alongside work or study.
Is the stipend a salary?
No. It is a fellowship stipend to support your reporting. Fellows outside the United States complete a short tax form before the first payment.
Who funds this?
The fellowship is run by Uyghur Monitor Inc., the nonprofit that publishes Közet. Funders are listed on the Support Us page.