Fellowship Program Overview

btNOG is excited to offer a limited number of Fellowships for the upcoming btNOG12 Workshop and SANOG43 Conference, taking place in Thimphu from August 17th to 23rd, 2025.

This Fellowship program is designed to empower Bhutanese ICT professionals and students by providing a unique opportunity to attend Bhutan’s leading Internet Operations and Technology summit. As a btNOG Fellow, you’ll not only gain valuable knowledge and enhance your skills through the workshops and conference sessions but also have an unparalleled opportunity to network with Internet professionals from across the region. This human connection is crucial for fostering the growth of the internet in Bhutan.

Fellows are expected to be active participants not only during the btNOG12 Conference and Workshop but also in future NOG events. Our aim is for the skills and knowledge gained to be effectively applied and contributed to their respective workplaces after the event concludes. By investing in these fellowships, btNOG hopes to cultivate a community of empowered ICT professionals who will continue to drive internet development and expertise across Bhutan.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to advance your expertise and expand your professional network!

Eligibility & Selection criteria

Applications are open to Bhutanese citizens only.

Applicants need to be actively involved in Internet technical operations in any of the following capacities:

  • Network engineering and network design

  • Systems engineering and System design

  • Network operations and Network Operation Centre

  • Internet systems engineering and systems operations

Applicants for the btNOG Fellowship need to:

  • Demonstrate suitable technical expertise in the training topics selected (if applicable)

  • Demonstrate financial hardship that would make participation in btNOG otherwise impossible

Applications are welcome from across Bhutan, including from prior btNOG fellows. btNOG’s fellowship review process operates according to stringent criteria and is evaluated by esteemed individuals within our community who make their determinations solely on merit. Each application is diligently assessed without any bias or prejudice, reflecting our commitment to a fair and thorough evaluation process.

Female participants are strongly encouraged to apply!

 

Areas of Interest

Successful fellows will select a specific area of interest to focus on their fellowship program. Areas of interest include:

  • Campus Network Design & Operations Workshop

  • BGP Deployment Operations Workshop

  • Practical Virtualization with Hybrid Strategies Workshop

The level of experience in the chosen area of interest can range from beginner to advanced. 

The Fellowship committee will review the relevance of selected areas of interest based on your background, and will reserve the right to assign you to workshops deemed relevant.

 

Key Dates

Application Open

NOW

Application Close

30th June

Committee appraisal

1st week of July

Successful Fellows announced

2nd week of July

Confirmation of shortlisted applicants

3rd week of July

 

Fellowship Package

Full Fellowship – 10 Seats (Only for participants from outside Thimphu) Successful applicants will receive the following:

  • Accommodation (twin sharing bed) with breakfast for the duration of the btNOG12 Workshop and SANOG43 Conference week

  • Certificate of achievement (upon successful completion of fellowship)

  • Complimentary registration to the btNOG12 Workshop and/or SANOG43 Conference week

  • Complimentary attendance to all the btNOG12 Workshop and SANOG43 Conference week social events

Partial Fellowship – 5 Seats  (for Thimphu residents.) 

Successful applicants will receive the following:

  • Complimentary registration to the btNOG12 Workshop and/or SANOG43 Conference week

  • Certificate of achievement (upon successful completion of fellowship)

  • Complimentary attendance to all the btNOG12 Workshop and/or SANOG43 Conference week social events

 

Selection Process

A selection committee carefully evaluates all the applications. The committee selects the applicants it believes are best suited for the fellowships, taking into consideration a desire to provide opportunities to individuals from a diverse range of organizations, gender, and geographical locations within Bhutan. 

The decisions of the selection committee are final, and the selected applicants are informed individually. A list of selected Fellows is then announced on the btNOG website.

(Applicants who are not selected to receive a Fellowship award for the current btNOG workshop & conference are eligible and encouraged to apply for future btNOG events.)