Internet governance can sound like a closed conversation happening somewhere in Geneva or Nairobi, far from anyone actually working or living in Pakistan. It isn’t. Every track below is genuinely open to Pakistani applicants, several are free, and most exist specifically to bring in people who aren’t already inside the system. This guide is a map of the real entry points: what each track actually is, who it’s realistically for, and where to apply.
We’ll keep this page updated as programs open new cycles.
Before you start
If you haven’t read it yet, our earlier piece on what internet governance actually means and why Pakistan’s seat at the table matters covers the background. This guide skips that and goes straight to the practical part: which tracks exist, who they’re for, and where to apply.
One honest note before you start: Pakistan does have a national entry point, a national IGF was formally established in 2017, and a Pakistan Youth IGF launched in 2025, but national-level infrastructure here has historically been thin. The regional and global tracks below are currently the more active, reliable route in.
1. Regional: Asia Pacific Regional IGF (APrIGF)
What it is: the Asia-Pacific region’s own internet governance forum, aggregating national conversations (including Pakistan’s) into a regional dialogue that feeds into the global IGF.
Who it’s for: civil society, academia, government, technical community, private sector, and students. No prior experience required.
How to get in:
- Attend for free. APrIGF 2026 runs October 4–7 in Kathmandu, Nepal, with both on-site and free remote participation through registration and Local Hubs.
- Apply for the Fellowship. A separate, competitive fellowship track offers full or partial travel and accommodation support. The 2026 fellowship window closed in July, so mark your calendar to apply when the 2027 call opens, typically announced several months ahead on the APrIGF site.
- Submit a session proposal. If you already have a topic and a rough plan, APrIGF runs an open Call for Session Proposals most years.
Link: ap.rigf.asia
2. Capacity-building schools
What they are: short, structured training programs that prepare newcomers before they walk into a full policy forum, lower-stakes and often the recommended first step.
Who they’re for: early-career professionals, students, and civil society members with little or no prior governance background.
The main ones open to Pakistani applicants:
- APSIG (Asia Pacific School on Internet Governance) — a multi-day intensive on internet governance fundamentals, aimed at emerging leaders across the region. apsig.asia
- APIGA (Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy) — co-hosted by ICANN and Korea’s KISA, focused on youth leaders in the region.
- APNIC Policy Fellowship — a pilot program for people specifically interested in internet number resource policy (IP addressing, routing).
- inSIG (India School on Internet Governance) — regionally adjacent, sometimes open to applicants beyond India depending on the year.
All of the above are run through a shared portal: fellowship.apnic.net — worth bookmarking as a single place to check for open cycles across multiple programs at once.
3. Global: the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
What it is: the main global venue, convened by the UN (background on the IGF and its new permanent mandate is in our earlier explainer, linked above).
Who it’s for: anyone. No fellowship or invitation is required to participate in most IGF activity.
How to get in, without needing a fellowship:
- Subscribe to the IGF Newsletter to track intersessional work, open consultations, and calls for input.
- Attend virtually. IGF 2026 runs December 14–18 in Nairobi, Kenya, in hybrid format, with free online participation.
- Respond to open calls. The IGF periodically opens public calls for thematic input, feeding directly into what the forum discusses that year — a real, low-barrier way to have Pakistani perspectives on record in a global process.
- Propose a workshop. If you have a group or topic in mind, IGF runs an open Call for Workshop Proposals ahead of each annual meeting.
Link: intgovforum.org
4. Technical infrastructure track: ICANN Fellowship
Beyond policy dialogue, there’s also the technical side of how the internet actually runs.
What it is: a different layer of governance entirely — the technical and policy processes behind domain names and the systems that keep the internet addressable and functional. Separate from IGF’s policy-dialogue focus.
Who it’s for: the program is explicitly designed for people from underserved and underrepresented communities, ages 21+, with an interest in DNS operations, internet security and stability, or ICANN policy work. Prior experience is not required.
How to get in: apply through the ICANN Fellowship Program portal. Fellows receive mentorship, structured skill-building, and travel support to attend an ICANN Public Meeting.
Time-sensitive right now: the ICANN88 Community Forum fellowship round is open, with applications closing 21 August 2026, for a meeting in Lisbon in March 2027. If you’re reading this before that date, it’s worth a look.
If you only do three things
Pick one regional or global open call for input this year and actually submit something, even a short written comment
Follow the Pakistan IGF and Pakistan Youth IGF pages for national updates
Set a recurring yearly reminder to check APrIGF, APSIG, ICANN Fellowship, and APNIC portal deadlines, since most run on annual cycles that are easy to miss if you’re not looking
None of this requires a title, a government role, or a formal institutional affiliation, just showing up consistently.
Full Sources List:
- APrIGF official site
- APrIGF 2026 Fellowship Application Guideline
- APNIC/APrIGF shared fellowship portal
- IGF 2026, official dashboard
- IGF, WSIS+20 permanent mandate announcement
- ICANN Fellowship Program, official page
- ICANN88 Fellowship Application Round announcement
- Pakistan IGF, official IGF listing
- Pakistan Youth IGF, official IGF listing