Educating Future Change Makers
At UWC, we inspire young people to put their talents and energy into social change, no matter which future path they choose.
We select promising, passionate students from all over the world, and give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a difference.
What is UWC?
UWC makes education a force to unite
People, Nations and Cultures for
Peace and a Sustainable Future.
How: Building a School with Five Principles
UWC is made up of 18 schools and colleges on four continents.
Majority of them focus on the 16-19 age group, with some also catering to younger students.
Each school is uniquely located with its own character, but all are dedicated to nurturing young people’s energy & ideals into empathy, responsibility
and lifelong action.
Truly Global Movement
UWC national committees in 150+ countries and territories are able to reach young people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences.
Students at every school make friends from all over the world, gaining a deeper understanding of different ways of thinking.
Deliberately
Diverse
UWC seeks compassionate, idealistic students who are driven to make the world better.
We believe money shouldn't be a barrier to a good education.
80%+ of UWC students receive full / partial financial assistance, funded by generous supporters.
Short educational programmes are also available to learn the UWC way of thinking.
Selective,
not Exclusive.
Students at UWC study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
IBDP not only provides students with the knowledge and skills to reach the best universities across the world, but also encourages them to build initiatives to actively support the community while practicing leadership, teamwork, creativity and self-confidence.
Value Service,
Over Knowledge
Our alumni network is 60,000+ strong, with alumni found in every corner of the world.
Our graduates follows different paths based on their interests and talents, but each carries the UWC ethos with them, making large and small changes through courageous action, personal example and selfless leadership.
A Community of
Role Models
History introduction
In the turbulent world of the 21st century, UWC’s aims and objectives are as relevant today as they were in the past – perhaps even more so.
The UWC movement was conceived in the 1950s at the height of the Cold War.
Dr. Kurt Hahn was a respected German educationalist and the driving force behind the UWC movement. He believed in the power of education as a solution to the conflicts in our world. While speaking at the NATO Defense College in Paris, he was inspired by the way former enemies came together to achieve common goals.
Together with other likeminded idealists, Hahn developed the UWC educational model, the culmination of his thinking about education. His hope was to bring young people together from different nationalities, races, cultures, religions, political systems and socio-economic backgrounds, to live and learn in an environment of mutual respect and understanding. Their hope was for these students to become catalysts of change upon graduation.
Hailed by The Times newspaper as “the most exciting experiment in education since the Second World War,” the first UWC, Atlantic College, opened in 1962 in Wales. The aim was to bring together young people from areas of post-war conflict to act as champions of peace through an education based on shared learning, collaboration and understanding.
Following the opening of UWC Atlantic College, UWC continued to develop and expand.
As of today, 17 UWCs around the world stand with the common aim of promoting a greater understanding between the peoples of the world, providing an education to overcome the conflicts and uncertainties of today and those to come.
UWC values
International &
Intercultural Understanding
Mutual responsibility
and respect
Sense of
Idealism
Celebration
of difference
Compassion
and service
Personal
challenge
Personal responsibility
and integrity
Respect for the environment
Action and personal example
Education model
Our unique educational model has the deliberate diversity of the student body at its core.
It provides a common framework within which our schools and colleges are free to build different life-defining educational experiences across the globe.
Driven by the UWC mission and values, each UWC is a diverse and highly interactive community that promotes intercultural understanding through shared experiences and collaborative living. It is a community where recognition is given to unique talents and abilities of its individuals. Together, the college aims to facilitate a balanced development of its members and provide opportunities to engage in issues of sustainability, undertake personal initiatives and embrace challenges, while being supported by a healthy lifestyle.
