i-SEA Fellowship 2025
A look back at our inaugural cohort — 40 young content creators, three weeks of masterclasses, and one unforgettable week in Singapore.
The Programme
The inaugural i-SEA Fellowship ran from 15 November to 12 December 2025. Drawn from more than 450 applications across Southeast Asia, 40 student content creators — half from Singapore, half from eight other countries in the region — came together for a hybrid programme on information integrity and ethical content creation.
It unfolded in three phases: three weeks of online masterclasses, a set of industry visits, and a week-long in-person workshop and hackathon in Singapore. The programme was fully funded — return flights, accommodation, meals, and a daily stipend were all covered, so fellows could focus entirely on learning and creating.
Three weeks of evening and weekend sessions led by journalists, technology professionals, and academics — covering misinformation and deepfakes, media law and ethics, fact-checking, media literacy, and AI literacy.
Fellows went behind the scenes at TikTok's Transparency and Accountability Centre, SPH Media, and MediaCorp — seeing first-hand how leading platforms approach content moderation, journalism, and broadcast production.
Six cross-cultural teams developed solutions to real information-integrity challenges, mentored by industry and academic experts, and pitched to a judging panel on the final day.
Highlights
The in-person week opened at the Wee Kim Wee School with addresses from Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua and Co-HASS Dean Prof. Jon Wilson, followed by keynotes from Filipino broadcast journalist Atom Araullo and Singapore science creator Kong Man Jing.
Six teams pitched solutions to challenges in the creator economy. The winning team, CreatorBase, proposed an educational resource hub to help creators handle sponsorships transparently — praised by judges for its immediate feasibility and scalability across the region.
Fellows' own posts about the programme drew more than 130,000 video views across Instagram and TikTok, and external coverage — in English, Khmer, and Vietnamese — ran 94% positive with no negative mentions.
Every fellow stayed in touch with at least one other after the programme ended — many kept posting about i-SEA for months, and one credited the fellowship as a key factor in landing his dream job.
Impact
The fellowship didn't end in December. Months on, the 2025 cohort is still creating, collaborating, and leading — and that is exactly what i-SEA is built to do.
Fact-checking workflows, AI-detection tools, ethical ad disclosure, and storytelling techniques — practical skills fellows now apply to their own content.
Every fellow stayed in touch with at least one other after the programme. Many still collaborate across borders on reels, campaigns, and ideas.
Fellows have spoken at university workshops, switched to bilingual content for wider reach, and stepped into new roles — one credited i-SEA as a key factor in landing his dream job.
Fellows returned home as advocates — running their own training sessions and raising awareness of misinformation in their communities.
Voices
Reflections shared by 2025 fellows in their end-of-programme interviews.
I can confidently say that the i-SEA Fellowship Program is one of the best programs I've ever joined. As a content creator, I sometimes hesitate to post because I worry about ethics or legal issues. This program gave me a new perspective by helping me see content creation through a journalist's lens. Now, I want to create content that not only shares my experiences but also educates my audience. What I value most, though, is the people — a community where we could openly exchange ideas, learn from one another, and continue supporting each other long after the program ended.
i-SEA 2025 Fellow
Being part of i-SEA Fellowship has been an unforgettable experience. It gave me the opportunity to embrace new challenges, deepen my understanding of media literacy, learn from inspiring professors, collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds during the hackathon, and build friendships I never knew I needed. Now I have friends across different countries, and wherever I go, I know I'll have the best local guides. That's the special bond of the i-SEA Fellowship.
i-SEA 2025 Fellow
Before I attended i-SEA Fellowship at NTU Singapore, I thought creating was about producing good content. After i-SEA, I realised it's about creating impact. Meeting passionate young people from different backgrounds reminded me that every story deserves to be heard. This experience strengthened my purpose as a student creator and inspired me to use my voice more intentionally. Thank you for creating a space where ideas became friendships, strangers became family, and young creators were encouraged to believe that what we create can leave a lasting impact! 🫶✨
i-SEA 2025 Fellow
The Cohort
Forty student content creators from nine countries across Southeast Asia.
20 fellows from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
20 Singapore-based fellows from local polytechnics and universities.
Applications for the i-SEA Fellowship 2026 are now open.
Apply for 2026