GNSO Standing Selection Committee agrees on mentor recommendation for ICANN Fellowship Programme
The GNSO Standing Selection Committee has reached consensus on its preferred candidate for a Fellowship Programme mentoring role, following a review of applications and survey feedback during its January 2026 meeting.
During a meeting held on 28 January 2026, the GNSO Standing Selection Committee of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers discussed and evaluated candidates for a mentoring role linked to the ICANN Fellowship Programme. The discussion was based on written applications, a structured survey of committee members, and open deliberation during the call.
Committee members reviewed six expressions of interest. One application was submitted after the formal deadline but was accepted by the committee leadership due to the small number of candidates and because it was dated on the deadline itself. The chair explicitly stated that this decision was taken without regard to the applicant’s stakeholder affiliation, to avoid any perception of bias.
A survey circulated among committee members ran from 19 to 26 January 2026 and received nine responses. While the survey results were used to inform the discussion, staff emphasised that they were not determinative and that the final outcome would be based on consensus discussion rather than numerical scores alone. The responses did not fully represent all stakeholder groups, as some alternates also participated.
Based on the survey averages and accompanying comments, one candidate, Imran Hossen, emerged as the highest-ranked overall. Committee members highlighted his prior experience as an ICANN Fellow and NextGen mentor, his active participation in ICANN policy work, and his familiarity with supporting newcomers. No objections were raised during the meeting to selecting him as the committee’s preferred candidate.
The committee also discussed whether to recommend a second-ranked candidate as a potential backup. While two other candidates received strong support, members did not reach consensus on formally designating an alternate. The committee agreed that its formal recommendation would focus on a single candidate, leaving any further decisions to GNSO leadership if needed.
The agreed next step is a 48-hour consensus call following the meeting. If no objections are raised, the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the ICANN Fellowship Programme ahead of GNSO Council confirmation, which is scheduled for February 2026.
