About the Scholarship
Social gatherings and moments of celebration are vital for fostering safe and responsible spaces where people can unite and combat isolation. Pernod Ricard is dedicated to elevating these occasions into authentic experiences of conviviality and sharing, ensuring they are enjoyed responsibly and inclusively, with or without alcohol.
However, parties and gatherings are not without risk. Moments of togetherness may fail to include those experiencing isolation, anti-social behaviour can be a threat to personal safety, and, when alcohol is involved, excessive consumption can cause harm to individuals and their communities. Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3% of all deaths (1). Recent statistics indicate that feelings of isolation are on the rise globally, with some reports suggesting that up 1 in 4 young adults experience social isolation (2).
As part of a longstanding commitment to promoting moderation, Pernod Ricard’s flagship programme Drink More Water encourages young adults to stay hydrated when socializing and reminds them to enjoy the moment and create memorable experiences. To truly generate the social and health benefits of togetherness, we must continue to work together to create safer and more responsibly enjoyed spaces. On the frontline in the fight against isolation and the harmful use of alcohol, the hospitality sector plays a pivotal role in realising environments that promote moderation and personal well-being. In a world increasingly dominated by extremes and polarized perspectives, where nuances and moderation struggle to exist, it is more important than ever to create spaces that encourage responsible drinking and shape the future of socialization to be more mindful and inclusive.
Pernod Ricard's Bar World of Tomorrow initiative is at the forefront of this mission, empowering bartenders and hospitality professionals with the tools and knowledge to foster a culture of responsibility and sustainability. Through targeted training and advocacy, this initiative aims to transform the hospitality and bartending community into champions of moderation and environmental stewardship. The aim is to equip industry professionals to serve as role models, encouraging mindful drinking behaviors and offering alternative, non-alcoholic options to ensure that everyone has a place at the table.
This ambition can only be achieved if we engage meaningfully with the hospitality sector and young adults. This is why we’re teaming up with One Young World, the global community for young leaders, to launch the One Young World | Pernod Ricard Scholarship.
The scholarship will identify and connect an interdisciplinary team of 10 committed young leaders who are working to build positive social spaces and tackle harmful drinking and its wider impacts in their countries and communities. Scholars will receive full funding to participate in the One Young World Summit 2025 which takes place in Munich, Germany from 3 - 6 November.
Scholars will participate in the Summit as members of Pernod Ricard’s delegation, have opportunities to help shape our interventions at the event and receive expert mentorship to accelerate their initiatives. In addition, scholars will participate in post Summit collective thinking sessions to reflect on the future of socialising.
Who should apply?
Successful applicants will share our ambition to encourage positive social occasions and tackle harmful drinking. They will be actively making an impact in support of these goals through their own projects, as emerging leaders in larger organisations, through their own work and experience, or by contributing to collective understanding through research.
This can include people working in the hospitality sector (bartenders, bar managers, restaurant owners, etc) who are active on responsible drinking, moderation, or consumer information, or have initiatives fighting harmful or excessive drinking. It can also include those contributing to other fields, who are working on creating inclusive and safe spaces for people to come together.
Relevant activities include:
- Prevention and education initiatives that aim to reduce excessive alcohol consumption.
- Prevention initiatives that aim to reduce social harm.
- Projects that tackle the harmful impacts of excessive alcohol consumption.
- Projects that encourage the bringing together of communities, the savoir être of being together and educational initiatives around social inclusion and fighting isolation.
- Projects that improve physical and psychological safety in social environments.
- Research into habits and the behavioural patterns of Gen Z, trends in socializing, including the role of alcohol in this socializing.
In addition, candidates must:
- Be of legal drinking age in their country of residence at the time of their application.
- Available to commit to contribute to collective post-Summit thinking sessions alongside other scholarship recipients. See below for further details.
Scholarship benefits
- Participation in the One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich as a Pernod Ricard delegate.
- Hotel accommodation in Munich between 2 - 6 November (inclusive) 2025.
- The cost of travel to and from Munich (flights in economy)
- Catering which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Transport between the Summit accommodation and the Summit venue.
- Access to Pernod Ricard professionals in their field on the basis of needs & consultancy.
- Collaborate with other scholars to influence Pernod Ricard’s thinking on socialising and efforts to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. Make your voice heard through the collective sessions with guest speakers.
Post-Summit participation
All scholars will be invited to participate in post summit collective thinking sessions to help discuss in more detail the challenges and solutions for promoting responsible drinking globally. These sessions will also include external guest speakers on the different topics and provide a platform for scholars to share their own ideas, experiences and recommendations as well as seek advice and inspiration for their own work.
The subject of these sessions will reflect the themes of the scholarship and include:
- Social connections within communities: How can we further bring people together in the current social climate and create moments of celebration / togetherness whilst fighting isolation and exclusion?
- Role of the hospitality sector: what is the role of the hospitality sector in creating safe and inclusive spaces for people to come together, thereby fighting isolation?
- Culture and society: What is the role of celebrations, and partying in our society in the future and what is the role of alcohol in this? How can we ensure that these social interactions and moments of togetherness are safe, responsible and inclusive? What does convivialité mean & what will it look like in the future?
- The role of prevention during these interactions: What initiatives can be developed to ensure social gatherings are safe for all? How can responsibility and prevention be integrated into social gatherings in a positive way? How can prevention programmes have more impact?
- Gen Z & their influence: How can this generation define a new culture of drinking and partying? What is their role and influence on this?
Successful candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability and interest in contributing to the collective thinking sessions This time commitment will involve: 1-2 preparatory meetings before the Summit in November (between June & November), a physical meeting together in Munich alongside the Summit and 2 - 3 meetings post-Summit during the year following the Summit.
Individual meetings will be organized with each delegate for introductions.
As well as this, extra sessions for mentoring and consultancy can be added based on the needs of the scholar and opportunities available within the Pernod Ricard network.
(1) Harmful use of alcohol kills more than 3 million people each year, most of them men (who.int)
(2) WHO Commission on Social Connection, Chart: One in Four Young People in the World Feels Lonely | Statista