Applying to Youth Academy? Open Now in Malaysia, UK, UAE (Plus Tips)

Youth Academy applications are open right now in Malaysia, the UK, and the UAE. If you’re thinking about applying, this is the moment to get organised: know the timeline, understand what happens after you submit, and give yourself enough time to write something clear and personal.

Below you’ll find the key dates for each country, plus a few practical tips that usually make the process smoother.

Key dates by country

Malaysia 2026

  • Applications close: 7 June 2026

  • Interviews: 18-19 June 2026

  • Winners announced: 30 June 2026

UK 2026

  • Applications close: 14 June 2026

  • Interviews: 22-23 June 2026

  • Winners announced: 29 June 2026

UAE 2026

  • Applications close: 21 June 2026

  • Interviews: 29 June - 10 July 2026

  • Winners announced: 27 July 2026

What to do before you apply

Start from your Coffee Knowledge Hub profile
A complete profile makes everything easier and more consistent. Use your real first and last name, add a clear photo, and make sure the profile matches your application. It doesn’t need to be long, it just needs to feel real and up to date.

Read the application steps carefully
Each country has its own page and flow on Coffee Knowledge Hub. It’s worth reading the steps properly before you start writing answers.

Give your application a clear direction
A strong application is not the one that sounds “perfect”, but the one that sounds focused. Try to be specific. Use concrete examples. Keep your answers consistent with your profile. And do not leave it to the last day, time zones are not your friend.

Concrete beats generic
Instead of saying “I’m passionate”, show it through actions: what you’ve done, cuppings you joined, cafés or roasteries you visited to learn, routines you built for practice, mentors you learned from, projects you helped with. Small things count if they are real.

How to think about the interview

If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be contacted for an interview. The easiest way to approach it is as a conversation, not a test.

If you get invited to an interview, it usually helps to go in with a few things already clear in your head: one challenge you’ve faced in coffee and what it taught you, one moment that made you realise you wanted to go deeper, and a couple of questions you genuinely want to ask about the program.

Curiosity is part of the skill set. Good interviews usually happen when candidates are honest and present, not when they try to “perform”.

One last thing: it’s not only what you want to learn

Youth Academy is a scholarship, but it’s also a community. So it’s worth thinking not only about what you want to get from the program, but also what you can bring back to the coffee community: your attitude at work, your way of sharing knowledge, your local scene, your willingness to grow with others, not just for yourself.

If you’re applying for Malaysia, the UK, or the UAE, take your time, double-check your profile, and write something that feels like you.