UWC (or the United World Colleges) is a global network of schools and educational programmes with the shared mission of “making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”. The organization was founded on the principles of German educationalist Kurt Hahn in 1962 to promote intercultural understanding. Today, UWC consists of 18 schools on four continents, some of which are also open to younger years (from kindergarten). Young people are selected for the IB Diploma Programme from over 155 countries through a system of volunteer-run national committees. Today, UWC runs the world’s largest scholarship programme in international secondary education, with over 80% of students selected by UWC national committees receivinga scholarship.