North America, Latin America, Europe, The Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia China are some of the most significant regions of the world — their economies, cultures, and politics are frames for the present and windows for the future.
In each region, after three weeks in their Home Base city, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships to deepen their understanding of a culture, a place, and its people. They meet with industry leaders and experts, journey down the world's great rivers and up its great mountains, track tigers and elephants, and visit sites of innovation and governance.
Below are select photographs and descriptions of all of our Regions from the 2025-2026 year. Peruse them to get a sense of just how diverse and exciting a Baret year can be!
In New York City, our Scholars hear from speakers like Oscar-winning documentarian Joshua Seftel, singer-songerwriter Simone White, former editor of TIME Rick Stengel, and National Geographic documentary filmmaker Malaika Vaz. They also volunteer at God's Love We Deliver, peruse the galleries of the New Museum, and work on their filmmaking and photographs on the piers of Brooklyn.
After New York City, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
New Orleans: The Creative Soul of the South
Founded in 1718, New Orleans boasts a blend of French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences, evident in its architecture, festivals, and local customs. Renowned for its rich history, diverse music scene and flavorful cuisine, the city serves up a melting pot bubbling with creativity.
Mexico City: The Navel of the Moon
Mexico City is one of the world's great cultural capitals—a sprawling, vibrant metropolis where ancient civilizations, complex colonial history, and modern urban life seamlessly exist side by side.
San Francisco, CA: Start Up U
Silicon Valley has a reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship. From 1990 to 2000 alone, an astonishing 29,000 ventures were launched, cementing the Bay Area of San Francisco as the top-ranked startup ecosystem in the United States.
Charleston, NC: From Swamp to Sea
With a population today of around half a million, Charleston County has grown from its humble roots to become a rising city in size, attraction and commerce. Reaching over 187 miles across South Carolina’s coastline, the Lowcountry hosts a wealth of natural beauty and supports a multitude of unique and powerful ecosystems.
Washington, DC: DC 538
As the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C. is the seat of government and a living archive of American ideals, contradictions and evolution. Designed in the late 18th century as a symbol of unity and power, the city has since grown into a dynamic urban landscape shaped by both monumental decisions and grassroots movements.
In São Paulo, our Scholars meet with leading politicians like Cristina Monteiro, the President of the Brazilian Red Cross, Jorge Wolney Atalla Jr, artists like Gabi Juns, and Igor Carneiro, a key member of the UN's World Food Programme; as well as attend the São Paulo Art Biennial, the second-oldest major art biennial in the world.
After São Paulo, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
The Amazon: Current Affairs
The Amazon is often called the ‘lungs of the planet’; a vast and vital ecosystem that stretches across nine countries and fuels much of Earth’s biodiversity and climate regulation. But beneath its green canopy lies a complicated history: one shaped by colonial extraction, rubber booms and global economic forces that continue to threaten its survival.
The Peruvian Andes: Woven Worlds
Nestled in the heart of the Andes, the city of Cusco stands is a gateway to the sacred valley and a living monument to Peru’s layered history. Once the capital of the Incan Empire, today it blends indigenous traditions with colonial legacies and modern Peruvian life.
Buenos Aires: City of Influence
Argentina’s capital city, the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, is defined by rhythm and reinvention. In it, history meets innovation, and every corner pulses with possibility. As Argentina’s cultural and economic heart, it offers a heady brew of artistic tradition, entrepreneurial energy and civic complexity.
Tierra Del Fuego: The Ends of the Earth
From glacier-fed rivers to jagged peaks and windswept coastlines, Patagonia offers the ideal backdrop to explore themes of resilience, biodiversity and personal growth. Through guided hikes, ecological excursions and wildlife observation, students will consider the balance between human ambition and the vast, humbling forces of nature.
In Paris, our Scholars visit as Christmas nears. They experience Paris in winter, including its winter markets. They also make excursions to artistic and architectural marvels like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. There are fascinating talks from explorers, like Nicholas Dubreuil, artists like Pier Stockholm and Marlon de Azambuja and Bryan McCormack, and founders like Maya Gobert and Sara Berkai.
After Paris, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
London: Remix the Empire
Once the beating heart of an empire, London has long been a city defined by its reinventions. From fogladen alleyways and Victorian legends to the explosive cultural renaissance of Cool Britannia, London has embraced and redefined its identity time and again.
Seville: Flamenco Fiesta
Seville, the capital of Andalucía, is a city where Roman ruins, Moorish palaces, and Gothic cathedrals stand side by side. Known for its vibrant festivals, winding cobblestone streets and sun-soaked plazas, Seville is also the birthplace and beating heart of Flamenco.
Andalucía: Eco Observers, Exploring by Bike
For high performance athletes and daily commuters alike, cycling has been an effective and eco-friendly method of transport across the globe, and has come to a particular state of reverence in Europe. Across the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of trails in Europe, locals, tourists and adrenaline seekers have decided to frame their travel experiences through spokes and gears.
Emilia-Romagna: The Flavor of Place
Italy’s cuisine is often hailed as one of the world’s finest, not just for its flavor, but for its reverence toward ingredients and tradition. This Fellowship will root itself in the culinary heart of the country: the Emilia-Romagna region.
In Istanbul, crossroads of civilizations, our Scholars step into the Hagia Sophia, cross the Bosporus, and hear from a number of riveting speakers, including political scientist Prof. Özgür Ünal Eriş, the President of Doctor's Without Borders, Dr. Christos Christou, psychologist İlknur Yurtseven, and founder Nevzat Aydın.
After Istanbul, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
Antalya: Across Coastlines & Ancient Paths on the Lycian Way
Tracing one of the world’s most celebrated coastal trails, this program introduces students to the intertwined histories of the Lycian, Greek, Roman, and Ottoman worlds. The Lycian Way — lined with cliffside tombs, ruined harbours, olive groves, and turquoise coastline — offers a living classroom where the natural world and ancient civilisations coexist.
Marrakech: Mountains, Markets & Memory
This route fuses the sensory splendor of Marrakech with the meditative landscapes of the High Atlas Mountains. In the city’s labyrinthine souks, plazas, and artisan quarters, students engage with customs forged by centuries of trade, craftsmanship, and the confluence of Arab, Amazigh, African, and Andalusian cultures.
Abu Dhabi: Designing the City of the Future
As a leading innovation hub, the UAE lets students study how nations build technological ecosystems at scale. Abu Dhabi’s rapid modernization shows deliberate choices in national identity-building and digital governance.
Cappadocia & Ephesus: Tracing Civilizations
Set in two of Türkiye’s most famous historic areas, this program helps scholars explore how land, belief, and culture connect. In Cappadocia, Scholarsdocument and observe volcanic rocks, early Christian caves, and vast underground towns built over the centuries as shelters. West in Ephesus, scholars journey through a lively old city of the Mediterranean.
In Nairobi, Scholars make the most of this vibrant metropolis, including visits to Tatu City and the UN, as well as a look into a local film festival. They also hear from insightful speakers like Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, filmmakers Shery Yohannan and Mathendu Muchoki, cultural entrepreneur Lisa Kibutu, and policy analyst Nteranya A. Sanginga.
After Nairobi, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
Watamu: Saving the Sea
On Kenya’s northern coast, Scholars dive, quite literally, into one of East Africa’s most active marine conservation hubs. Watamu is home to vital ecosystems — mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and endangered sea turtle nesting sites — that depend on the delicate balance between human livelihood and ecological stewardship.
Peaking Mount Kenya: Alpine Ecology & Leadership
Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest peak, rises abruptly from the heart of the country in a dramatic union of volcanic rock, ancient glaciers, and vast alpine valleys. Situated almost directly on the equator, its landscape is unlike any other on the continent: bamboo and montane forests give way to giant heather, moorlands dotted with towering lobelias, and finally an alpine zone where sun, mist, and ice shift hour by hour.
Mombasa: Where Oceans Meet Empire
Mombasa’s coastline has been a cultural crossroads for millennia, shaped by Indian Ocean trade, Swahili culture, Arab commerce, Portuguese expansion, and British colonial rule. In this Fellowship, Scholars explore historic ports, mosques, fortresses, and neighborhoods that reveal how migration, trade, and power shaped East African identity.
Masai Mara: Living with Wildlife
In the Masai Mara, students examine the balance between wildlife protection and community livelihoods. Through discussions with conservationists, Maasai leaders, and rangers, Scholars explore migration, predator–prey dynamics, land pressures, and anti-poaching strategies.
Lusaka: Learning, Leadership & Urban Life
Anchored at Cavendish University Zambia, this immersive week offers Scholars a multilayered introduction to contemporary Zambian life. The Fellowship highlights youth culture, the urban context, education, economic systems, and civic engagement.
Delhi is one of the most ancient and populous cities in the world. Our Scholars explore its ancient temples, visit the National Crafts museum, picnicking in Lodhi Gardens, take Yoga workshops, and tour the city with cultural and oral historian Sohail Hashmi. They also hear from explorer Mandip Singh Soin, Chef Julia Carmen Desa, Swami Chidananda, and journalist Supriya Dravid.
After Delhi, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
Madhya Pradesh: Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright
Madhya Pradesh holds over 75% of India’s Bengal tiger population, making it the heart of India’s conservation landscape and one of the planet’s most vital strongholds for big cats. Its forests — stretching across Bhopal, Satpura, and Bori — form a mosaic of rivers, sal woodlands, rocky outcrops, and deep ravines where tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and hundreds of bird species coexist in delicate balance.
Rajasthan: Dyes, Dynasties & Desert Craft
Rajasthan’s craft traditions open a remarkable window into India’s historical, artistic, and economic worlds. In its desert cities and village workshops, centuries of creativity are preserved by the hands of artisans who continue to carve, weave, print, and dye using techniques passed down through generations.
Kathmandu & the Himalayan Foothills: Valleys of Gods & Mountains
Nepal is a crossroads of sacred tradition, living heritage, and dramatic Himalayan landscapes. In the Kathmandu Valley, ancient temples, palace squares, and Buddhist stupas sit tightly woven into the rhythms of everyday life — places where artisans, monks, families, and pilgrims share the same courtyards and streets.
Sri Lanka: Coastal Conservation & Community Engagement
Sri Lanka’s southern coast is a landscape shaped by monsoon winds, warm currents, and generations of fishing and farming communities who depend on the sea. Its beaches are nesting grounds for endangered turtles; its lagoons cradle mangroves that protect coastal villages, and its towns carry traces of Portuguese, Dutch, and British influence.
One of the great, ancient cities of the world, steeped in history, Beijng offers our students opportunities to visit historic sites like The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and much more. Our Scholars hear from a member of Beijing's Wushu team, Gao Chuanqi, a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company, Yue Go, and artist Jacopo Della Ragione.
After Beijing, our Scholars choose from five one-week Fellowships, which serve as deep-dive into the region.
Shanghai: Inside China's Financial Architecture
Shanghai is not just a city; it is a force of transformation. This immersive Fellowship is designed for future leaders ready to delve into the very engine room of this transformation: its dynamic financial machinery.
Shenzhen: Where Hardware Meets Imagination
Shenzhen, hailed as China's “Silicon Valley,” stands as a testament to unprecedented transformation, having evolved from a modest fishing village into a global technology powerhouse in just four decades.
Guizhou: Bridges Through the Clouds
Nestled in China’s southwestern highlands, Guizhou is a province where dramatic natural landscapes, profound cultural heritage, and groundbreaking engineering converge. Home to more than a dozen ethnic minority groups — including the Miao, Dong, and Bouyei — the region preserves ancient traditions, from intricate batik textiles to vibrant festivals, creating a rich tapestry of social diversity.
Jingde Village: Where Clay Remembers
Jingde Village, revered for a millennium as the "Porcelain Capital," is now at the heart of a quiet industrial revolution. While meticulously preserving ancient ceramic arts and craftsmanship, the city has also emerged as a significant hub for advanced manufacturing, particularly in industrial-grade drones and research into new materials.
Jeju Island: Volcanoes, Sea Winds & Myth
Jeju Island’s volcanic landscapes and coastal ecosystems form a world unlike anywhere else in East Asia — a place shaped by fire, wind, water, and myth. Its lava tubes, crater lakes, and windswept oreum (volcanic cones) reveal an ancient geological history, while its coastal trails, fishing villages, and stone walls speak to generations of people who learned to live in rhythm with the island’s dramatic terrain.
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