Purdue University College of Agriculture is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, Purdue will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging business leaders for a six-week leadership institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, and this will be Purdue’s sixth summer hosting. Since its inception, nearly 6,500 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The cohort of Fellows hosted by Purdue will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States.
After their Leadership Institutes, Fellows will participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following the summit, up to 100 competitively-selected Fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies and government agencies.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, Leadership Institutes will offer programs that will challenge, motivate, and empower young leaders from Africa to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.
“The spirit of social entrepreneurship that drives the Fellows and that is fostered through their visit and now life-long connection to Purdue,” said Christian Butzke, professor of food science, “will have a pronounced impact on the prosperity of rural communities across the African continent.”
Some highlights of the Purdue program will include:
- Fellows will connect with state-level, regional and local businesses and volunteers through collaborative projects and site visits.
- Fellows will have the opportunity to give back to the local community through service opportunities with entities such as Food Finders, GrowLocal Lafayette, Tippecanoe Extension Office, the Lafayette Urban Ministry amongst others.
- You can meet the Fellows at different events throughout the summer such as the welcome reception at the Convergence Center on June 28th, Taste of Tippecanoe, Indiana Fiddlers Gathering, Wabash Riverfest and Mosey Down Main Street.
“This program brings tremendous value not only to the cohort of Fellows from across Africa but also to those within our College of Agriculture and beyond who engage with these dynamic individuals during their time in West Lafayette,” said Bernie Engel, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. “We look forward to hosting the 2024 Fellows and helping them build their entrepreneurial and technical skillsets to support their efforts when they return to their home countries.”
For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute at Purdue, and how you can get involved, please contact Gary Burniske, grburniske@purdue.edu or visit Purdue's website at purdue.edu/mandela-fellowship/. You can also register today to volunteer with the program.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org and join the conversation at #YALI2024.
