FIU selected again as Florida site for Obama’s fellowship for young African leaders


African scholars visiting FIU in 2014 as part of President Obama’s Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

African scholars visiting FIU in 2014 as part of President Obama’s Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

For the second year in a row, FIU will be the only university in Florida to host a select group of emerging leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa. The group will come to FIU this summer as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

“We had a very successful first year, and are looking forward to providing the 2015 Mandela Washington Fellows a Worlds Ahead experience at FIU,” said Susan Webster, who oversees the program and serves as director of training and international research initiatives at FIU’s Division of Research.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and support for activities in their communities. Fellows are young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa who have a proven record of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, or communities.

These exceptional young leaders will meet with President Obama during a summit in Washington, D.C.; select Fellows will also receive hands-on experience through six week placements with U.S. companies, organizations, and government agencies.

The cohort of 25 fellows at FIU are part of a larger group of 500 Mandela Washington Fellows being hosted across the United States this summer. The fellows will arrive at FIU in mid-June.

Some highlights of the FIU program include participating in a public management curriculum developed by the Metropolitan Center. As part of their training at FIU, Mandela Washington Fellows will participate in site visits to various agencies in Miami-Dade County. Institute faculty will be drawn from a variety of areas including the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Environment, Arts and Society, and the African and African Diaspora Studies Program. Mandela Washington Fellows will also participate in leadership training, community service projects and local cultural events.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a U.S. government program that is supported in its implementation by IREX.  For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit http://yali.state.gov and join the conversation with #YALI2015.