BRIDGEWATER, MA – Bridgewater State University is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, BSU will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging public management 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. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,800 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows hosted by Bridgewater State University 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 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 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at Bridgewater State University for 2023 will offer participants a comprehensive and challenging program in public management. Melding faculty members with distinguished practitioners in the field, the Fellows will be exposed to an array of viewpoints and skill development opportunities that will deepen their understanding of leadership, decision-making and policy implementation.
Bridgewater State University is pleased to offer the Institute for the seventh time since 2016.
At every session throughout the program, there will be the opportunity for open and thought-provoking interchange among faculty, practitioners, and Fellows, always conscious of the foundational objective of assisting the Fellows as current or potential public managers. These academic sessions will be followed by a series of site visits that relate directly to the topics covered during the week. These site visits will allow the Fellows not only to acquire “real world” insights into public management, but also to develop networking links that will be useful once the program has been completed.
During the week, the program will offer the Fellows opportunities to participate in a range of community service and cultural programs at various non-profit agencies, museums, special events, and local and regional gatherings that further provide insight into the character and values of Massachusetts.
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 #YALI2023.