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Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI)

BSU Hosts 25 of Africa’s Bright, Emerging Leaders

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 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship program will run at Bridgewater State University from June 19–July 28.

Please contact MandelaWashingtonFellows@bridgew.edu with any questions.

Two Mandela Washington Fellows smiling for the camera at the Bridgewater 4th of July parade; one holds the flags of the U.S. and Mauritius
Dr. Wing-kai To and Vincent Pellegrino holding up Bridgewater signs to greet the Fellows at Logan Airport
Mandela Washington Fellows smile and pose while on a duck boat tour of the Charles River

Partners

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. government and is supported in its implementation by IREX. Bridgewater State University is a sub-grantee of IREX and is supporting the U.S.-based academic program of the Fellowship.

USA
Dept. of State
IREX
MWF