Texas Tech University Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics professors Darren Hudson and Conrad Lyford are part of a team hosting the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, Tech will, for the second time, host 25 bright, emerging African leaders for a six-week academic and leadership institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Texas Tech is one of 27 educational institutions in the U.S. chosen as an Institute Partner by the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, which was created in 2010 and empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring and professional and networking opportunities.

"This is a great opportunity to collaborate with young African leaders to address key challenges they face in managing public programs, markets, charities, and other key aspects of their social systems," said Hudson, who also serves as Tech's Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness and Director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness.

"While Texas Tech and the local community will be a great source of ideas and knowledge about these issues, we look forward to also learning more about their countries and cultures and the unique challenges they face in increasing their incomes and improving their qualities of life," he said.

Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 3,700 young leaders from 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaborations with U.S. professionals. Texas Tech previously hosted a cohort of 25 fellows in 2017.

Texas Tech's 2019 cohort will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted across the U.S. This summer, all fellows will receive a letter from President Donald Trump welcoming them to the U.S. for their program.

At the conclusion of their Leadership Institutes, the fellows will convene in Washington, D.C., for the sixth annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will participate in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following the summit, 70 competitively selected fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development at 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 working closely with its implementing partner, International Research & Exchanges Board, host institutions will offer leadership programs that will challenge, motivate and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.

"We're honored to host a new cohort of fellows from the Young African Leaders Initiative, and share our community with them, as we take this opportunity to engage and learn from one another," said Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech president.

CONTACT: William Brown, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or william.f.brown@ttu.edu

0219NM19 / Editor's Note: For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit here and join the conversation at #YALI2019