Texas Tech University

International Research Funding Alert

July 2022

Texas Tech University Hosting Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders has started at Texas Tech University, with 24 fellows attending the Institute focused on public management and leadership. This year marks the fourth time Texas Tech has been selected to be one of the hosts for this highly competitive initiative, which is the flagship program of the U.S. State Department's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since its inception, YALI has brought almost 5,000 young leaders from countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to the U.S. for leadership training.

The program will run until July 17th. The twenty-four participating fellows are some of the brightest and most tenacious young leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these men and women either run their own business or lead a nonprofit. This year 19 countries are represented, with fellows ranging from 25-35 years old.

The TTU management team for this project, comprised of Dr. Darren Hudson, Dr. Conrad Lyford, Dr. Jamie Bologna Pavlik, Dr. Ian LĂ©rtora, and Mr. Michael Johnson, has prepared a detailed curriculum focused on academic and leadership lectures. This year mental health counseling is part of the experience, as well as cultural connections, networking, community service and one-on-one coaching. The Texas Tech fellows will also travel to Austin to share experiences with the University of Texas cohort and engage in coordinated community service events and academic sessions.

Read more