University welcomes Mandela Washington fellows

The University of Nevada, Reno, in partnership with the Northern Nevada International Center, welcomed 25 of Africa's emerging business and entrepreneurial leaders for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a six-week academic and leadership institute on June 22.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a part of President Barack Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative, with the goal of empowering young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and support for activities in their communities.

This cohort of fellows representing 17 of Africa's 49 countries is part of a larger group of 500 fellows selected from a pool of 50,000 applicants being hosted across the United States this summer. Following their engagements with their respective universities, the fellows will join the other cohorts in Washington, D.C., for a Presidential Summit with President Obama.

The University of Nevada, Reno is among 20 American universities including Dartmouth College, University of Notre Dame, University of California, Berkeley and Northwestern University to develop programs in conjunction with the Department of State's Bureau of Educational Affairs and its partner organization, the International Research & Exchanges Board, in one of three tracks: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership or Public Management.

"The energy and excitement surrounding business innovations and entrepreneurship in Reno and the surrounding areas continues to grow," said Dave Croasdell, associate professor and chair of the information systems department in the UNR College of Business. "This program offers an incredible opportunity for the University of Nevada and community constituencies to form friendships with a wide array of young African business leaders from across the African continent."

University students and recently graduated students will act as peer collaborators to help the YALI Fellows experience American culture outside of the formal curriculum. University faculty and staff along with local community business leaders will deliver sessions designed to help the Fellows gain broad experience with the entrepreneurial ecosystem and culture of innovation in the area.

Carina Black, executive director of the NNIC, led the efforts to bring this program to Northern Nevada.

"Hosting the Mandela Washington Fellows is a great honor for the University of Nevada," Black said. "These individuals represent the incredible transformation that is currently happening on the continent of Africa, and it's great to experience our community being part of that transformation."

The program also provides insight into American culture through visits to local business and educational centers, tours of outlying facilities including the Starbucks roasting and Bentley Biodiesel processing plants in Minden, the Sacramento legislature with the Berkeley fellows, the Barrick and Newmont mining operations outside of Winnemucca, and Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village. They also will participate in community service opportunities with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and local cultural activities, including attending the Reno Rodeo.

The fellows will also participate in Meet Africa! Entrepreneurs and Change Makers, an Artown event, at the Honor Court on the University campus from noon to 3 p.m. July 23.